Ingredients
3 Cups- Bread Flour or All Purpose Flour
2 Teaspoons- Salt
1 Tablespoon- Thyme Fresh (1/2 Tablespoon if dried)
1/2 Tablespoon- Rosemary Fresh (Roughly Chopped) or Dried
2 Teaspoons- Dried Active Yeast
1 1/4 Cups- Water
3/4 Cup- Cheese (Robusto, Aged Gouda Cheese Works Best)
Preparing Herbs
Grab the tip of the thyme and rosemary, and simply pull down the stick with your other hand, just removing the leaves.
Blooming Yeast
Heat 1 1/4 cups of water in the microwave until warm, to no hotter than 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, add 2 teaspoons of dry active yeast to the warm water and mix. Wait 5 to 10 minutes until yeast is foamy and has risen to the top.
Mixing Dry and wet Ingredients
Combine flour, salt, thyme, rosemary, and cheese in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Then add your yeast and water mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir until flour is fully incorporated and forms a shaggy ball.
Kneading Bread Dough
Kneading dough is as simple as pulling the dough away from you, folding it over, rotating it 180 degrees, and repeating. Knead your dough for 3 to 4 minutes until it starts to firm up. Form into a ball to rise for 1 hour in a large plastic-wrapped bowl.
braiding bread
STEP 1
Portion out 3 equal pieces of dough, cutting it with a bench scraper or knife for the best accuracy, weigh the dough with a kitchen scale. Shape each piece into a long rope. Lay all the ropes side by side on a lightly floured surface and pinch them together at the top.
STEP 2
Take the left strand and have it jump over the middle strand. It’s now the middle strand
STEP 3
Take the right strand and have it jump over the middle strand. It’s now the middle strand.
STEP 4
Continue the pattern, alternating between the left and right strands, until all the dough is braided. Tuck the ends of the loaf underneath on both ends to give a neat finish. Adjust the braid ends and sides with your hands to make your braid as uniformed as possible for even baking.
Time to bake
Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and move the middle rake to the. Grab a pan and a sheet of parchment paper. Light brush the top of the bread with olive oil.
Bake for 30-35 minutes. Or until golden brown and delicious.
