Fresh Herb Bread

I started a small herb garden at the beginning of summer, featuring basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. The plants were arranged behind the sink in my new home, taking in the sunshine from the large windows. Historically, gardening has not been one of my specialties. Plants tend to last no more than a month or two, dying from a combination of under-watering, over-watering, or a simple stroke of bad luck. Even so, I could not seem to let go of the hopes that this will be the year my thumbs turn green.

Unexpectedly, my small herb garden quickly grew beyond its place behind the sink, spilling over the planters and slowly conquering all available counter space. As I carried the herb planters outside to regain my work space, I was certain the credit for the abundant plants was not my own. The large window and the brilliant sunshine deserved all of the praise. Who knew a green thumb and a south facing window were the same thing? Regardless, when herb plants are generous, we all win.

For this recipe, I featured the fresh Italian herbs in a fragrant loaf of bread. The bread is customizable to your tastes; use whichever herb or combination of herbs you prefer. Whether spread thickly with butter, sopping up gravy, or forming the base of a sandwich, the bread has become a staple in my kitchen. It seems as if there will never be enough loaves to keep up with my sun-grown plants. 

For the recipe for the Fresh Herb Bread, head over to Wolf Gourmet's blog, Food Notes.

This post is sponsored through a partnership with Wolf Gourmet. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Basic Sandwich Bread

For many years, one of the goals on my recipe checklist has been to find a recipe for a perfect loaf of sandwich bread. I envisioned the bread as an alternative to the many loaves I have purchased from the store over the years, working equally well with a spread of jam as it would as the backbone of a good sandwich. I wanted the recipe to be simple, the bread to be soft, and the crust to be golden and chewy. The task seemed easy enough, but as time has proven again and again, the kitchen staples are the most difficult to get just right. 

I have worked on this task passively since I began developing my own recipes years ago. There were many good loaves along the way, but never a loaf that made me stop in my tracks and proclaim, "This is the one!" Well, that is, until now. This basic sandwich loaf meets all of my requirements. The recipe is simple, only requiring 20 minutes or so of active preparation. The interior is light and soft, with sunflower seeds added for variation in taste and texture. The exterior is brushed with an egg wash to brown the loaf and give the golden crust a chewy texture. The egg wash also helps seeds or oats stick to the top so it can be adorned however you please. 

I haven't played around yet with substitutions (such as multi-grain or whole wheat), but when I find another recipe I will certainly share. I've had more than my fair share of bread over the years, but this loaf truly stands out as something special. 

My boyfriend starts every morning with two slices of peanut butter toast. Over the last five years, we have gone through several toasters together. The first, a relatively cheap toaster, lasted for a couple years before the coils burnt out. The second, a much more expensive toaster, brought hopes that it would hold up over time. It did hold up, but it performed dreadfully at its single purpose. With a shade scale from 1 to 5, it blackened toast at level 2 and set off the smoke detectors at level 3. My boyfriend actually taped down the shade scale knob because the toaster never seemed to toast consistently at the same level, believing I must have been messing with it (I wasn't).

When Wolf Gourmet asked me to test their Four Slice Toaster, I was excited to see how it would perform against my past experience. The toaster fits larger than average slices and self-centers the bread while toasting to ensure even browning. It works equally well with store bought sandwich loaves as it does with artisan breads. The toaster also has special settings for frozen bread or waffles so they defrost and toast to your desired level in one easy step. 

My favorite feature on the toaster is the "Keep Warm" button, which toasts the bread and keeps it warm for up to three minutes thereafter. When I am rushing around the kitchen preparing other ingredients, it is a definite perk to have the toast ready whenever I am (especially when spreading butter or peanut butter to the ideal melting consistency). Albeit minor, my only complaint is that it may take more than one cycle to reach a dark toasted brown when toasting extra thick slices of bread. Overall, the toaster reached my expectations in its single purpose—making a perfect piece of toast.

Edit: Giveaway closed.

This Basic Sandwich Loaf is a kitchen staple. The bread is subtly sweetened with honey and uses olive oil to retain a soft crumb. Sliced thin for sandwiches or thick for toast, the bread holds up well in variety of situations. I prefer mixing in a few raw sunflower seeds for flavor and texture, but you could do as you choose with your loaves. For best results, use a new package or container of active dry yeast.

