Recipe: Italian Bread with Herb Butter Spread

This recipe is time consuming because you have to wait for the bread to rise, but the payoff is well worth it in the end! My whole family loved this with the herb butter spread, and also with fresh local honey.
Italian Bread (makes 2 loaves)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 tablespoons active dry yeast(or 2 packs)
  
• 6-8 cups bread flour
• unsalted butter
• all purpose corn meal
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon salt

Directions:
1. Pour the warm water into a large mixing bowl.
2. Add the yeast to the warm water and let it stand for about 10 minutes.
3. Stir in 2 cups of flour, and beat well.
4. Add the salt.
5. Gradually beat or knead in all but about 2 cups of the flour.
6. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and cover with a clean dish towel.
7. Let it rest 10 minutes.
8. Knead by hand until dough is elastic, kneading in as much of the remaining flour as necessary for smooth dough.
9. Butter a large mixing bowl.10. Place the dough in the buttered bowl, turning the dough to get all sides buttered.
11. Cover bowl with a slightly damp dish cloth and let rise undisturbed for about 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in bulk. (I like to use my cold oven or microwave to sit it in so it is undisturbed.)
12. Punch down dough and let rise about 1 hour longer.
13. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
14. Divide the dough in half and form each portion into a ball.
15. Cover with a dish cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.
16. Roll each half of the dough into a rectangle about 1/2-inch thick.
17. Roll up tightly, and roll with hands until loaf is 10 to 11 inches long.
18. Place loaves seam side down on buttered bread pans which have been sprinkled with cornmeal.19. Place pans in in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour, until doubled in bulk.
20. Place a shallow pan on bottom rack of oven; fill with boiling water.
21. Bake loaves in center of oven preheated to 375° for 20 minutes.
22. Add 1 tablespoon of water to egg white in a bowl and beat lightly; brush over and along sides of loaves.
23. Continue baking for 20 minutes longer, or until well-browned and done.

Herb Butter Spread

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh rosemary cut finely
1 tsp fresh sweet basil cut finely
1 tsp fresh oregano cute finely

Directions:
1. Let the butter sit in a warm area to soften.
2. Once the butter is soft enough to mash easily with a fork, add the salt and herbs
3. Use the fork to mix all of the ingredients together until you get a smooth spread like consistency and all the herbs are evenly incorporated.
4. Keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Planting the Seeds of Success?

I spent all afternoon yesterday outside in the garden. My kids played and rode their bikes and my husband helped me weed dandelions and dig holes. I transplanted some Daffodils (I know wrong time of year, but it had to get done or they were going to die anyway) and planted some purple Wandering Jew that I got from my sister last fall and rooted in water in the windowsill thorough the winter.

I also planted my carrot seeds and decided I really dislike the peat pots. I prefer plastic, but went with peat and there's no turning back now. It rained last night, and snowed/sleeted this morning but was only 36 degrees so I think my plants will be ok. Only thing I am really worried about is the Wandering Jew because the herbs should be fine.


I will attack the fire ants this week weather permitting, so my hubby can finish getting the garden spot ready. I need to map out my planting areas, and get some strawberry plants set out asap. I also got more seeds in the mail yesterday. I received Okra, same variety as last year which really produced for us (Annie Oakley), Yellow Summer Squash, Zuccini, and Sweet Corn. I did not plant zuccini or corn last year so we'll see how it comes out this year.

First Seeds Have Arrived and Herbs are Planted

The first of the seeds that I ordered have arrived! Carrots, I got a rainbow blend for the kids to have fun with and a tender sweet variety also. The kids planted cantaloupe and eggplant in their little pots yesterday which are in my kitchen windowsill. I should get my other seeds and plants this week according to UPS tracking.
(Carrot photos courtesy of Gurneys.com)


I planted my window box herbs yesterday (which are actually on my front porch rail, not a window). I will post a pic later if it stops raining, and I can get a pic of them. I planted cilantro, basil, rosemary, mint, and oregano.
I would like a couple more herbs, but I don't have room in my window box, so I'll have to decide how I want to plant them. Probably in a clay pot on my porch, maybe a hanging basket.