Herb Bread Rounds

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Before you run away, bread is not scary!!! I used to be terrified of the mere thought of baking bread. Until I tried it. And succeeded. So, give it a try. Just follow the directions and you'll be fine.

This is a recipe to make two round loaves of bread. You can use any type of dried herbs in it that you want, or just make it plain.

Ingredients:
8 cups of flour (I use a bread flour, but wheat or an all purpose white flour will work too!)
1 package of dried yeast
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon garlic
1/4 teaspoon paprika
dash of cayenne pepper
2 1/2 cups warm water
3 Tablespoons olive oil (plus extra for top of bread)

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

*Please note, all items in italics are optional and can be switched around to your taste*

Mix together your yeast, flour, salt, and herbs until well blended. Mix in the 3 Tbl olive oil. Gradually add your water, mixing well. I like to use either a small wooden spoon or my hands. 

Lightly flour the counter or another surface to work on. Put the dough on the counter and knead it for 10 minutes. It should be pretty smooth and well mixed together. 

Move your dough to a new bowl and cover it with a damp dish towel so it can rise. It will need to rise for about 1 hour until it is twice the starting size.

After the hour, move your dough back to your work surface and knead it so that the air comes out of it. This shouldn't take very long at all. Now you want to divide your dough in half. Take each half and work it into a round. The sides should be mostly smooth.

Spray a cookie sheet with non stick spray or put a light coating of oil on it. Place your rounds of dough onto the cookie sheet and cover them again with a dish towel. Let them rise for another 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Take your rounds and cut "stripes" across the top of them. Not too deep! Brush the top of the round with some olive oil and then sprinkle your sesame seeds onto it. 

Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Then (without removing the bread) reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake for 25 minutes longer. You can tell it's done because it'll be a nice brown color. If you pick up a round and tap the bottom with a knife or spoon, it should sound hollow when it's done. 

That is it! Your bread is done and ready to eat!