One Year Ago: Hazelnut Cherry Granola with Chocolate Coconut Bites
Two Years Ago: Cherry Almond Granola and Cinnamon Sugar Swirl Loaf
Three Years Ago: Honey Almond Quinoa Granola & Coconut Tapioca Pudding
Four Years Ago:  Raspberry Lemon Cupcakes, Pita Bread, Almond Joy Candy Bars, & Mango Lassi
Five Years Ago: Blackberry Goat Cheese Tart, Chocolate Whoopie Pies, Hot Cross Buns, & Irene's Orange Rolls
Six Years Ago: Honey Rolls, Chocolate Nests, & Roasted Pineapple

Basic Sandwich Bread

Yields 1 loaf

Dough
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup (235 ml) barely warm milk
1/3 cup (80 ml) barely warm water
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups (445 grams) bread flour
1/4 cup (33 grams) raw sunflower seeds (optional)

Topping
Egg wash (1 large egg + 1 tablespoon water, whisked)
Raw sunflower seeds (optional)
Old fashioned oats (optional)

In a large mixing bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer), sprinkle the yeast over the barely warm milk and water. Stir in the honey, olive oil, and salt. Gradually add bread flour and sunflower seeds, mixing until the dough comes together. If the dough is too dry and will not come together, add small amounts of water until it does. Conversely, if the dough is too sticky, add flour until it becomes workable; however, do not add too much flour or the bread will become dense.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough for 7-10 minutes, or until elastic. Alternatively, using the dough hook on a stand mixer, knead the dough for 7-10 minutes, or until elastic. Cover dough with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in a warm place, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Punch down the dough before turning out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape the dough into an even log and place in a lightly greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Press dough down so it reaches the corners evenly. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for another 40-50 minutes until doubled.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

Brush the top of the loaf with egg wash. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds and oats, if desired. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until bread is golden and sounds hollow when tapped (internal temperature of 190 degrees F). Remove from baking pan and allow to cool before slicing and serving.

Disclosure: A complimentary four slice toaster was provided for review by Wolf Gourmet. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Cinnamon Star Bread

When the weather turns cold and the snow starts to fly, I use my oven to fill my home with the scents of the season—warm vanilla, spiced cinnamon, and intoxicating cocoa. The kitchen is my sanctuary, a place of peace and shelter from the stress the holidays can create. Baking is one of the ways I show and share my love towards friends and family. During this time of year, there is a lot of love to go around.

As a holiday tradition, each year I look for a new recipe to serve on Christmas morning. Since the days leading up to the holidays can be busy, the recipe needs to be simple, sweet, and easy to accomplish—there is no time to spend hours in the kitchen. When I found this recipe for Cinnamon Star Bread from King Arthur Flour, I knew it was the perfect fit. Though this twist on the classic cinnamon roll may not suggest simplicity, the reality is that this recipe does come together easily. While the bread takes about three hours from start to finish, only about a half hour of that time is active. While the dough rises, you are free to move about the house and do other things. Perhaps, best of all, the pull-apart shape of the bread is already suited for sharing. 

The sweet bread dough comes together quickly and easily. All dough ingredients are tossed into a mixing bowl and mixed either by hand (I prefer using a dough scraper) or machine until the dough comes together. Then, the dough is kneaded—again, either by hand or machine (using a dough hook with a stand mixer or bread machine)—for several minutes until it takes on a soft, smooth appearance. The process is simple, and the dough itself is very forgiving.

I prefer using all-purpose flour in this recipe because it yields a more tender dough. Traditional bread flour forms a more structured dough because bread flour has more protein than all-purpose flour, and forms more gluten when kneaded. Therefore, using a flour with less gluten, like all-purpose flour, creates a softer dough. In addition to the flour, nonfat dry milk and potato flour (or instant mashed potato flakes) are also added to create a tender bread. Don't worry—the potato doesn't add any flavor here; it just helps the bread retain moisture after baking. 

Once kneaded, the dough is placed in a lightly greased bowl, covered with a clean kitchen towel, and left to rise at room temperature for one hour, or until it doubles in size.

Once the dough has risen, divide the dough into four equal parts. Form the dough into balls and let rest for 15 minutes. Don't skip this step—the resting process relaxes the gluten in the dough and makes the dough easier to roll out. When time is up, roll out the dough into four 10-inch circles. I realize that sounds intimidating (I have a difficult time rolling out anything to a perfect size), but there's a quick trick that can help with the job. Trace the outline of a 10-inch springform or tube pan onto parchment paper, cut out the circle, and use it as a guide when rolling out the dough. It not only helps you visualize the size you need, but you can periodically place the parchment circle on the dough to check your progress.

The best part of the bread is the sweet, cinnamon sugar layers that saturate the loaf. To assemble the layers, place one 10-inch circle of dough onto a sheet of parchment paper. Brush the dough with a thin layer of beaten egg and sprinkle on 1/3 of the cinnamon sugar mixture, taking care to leave a 1/4-inch border around the edges. Repeat this process two more times, placing each layer on top of the other and adding the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place the last circle of dough on top, leaving it bare.

