Italian Herb Bread

Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 35 min
Servings: 20
Yield: 20 servings

Description

This delicious herb bread is made with a winning combination of Italian herbs plus a good helping of Romano cheese. The dough can also be used for pizza.

Ingredients

2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 (1/4 ounce) packages active dry yeast
6 cups bread flour
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder

Directions

1 Gather all ingredients.
2 Mix warm water, sugar, and yeast together in a large bowl; let sit until mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.
3 Stir 3 cups flour, Romano cheese, olive oil, salt, basil, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder into yeast mixture. Gradually mix in remaining 3 cups flour until incorporated; dough will be stiff.
4 Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and rubbery, 5 to 10 minutes.
5 Place dough into an oiled bowl and turn until the surface is coated. Cover with a damp dish towel and let rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
6 Punch dough down to release air; shape into two loaves. Place each loaf into a greased 9x5-inch loaf pan. Let rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.
7 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
8 Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. Remove loaves from the pans and let cool on wire racks for at least 15 minutes before slicing.