Fresh-baked Bread Cannot be Beat

The smell of fresh bread baking exists in just about every culture on the planet! Sure, it is easy to go to the store and bye a loaf, but that fresh-baked smell cannot be beat! If you have many people in the house, and time in the morning, you could possibly get in the habit of doing this everyday (...our daily bread...). The following recipe is a basic one, so you can add just about any herb or cheese or combination, and it will be delicious...especially if you make the dipping sauce and eat it while it is oven-fresh!

Photo:Erich Coleman

The Bread:

2 cups flour (474 ml)

1 cup water (237 ml)

1 package yeast 2 1/4 tsp (12 ml)

1 tbsp (15 ml) sugar 

1/4 -1/2 cup (59- 118 ml) cheese chunks (more as desired)

2 tbsp (30 ml)oregano

1 tbsp (5 ml) onion powder

1 tbsp parsley (various spices)

1 tbsp olive oil

Add all of the yeast to the cup of water heated to 100-110 degrees Fahrenheit (38-43 degrees Celsius)

Stir lightly until all is dissolved. Add sugar and stir it in. Wait about 5-10 minutes or until bubbles start to form. Add spices to flour and mix throughout. In a bowl or on the counter top, create a crater in the middle of the flour and slowly pour in the water and fold in the flour until all the water is used up and a dough starts to form. Take it out of the bowl on put the counter top and work it (knead it) until the dough is easy to work with and is not sticky. If the dough is sticky, add a little more flour, and if the dough is brittle and falling apart, add a little more water. You want a homogeneous ball of 

 dough, that is not sticky. Use some flour on the counter to keep it from sticking. Knead the dough for about 6-8 minutes. Cover ball of dough thoroughly with olive oil, and place in a large bowl (dough will rise) covered with a damp kitchen towel. (For this, I like to heat some water in the microwave for about a minute, and then place the bowl in this warm draft-free space. Heat is water makes the yeast rise, so make sure none of your ingredients are cold.

After about 45 minutes, the dough should be about twice its original size. Take it out and pound it down, and knead it for another 5 minutes. Now flatten out the bread dough and place your cheese chunks on top. Fold it over to cover the cheese. Some cheese may melt out of the side and bake on the side of the bread pan. This is ok, and the melted, baked cheese will be delicious! Place in a greased bread pan and cover with damp towel and allow to rise once more. In another 45 minutes, take out and place in a preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. (177 Celsius) Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the top of the bread is golden brown.

The Dipping Sauce:

1/4 (59 ml)cup virgin olive oil

1/4 cup (59 ml) balsamic vinegar

2 minced garlic cloves

3 tbsp (45 ml)capers

2 tbsp (30 ml) shredded Parmesan cheese

1 tsp (5 ml) minced garlic

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp onion powder

Combine in a bowl or mix on  plate.

Kitchen Tip: If you heat garlic up on (husk still on) a dry skillet for about 5-6 minutes on medium heat, it will taste better, it will pop out of the husk when you cut off the little ends, and when you put it through a garlic strainer, it turns to the consistency of butter!