In-Season: Tender Herbs
Some of my favorite kitchen pleasures involve herbs: the magic of chive blossoms soaked in vinegar in the spring, fragrant basil in the thick of tomato season, mint muddled at the bottom of a tall dri...
Rustic Garlic and Herb Bread
Serves 6–8
You don’t have to own fancy equipment or spend long hours stretching and folding dough to create a stunning loaf of bread. This rustic garlic and herb bread has a quick rise time and zero kneading, so you can have delicious bread on the table in no time. The smells radiating from your kitchen will have you making this bread every week. Don’t slice this bread until it has cooled or it will have a gummy, undercooked crumb.
3 cups bread flour, plus more for shaping
2¼ teaspoons (1 packet) instant yeast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
¼ cup chopped fresh dill
¼ cup chopped fresh chives
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1½ cups warm water (115°–130°)
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, salt, chopped herbs and garlic until combined. Add the water and stir with a wooden spoon until it becomes a shaggy dough ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 1½ to 2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
Dump the risen dough out onto a well-floured surface. Fold the dough onto itself about 15 times, until it comes together in a smooth ball. Place the dough ball onto a piece of parchment paper larger than the dough ball, so you can lift it. Lift the paper and the dough ball and place in a bowl so the dough keeps its shape. Cover the bowl with a towel.
While the dough rests, place a 3- to 6-quart cast-iron or enamel Dutch oven with a lid into the cold oven. Preheat the oven to 450° with the pot inside. Once the oven has preheated, carefully remove the hot pot from the oven. Lift the parchment paper and dough ball out of the bowl and place into the pot. Place the lid on top and return to the oven. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 15 minutes; the bread should be golden brown all over. Remove from the pot and let cool on a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes—ideally 1 hour—before slicing.
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