Italian Herb Bread (Panè)

A fragrant garlic-and-herb loaf built on a simple yeasted dough, finished with a butter-brushed crust and scored top. Garden herbs — parsley, oregano, basil, marjoram, and thyme — make this bread taste like it came straight from an Italian kitchen.

What You Need

• 2 cups sifted bread flour ("00" flour if available)
• ¼ cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
• 1½ teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar or honey
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic (organic or homemade)
• 1 teaspoon dried garden parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried garden oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried garden basil
• 1 teaspoon dried garden marjoram
• 1 teaspoon dried garden thyme
• 1 teaspoon melted butter

Method

1. Sift the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the salt, granulated garlic, and dried herbs.
2. In the warm water, whisk in the sugar or honey and the yeast. Set aside to bloom for 5 minutes.
3. Add the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients. Using the dough hook, knead on medium-high for 3 minutes, then add ¼ cup olive oil and mix for another 2 minutes until it forms a ball.
4. Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the bottom of a clean bowl, add the dough ball, and turn to coat.
5. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled in size.
6. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
7. Punch down the dough and shape into a round or oval loaf on a baking stone or cookie sheet. Let rise for another 30 minutes.
8. Brush the top with the melted butter, then cut 3 diagonal slashes across the top with a razor.
9. Bake for 27 minutes, until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped on the bottom.
10. Let cool before slicing.

Tips & Notes

• Use fresh-dried herbs straight from the garden when you have them — the flavor is noticeably brighter than store-bought dried herbs.
• The dough should double in size during both rises; if your kitchen is cool, let it rise a little longer rather than rushing it.
• Scoring the top lets the loaf expand cleanly in the oven instead of splitting randomly.

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