I am not one of those people who can give up carbs. I can cut down on them and cut out specific ones but I cannot give up them up completely for one good reason. Bread. Along with dark chocolate, it is something I cannot willingly stop eating. That being said, I can’t remember the last time I had a piece of plain, white bread bought at the grocery store. That exited my diet shortly after getting married and getting my first bread maker, close to 30 years ago. The bread I can’t give up is homemade or handmade breads and rolls, in a variety of shapes, sizes & flavors.
When the kids were growing up, our sandwich bread was an egg bread I made using the bread maker. Bread for pasta dinners was a loaf of French or Italian bread shaped by hand with dough made in the bread maker. Along with pizza dough, these 3 are the closest we come to white bread. Whole grains and hearty flavors are what we prefer. The hearty flavor of this bread offering below comes from the rosemary, cheeses & cayenne pepper in the loaf. It makes wonderful grilled cheese sandwiches, toast to go with eggs, or a side for some soup.
Rosemary-Asiago Bread
Rosemary-Asiago Bread (adapted from familycircle.com) Makes 12 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1 1/4 cups warm water
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 tablespoons minced onion
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup shredded Asiago cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Directions:
In a Bread Maker: Combine the 2 shredded cheeses in a small bowl and mix them together. Add all the ingredients to the pan (reserving 1/4 cup of the cheese blend) in the order listed by the manufacturer and choose the white bread setting.
My bread maker requires liquids in the pan first.
When the dough has finished mixing and rising and starts to bake, sprinkle the reserved 1/4 cup of the cheeses on the top of the loaf.
Add the remaining 1/4 cup of cheeses to the top of the loaf as the baking starts.
When the bread is done, remove it from the bread maker and the pan and allow the loaf to completely cool on a rack before slicing. To store the bread, wrap it in plastic wrap and aluminum foil.
This flavorful bread is great for sandwiches & toast.
To make by hand: Sprinkle the yeast over 1/4 cup of the warm water (105º) in a glass measuring cup. Stir in 1 teaspoon of sugar. Let it stand for 10 minutes. The mixture will be foamy.
Stir together 3-1/2 cups of flour, the salt, rosemary, minced onion, cayenne pepper and the remaining teaspoon of sugar. Pour the yeast mixture into the flour mixture. Add the remaining 1 cup of warm water and the olive oil. Stir it to form a ball. Mix together the cheeses and add 3/4 cup of it to the dough. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Knead it for 10 minutes, adding additional flour as needed until the dough is smooth and elastic. Lightly grease a large bowl with olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn it to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for 1-1/2 hours, until it is doubled in size. Punch the dough down. Roll out the dough into a 20 x 8-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Roll it up from a short side. Fold the ends under the loaf and place it, seam-side down, in a greased 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan. Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for an additional hour.
Heat oven to 400º. Brush the top of the loaf with an egg lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon of water. Sprinkle the loaf with the remaining cheese. Bake it for 35 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when it is tapped. Remove the loaf from the pan and place it on a rack to cool. Wrap the cooled loaf in plastic wrap an aluminum foil to store it.
Homemade bread & soup makes a wonderfully filling winter meal!
Fresh baked bread is a divine indulgence! ~Linda
Rosemary-Asiago Bread (adapted from familycircle.com)
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1 1/4 cups warm water
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 tablespoons minced onion
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup shredded Asiago cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Directions:
In a Bread Maker: Combine the 2 shredded cheeses in a small bowl and mix them together. Add all the ingredients to the pan (reserving 1/4 cup of the cheese blend) in the order listed by the manufacturer and choose the white bread setting. When the dough has finished mixing and rising and starts to bake, sprinkle the reserved 1/4 cup of the cheeses on the top of the loaf. When the bread is done, remove it from the bread maker and the pan and allow the loaf to completely cool on a rack before slicing. To store the bread, wrap it in plastic wrap and aluminum foil.
To make by hand: Sprinkle the yeast over 1/4 cup of the warm water (105º) in a glass measuring cup. Stir in 1 teaspoon of sugar. Let it stand for 10 minutes. The mixture will be foamy.
Stir together 3-1/2 cups of flour, the salt, rosemary, minced onion, cayenne pepper and the remaining teaspoon of sugar. Pour the yeast mixture into the flour mixture. Add the remaining 1 cup of warm water and the olive oil. Stir it to form a ball. Mix together the cheeses and add 3/4 cup of it to the dough. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Knead it for 10 minutes, adding additional flour as needed until the dough is smooth and elastic. Lightly grease a large bowl with olive oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn it to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for 1-1/2 hours, until it is doubled in size. Punch the dough down. Roll out the dough into a 20 x 8-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Roll it up from a short side. Fold the ends under the loaf and place it, seam-side down, in a greased 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan. Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for an additional hour.
Heat oven to 400º. Brush the top of the loaf with an egg lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon of water. Sprinkle the loaf with the remaining cheese. Bake it for 35 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when it is tapped. Remove the loaf from the pan and place it on a rack to cool. Wrap the cooled loaf in plastic wrap an aluminum foil to store it.