Italian Herbs and Cheese Bread with Golden Parmesan Topping
By Emma Collins
Prep
25 min
Cook
25 min
Total
50 min
Servings
32
Level
Easy
Bake four loaves at a time for sandwich and other bread uses or freezing; baked bread will keep for 1 to 2 days. Make unbaked dough and finish each loaf with butter, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and two kinds of cheese to create a soft interior and a golden cheese-topped crust.
Dough ingredients include warm water, active dry yeast, sugar, bread flour, and salt. Melted butter is brushed onto the loaf before baking. Garlic powder and Italian seasoning are mixed into the topping. Monterey Jack and Parmesan cheeses are layered in the cheese layer, with Parmesan added for extra browning. A stand mixer with a dough hook attachment may be used to make the dough, or you can mix the dough by hand.
The yeast mixture needs to be fully activated before mixing it with flour. There should be no dry spots when yeast is mixed with flour. Four logs on a lined baking sheet should have enough space to double in size during fermentation. The finished product should have a golden-brown crust and fully melted cheese. Water that is too hot could interfere with yeast activity, and closely spacing the logs on the baking sheet could keep them from doubling in size.
Cool the bread on a rack until it's cool enough to slice. Serve the bread sliced for sandwiches or as a side dish. This recipe makes 32 slices. Each loaf should be sliced into eight slices. The article provides gift ideas and tips for presenting freshly baked loaves of bread, including using parchment paper and ribbon.
Why this recipe works
- Yields four loaves per batch. Other uses include preparing breads for sandwiches and other gifts to share with or keep for your own use to avoid preparing and letting dough rise a second time.
- Freshly baked bread should be consumed within one or two days. Prebaking bread can save time for preparing other sandwiches and dishes later.
- The dough is cut into smaller logs before rising to save time compared with cutting a large loaf of bread after baking.
- Doubling and tripling the recipe is simple, according to the article, and holiday gifts of yeast breads can be made using this method.
- Individual loaves can be cooled and packaged separately to give as gifts or save for personal sandwiches.
- Reheating individual slices of bread is simple because they are already baked and sliced. The cheese and herb topping is a key feature of this bread.
Ingredients
- •1 ½ cups water (warm, 100-110 degrees F)
- •1 ½ tbsp active dry yeast
- •2 tbsp sugar
- •1 tsp salt
- •4 cups bread flour
- •1 tbsp butter (melted)
- •1 tsp garlic powder
- •2 tsp Italian seasoning
- •½ cup Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)
- •½ cup Parmesan cheese (shredded)
Instructions
- 1
Combine warm water, active dry yeast, and sugar in a measuring cup or small bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes to activate the yeast.
- 2
While the yeast activates, combine bread flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- 3
Add the fully activated yeast mixture to the flour mixture. Mix until no visible dry ingredients remain, scraping down the bowl as needed; with a stand mixer, this takes 5 to 10 minutes.
- 4
Lightly dust the work surface with flour or use parchment paper. Turn out the dough, divide it into 4 equal parts, and shape each piece into a loaf.
- 5
Place the dough logs on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, leaving about 4 inches between each log. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 40 minutes, or until about doubled in size.
- 6
While the dough rises, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 C).
- 7
Uncover the dough and cut 3 shallow slices into the top of each loaf with a sharp knife. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle with garlic powder and Italian seasoning, and divide both cheeses evenly over the loaves.
- 8
Bake at 375 degrees F (190 C) for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.
- 9
Transfer the bread to a cooling rack and let cool until comfortable to handle before eating, slicing, or gifting.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
139
Protein
11g
Fat
6g
Carbs
42g
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