Scarborough Fair Herb Bread

By Hklbrries

"Somehow an assortment of fresh herbs ready and waiting in the refrigerator makes cooks more creative. Keeping in mind that herbs are meant to enhance the flavor of food, not overpower it, toss a few tablespoons of chopped mint into leafy salads, sprinkle snipped dill over sliced tomatoes and stir basil leaves into vegetable soup just before it's ready to come off the stove...

Melanie Wilhelmsen, of Ogden, UT, sent in her recipe for Scarborough Fair Herb Bread. Featuring parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme - the herbs mentioned in Simon and Garfunkel's song, 'Scarborough Fair' - the bread is especially good served warm with extra-virgin olive oil for dipping. 'We take this bread to church potlucks, work parties, and of course, family get-togethers,' Wilhelmsen says."

Ingredients

• 6 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 tbsp active dry yeast
• 2 1/2 cups warm (120 F to 130 F) water
• 3 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 to 2 tsp finely chopped sage
• 1 to 2 tsp finely chopped rosemary
• 1 to 2 tsp finely chopped thyme
• 1 tbsp melted butter

Preparation

Step 1

Grease two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans.

Combine 4 cups flour, sugar, salt, yeast and 2 1/2 cups warm water in a large bowl. Add herbs and stir until well blended. Stir in remaining flour until smooth. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Stir dough for 25 strokes. Divide between pans. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Bake loaves 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 F and bake 15 minutes longer, or until bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. Cover loosely with foil during the last 10 minutes of baking time to prevent over-browning. Remove from pans immediately and brush with melted butter. Cool on a wire rack.

Nutrition Information:
Per serving (2 slices)
170 calories
1 g fat
5 g protein
35 g carbohydrates
1 g fiber
290 mg sodium