Normally, I’m a proponent of making baked goods by hand. But it’s hard to argue with the convenience of the bread machine. Put ingredients in the machine and set the timer before you leave for work. Come home to fresh bread. That’s why this recipe is meant for use with a bread machine. It tastes almost as good as hand made bread and worlds better than most of the stuff from the grocery store.
Garlic Parmesan Bread
Makes a 1.5 lb. loaf
Ingredients
10 oz. water
3 cup bread flour
2 tablespoons butter
1.5 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2.5 teaspoons yeast
Directions
This is where I get to cheat. Just dump everything in the bread machine according to its instructions. Generally, this means add wet ingredients first, dry ingredients second and yeast last. Turn the machine on. Wait a few hours while it does its thing. Profit.
My thoughts:
1. When the bread had about 20 minutes to go, I sprinkled the top with a little parmesan and oregano. This gave it bit more flavor and a lot more aesthetic appeal.
2. This bread goes great with soups and almost anything Italian-inspired. Tonight, I served it with this Roasted Garlic Chicken Recipe from Food Network Magazine and some fresh broccoli tossed with olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper and parmesan cheese.
