DSCN1974

Homemade bread is fantastic, mushroom seasonings are fantastic, put them together and you have the most fantastic, flavorful, savory and delicious homemade bread! We love baking our own bread, this recipe is simple and cost effective. All the basic ingredients can be bought in bulk (saving a lot of money), it only takes about 1 1/2 hours (shorter than many recipes) and the result is so satisfying. Astrid’s Favorite Blend is a mixture of our dried wild mushrooms, Italian herbs, garlic and onion. The amount specified is the minimum to use, you can easily use more for a stronger, savory flavor. You may need to add more flour or water depending on how your dough reacts, you want it to be a moist dough, it is perfect when it is sticky but does not stick to your hands. We generally get one  big loaf, 1 oven tray of focaccia or 12 rolls out of this amount.

This bread will fill your home with the most wonderful aroma and the flavor will satisfy your senses!

Ingredients:

Yeast Mixture

  • 2 teaspoons sugar

  • 2 packs of dry yeast (4 ½ teaspoons or 0.5 ounces)

  • ½ cup of warm water

The Dough

  • 0.3 ounces of Astrid Favorite Blend (minimum amount to use, add more for a stronger flavor)

  • 2 cups of water

  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 4 cups of flour

Topping

  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil

  • Coarse or flaky sea salt

  • Oregano and basil

Directions:

  1. Activate the yeast. Pour the warm water into a small bowl, add the sugar and yeast, stir it around, then let it stand for 10 minutes, once it has frothed up, give it another stir.

  2. Pour it into a large bowl. Add 2 cups of water, Astrid’s Favorite Blend, olive oil and salt.

  3. Stir in the flour, one cup at a time. By the last cup it may be impossible to keep stirring.

  4. Turn it out onto a clean table. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, until it has absorbed all of the flour and it is elastic and a little bit sticky.

  5. Coat the big bowl with olive oil and put the dough back into it, swirl it around so that it is covered in olive oil.

  6. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel and let it stand in a warm place for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

  7. Preheat your oven to 475 degrees F (245 C). Put a piece of baking paper on a oven tray.

  8. Deflate your dough and briefly knead it. Roll the dough into your desired shape (loaf, rolls, focaccia) and place it on the oven tray.

  9. Brush the dough with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, oregano and basil.

  10. Bake the bread in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes. To check if it is ready; put a oven glove on and grab the bread, knock on the bottom of it, if it sounds like knocking on a door it is done, if you can’t hear much it is not baked all the way through.

  11. Let it cool for about 10 minutes, then slice and serve with butter and your favorite toppings.

A perfect bread for bringing friends and family together 🙂

DSCN1951
Astrid’s Favorite Blend is available at our farmers market booths.
DSCN1972
This time I chose to make focaccia, but you can also form it as a loaf or make rolls. Just brush it with olive oil, herbs and salt.
DSCN1965
Let it rise somewhere warm. It can also be in a windowsill, or on your kitchen counter top. You can cover it with a damp kitchen towel or cellophane.
DSCN1959
It is ready when you have a uniform and elastic dough, check by pressing your thumb into it – if the dough bounces back again it is good.
DSCN1955
Kneading the dough is important! You want to make sure it has absorbed all of the moisture and flour.
Astrid’s Mushroom & Herb Bread