Call this Bread Denard Robinson Because It’ll Be Gone in a Flash
In the last two years I have made more loaves of bread than I care to count. Some good, some great, some highly regrettable. But there’s one recipe I’ve found that I can always rely on to be quick, easy, and delicious: Asiago Herb and Garlic Bread.
Yup, that’s right. A loaf of great bread with over 2 cups of asiago cheese baked in and on top of it. Mix that with herbs and garlic and you’ve got yourself a winner. Eat this bread for 100 years and you’ll live a long time.
This recipe (and many other great things I’ve made) comes courtesy of Rebecca at Foodie with Family
The first time I made this was for a potluck, and I needed to find a quick recipe because I only had about 2 hours from the time I got home from work until when I had to leave. I wanted to make it fresh and this was easy to fit in that schedule.
Allowing your dough to rise allows flavors to develop (among other things), but when you’re cramming so much cheese and herbs into the dough a short rise will do.
So, now that we’re all salivating over the computer screen, let’s get to the baking.
Mix together in a large bowl your flour, 1.5 cups of the grated asiago, yeast, salt, sugar, rosemary, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, onion and garlic powder.
If kneading by hand it will take about 8-10 minutes. After making it multiple times I’ve started using the stand mixer with dough hook, and it takes about 4.
Lightly grease the bowl and let it rise for 15 minutes while covered with a cloth or plastic wrap.
Degas the dough a bit and divide it into two pieces (we’ll be making two loaves).
Form the dough into a round shape and create a little surface tension by tucking the top parts under and bunching together at the bottom. Flatten them a bit to create a disk-like shape.
Place on a baking sheet and slash the dough (about ¼ inch deep) and drizzle some olive oil on top. Add the remaining asiago to the top of each loaf (about 1/3 cup per loaf).
Now here’s where things start to differ from how you may normally bake bread. We’re going to take these and place them into a cold oven that also has a pan filled with water on the lower rack. This will help create steam as the bread bakes to get a nice spring and crust.
Once everything is set, crank the oven to 400 and let it bake for 40 minutes. The first time I baked this I was afraid to let it go too long, and it was a little undercooked. It’s ok to have it get a darker caramel colored crust. If you’re worried about the cheese, place a piece of foil on top while it continues to bake. If it’s not done after 40, 10 more minutes should be sufficient.
Slice it up fresh out of the oven or let it cool before serving, either is fine. Enjoy!
Asiago Herb and Garlic Bread
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 1- 1/2 cups plus 2/3 cup grated Asiago cheese, divided
- 2 Tablespoons dry yeast
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon dried Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried Rosemary
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (adjust up or down according to heat preference)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic (optional)
- 2 cups hot tap water (around 120-130 degrees)
- 4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus a little for the bowl
Mix together the flour, 1-1/2 cups grated asiago, yeast, salt, sugar, Italian seasoning, rosemary, red pepper flakes, onion and garlic powder (or fresh garlic). Pour in the water and knead the dough for 8 minutes (If you’re using a stand mixer with a dough hook, it will take about 4 minutes.) Form the dough into a tight round. Place into a lightly greased bowl, cover and let rise for 15 minutes.
Punch down dough and divide into two equal pieces, then forming it into rounds. Form the dough into rounds. Place about 6 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Gently pat the dough rounds down so they are relatively flat on top. Use a sharp knife to slash an ‘x’ about 1/4″ deep over the tops of the loaves. Drizzle each loaf with about 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and then top each loaf with about 1/3 cup additional grated Asiago.
Place baking sheet in a cold oven over a cake or loaf pan filled with hot tap water. Set oven to 400°F. Cook for 40 minutes and check. If it is still a big lightly colored you can let it cook for up to 10 more minutes to finish.
Recipe used with permission from Foodie with Family