After making this bread several times, I found it is easier to twist the layers of dough if the dough circles are even. Even though you may have made best attempts to make perfect 10-inch circles, it's likely they still vary slightly on the edges—and that's okay. Simply place your parchment circle on top and use a pizza cutter to trim the very edge of the layers to an even size. 

Once the dough is stacked and layered with the cinnamon sugar mixture, it is time to cut the dough into strips to twist. Place a 2 1/2 to 3-inch round cutter on the center of the dough to use as a guide (if you don't have this size cutter, a canning jar lid will work as well). Use a bench knife or sharp knife to cut the dough into strips. Start by cutting the circle into fourths, and then cut each fourth in half and then in half once more to create 16 even strips. 

To twist the layers into the star pattern, take two adjacent strips and twist them away from each other twice (twist one clockwise, twist the other one counterclockwise). Since I do not have the fine motor skills to do both strips at the same time, I twist them separately and then pinch them together along the ends to hold them together. I also found it is easier to twist the dough if you lift it up slightly so it does not brush against the other strips of dough. 

Using the parchment paper, transfer the star to a baking sheet, cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise for another 45 minutes, or until noticeably puffy. While the loaf rises, preheat the oven. Just before baking, brush the loaf with a thin layer of beaten egg and bake until golden brown, about 12-15 minutes.

To serve the bread in the morning, I recommend baking the loaf the evening before and reheating the loaf in the oven the next morning at 350°F for 5-10 minutes, or until heated through. This bread is not a good candidate to raise overnight because the cinnamon sugar has a tendency to leak out of the loaf in a thin syrup if left too long. Since we want to keep as much flavor in the loaf, it is best to bake it on schedule. Reheating the bread in the oven will keep the texture and retain the moisture.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar after baking and serve warm. If you are feeling particularly festive, serve the bread alongside a mug of hot cocoa. In fact, I recommend it. 

For more of my favorite seasonal recipes from King Arthur Flour and additional baking tips, join me at their Holiday Table.

Cinnamon Star Bread is a pull-apart style bread that gives a twist to the classic cinnamon roll. The bread is layered with cinnamon sugar and twisted into a star shape. As the loaf bakes, the cinnamon sugar caramelizes the outside edges while the interior stays soft and tender. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm. Your friends and family will adore this sweet addition to your holiday table.

Cinnamon Star Bread
Recipe from King Arthur Flour

Yields 1 star loaf, or 8-12 servings

Dough
3/4 cup + 2 to 4 tablespoons (198-227 mL) lukewarm water, enough to make a soft, smooth dough
2 cups (241 grams) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons or 57 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon Buttery Sweet Dough Flavor, optional; for enhanced flavor
2 teaspoons instant yeast, SAF Gold instant yeast preferred
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (35 grams) Baker's Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk
1/4 cup (46 grams) potato flour or instant mashed potato flakes

Filling
1 large egg, beaten
1/3 cup (64 grams) cinnamon-sugar, or your own mix of cinnamon sugar*

To make the dough: Combine all of the dough ingredients and mix and knead — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to make a soft, smooth dough. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for 60 minutes, until it's nearly doubled in bulk.

Divide the dough into four equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, cover the balls, and allow them to rest for 15 minutes.

On a lightly greased or floured work surface, roll one piece of dough into a 10" circle. Place the circle on a piece of parchment, brush a thin coat of beaten egg on the surface, then evenly sprinkle with 1/3 of the cinnamon-sugar, leaving 1/4" of bare dough around the perimeter.

Roll out a second circle the same size as the first, and place it on top of the filling-covered circle. Repeat the layering process — egg, cinnamon sugar, dough circle — leaving the top circle bare.

Place a 2 1/2" to 3" round cutter in the center of the dough circle as a guide. With a bench knife or sharp knife, cut the circle into 16 equal strips, from the cutter to the edge, through all the layers.

Using two hands, pick up two adjacent strips and twist them away from each other twice so that the top side is facing up again. Repeat with the remaining strips of dough so that you end up with eight pairs of strips. Pinch the pairs of strips together to create a star-like shape with eight points. Remove the cutter.

Transfer the star on the parchment to a baking sheet. Cover the star and let it rise until it becomes noticeably puffy, about 45 minutes.

While the star is rising, preheat the oven to 400°F (or 205°C).

Brush the star with a thin coat of the beaten egg. Bake it for 12 to 15 minutes, until it's nicely golden with dark brown cinnamon streaks; the center should register 200°F (or 93°C) on a digital thermometer.

Remove the loaf from the oven and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

* Stir together 1/3 cup granulated sugar with 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon for a homemade cinnamon sugar blend.

This post is sponsored through a partnership with King Arthur Flour. All thoughts and opinions are my own.