My husband always raves about the bread at Italian restaurants… Not just the typical white “Italian” bread, but the herb breads that are often served with olive oil for dipping. You know what I mean, right?
So, I decided to try my hand at some bread of my own. Of course, since I was making it, I decided to make it whole wheat (although, I left out the flax this time). I used rosemary and thyme because that’s what I had on hand, but whatever you have on hand will probably work. You can play around with the cheese and herbs to create lots of different varieties.
In the end, this bread was a huge success. The yogurt kept the bread nice and moist, but it wasn’t too dense or heavy. In fact, it was light and fluffy on the inside. We enjoyed the large loaf of bread warm (and toasted the leftovers, which was great, too!), and the rolls were great for sandwiches. In fact, I think this recipe may pop up in a few Italian-inspired burger recipes in the near future!
Parmesan Herb Bread
- 1 cup warm water
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 6 ounces plain Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons of yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unbleached bread flour
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped herbs (I used rosemary and thyme)
- 3+ cups white whole wheat flour (amount will vary slightly)
In a large mixing bowl, combine the water, orange juice, olive oil, honey, yogurt, and yeast. Whisk until smooth. Add the cup of bread flour and the salt. Use a wooden smooth to mix thoroughly, developing the gluten in the bread flour. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and herbs. Gradually mix in the whole wheat flour, stirring until the dough pulls away from the sides of the dough. Then, knead the dough by hand until it is smooth, adding just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap, and let rise until just about doubled in size, for approximately 1 1/2 hours. Shape the dough into two round loaves and score the top (or you can shape into rolls… I made 1 large loaf and 4 smaller rolls). Place the shaped bread on a baking sheet lined with a silicon mat (or lightly greased). Cover and allow to rise for an additional hour.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for about 25 – 30 minutes (closer to 15 minute for rolls). Allow to cool before slicing. Serve warm.
This Italian bread looks great! I just betting that it would be great with an Italian burger!
Love the herbs in there! I want a slice!
I know what you mean and love those bread. Thanks for the recipe.
I love Parmesan bread! This bread sounds extra delicious with the yogurt and herbs in it as well!
I love herbed breads. I have never tried baking any on my own, with the exception of some multigrain rolls and pizza crusts. This looks really delish! Would love to dip it in olive oil.
OMG, that looks delicious! I know exactly what you mean. I love that herb bread at Italian restaurants. I can’t wait to try this! Thanks!
Nice!!!I like the bread at Italian restaurants, too. Saving this one.
Making that bread ASAP! It could not be any prettier!
That bread looks wonderful! So pretty, and it is making my mouth water!
I can barely type because I’m drooling profusely! Ok, sorry, too much information. I’m loving the thought of using Greek yogurt in a bread like this! I could visit a restaurant PURELY for the reason of eating their parmesan herb bread.
Beautiful bread Jen!
Yum!!! Jen, this looks wonderful! Oh, I bet your house smelled SO good!
Warm, homemade bread – there really isn’t anything better, is there? :) This looks awesome! Love that you added herbs.
Can’t wait to try this recipe!
You make beautiful bread Jen!
Hey Jen, this bread looks really interesting. I was curious about the orange juice, seems like an unusual ingredient for herb bread. Was there enough of it to give a slightly citrus-y or acidic note to the bread?
Great recipe as always!
Alyssa
Alyssa – That’s a great question! No, you don’t notice the citrus/acidity at all. However, adding OJ to whole wheat bread works well to take away some of the bitter/tannic flavor that some people detect in whole wheat. It’s a trick I discovered from the King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking cookbook!
Oh man, this looks great! I loooove bread, and I miss the Italian bread at restaurants. I’ve stopped using white flour, but I wonder if I could use white wheat to sub the white flour in this recipe. You make it look delicious and super easy!
Piper – Yes, I think you could sub white whole wheat for the bread flour in the recipe. Whole wheat bread flour would work well, too. It is my understanding that bread flour helps with the structure of the bread because it has more gluten than a typical all purpose flour does.
These look amazing! I have never been a big baker, and I found out that you are! Your yeasted breads are amazing… I might just be a little bit in love. :) This bread and your honey beer bread are inspiring me! I can’t wait to try these.