Italian Herb Bread

this is an italian recipe of an easy, simple and a no fuss herb bread made from a combo of whole wheat flour, all purpose flour and olive oil.

the herbs which i have added to the bread are fresh basil, fresh parsley and dry rosemary along with sun dried tomatoes.

the result is a chewy, dense and aromatic bread flavored with the herbs and sun dried tomatoes. if you make the bread totally with all purpose flour/maida, then the bread won’t be chewy and dense.

lets begin with the step by step method of making herb bread:
ingredients

    1 1/2 cup flour
    1/2 cup all purpose flour/maida
    2 tbsp olive oil
    1 tsp dry yeast
    1/2 cup water
    1/4 tsp sugar
    3/4 cup chopped fresh herbs or dry herbs - rosemary, basil, parsley
    8-9 sundried tomatoes, chopped (optional)
    salt as required
    sea salt flakes or rock salt for finishing
    fresh rosemary leaves or dry rosemary for finishing

method:

    proof the yeast by adding it to the 1/2 cup warm water & sugar mixture.
    keep in a warm place till the mixture bubbles.
    mix the chopped herbs, sundried tomatoes, olive oil and salt together.
    add the flours and mix well.
    now add the yeast mixture and continue to mix.
    add some 1 or 2 tbsp water if required to bind the dough.
    knead into a smooth and pliable dough. the dough should not be sticky.
    rub olive oil all over the dough and keep it covered in a bowl for 30-40 minutes till it doubles in size.
    knead again and then make round or oval buns.
    make a criss cross pattern on the buns with a knife.
    sprinkle some salt and rosemary leaves on the bread.
    bake in a preheated oven at 200 degrees C for 20-25 minutes or till the bread becomes browned.
    serve warm.

1: the proofing needs to be done first. mix the sugar with warm water. add the dry yeast to this mixture. stir and leave in a warm place for the 15 minutes or till the mixture becomes frothy.

2: mix the chopped fresh herbs, dry rosemary, sun dried tomatoes, salt and olive oil in a large mixing bowl.

3: add both the flours to this and mix together.

4: now add the yeast mixture and mix everything together.

5: add some warm water if required and knead into a smooth dough on a lightly floured surface. the dough should not be sticky.

6: put the dough back into the same bowl. apply olive oil over the dough.

7: cover with a cling film and leave in a warm place for 30-40 minutes or until the dough becomes double in size.

8: the risen dough after 1 hour

9: knead again until smooth and elastic. make round or oval shapes of the dough and arrange them on an oiled sheet. slightly make a criss cross pattern on the top of each loaf with a knife.

10: cover loosely with a lid and keep again in a warm place for 15-20 minutes or until well risen. preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. brush the bread buns with little olive oil, sprinkle some rosemary leaves and salt. bake in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes. the base should sound hollow when they are tapped.