Friday, December 13, 2013

Herbed Green Onion Bread

I was watering my herb plants one morning a couple of weeks ago, and thinking how nice it is to make some bread using the combinations of herbs from my garden pots. Later in the day, I found myself reaching out for this book, one of the first book I bought, on bread machines recipes when I purchased my bread machine, probably about 8 years ago. From this book, I have tried only several recipes, one of them was Garden Herb Flatbread, which I've posted three years ago, and a few others, that I've tried before I started this blog.




Found this recipe Herbed Green Onion Bread that uses the herbs, all of which I have right in my garden pots.


The fresh herbs used for this bread ; Thymes, Basil, Rosemary and Green Onions


Freshly baked Herbed Green Onion Bread. Fresh herbs speckled all over the bread.

The recipe uses dried herbs,but there's an option to use fresh herbs instead of dried, as stated in the book "If you grow your own herbs, take advantage of their fresh flavour by substituting three times the amount of fresh herb for the dried form in this onion loaf." 


This recipe was meant to be kneaded and baked in the bread machine, and the herbs are firstly sauteed with some butter before this herb mixture is added to the rest of the ingredients. I have made some changes, firstly, I used the bread machine to knead the dough until the first rising, remove the dough, shape it and left it to rise in a loaf pan, then proceed with the baking in the oven. And secondly, I did not saute the fresh herbs, instead I used them fresh, and place the butter in the bread pan along with the other ingredients.


This bread has lovely oven spring, it really rises further during baking. Once the bread is cooled, as I sliced it, I can feel the softness of the loaf. It has a lovely, soft and fluffy texture, very nice! And it smells wonderful, with a light fragrance of the herbs, not very strong, but just about right. Sliced a few slices, and kept the rest for breakfast the next morning.


It remains as soft and fluffy the next morning, as pictured above, when I sliced the rest of the loaf for our breakfast. Really good eaten with just a slather of salted butter, with a cup of hot coffee.


I had this the next evening as a simple sandwich with onion omelette, salad leaves and chilli sauce, the bread still remains just as soft. This loaf makes a great sandwich bread.


Herbed Green Onion Bread
(adapted from "Biggest Book of Bread Machine Recipes", Better Homes And Gardens)
Makes 1-1/2 pound loaf
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 tsp dried basil, crushed (2 tsps fresh basil)
1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed (2 tsps fresh thyme)
1/4 tsp dried rosemary, crushed (1 tsp fresh rosemary)
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 cup milk
1 egg
3 cups bread flour
2 tbsps sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp active dry yeast or bread machine yeast

  1. In small saucepan, cook the green onions, basil, thyme and rosemary in hot margarine until green onions are tender, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly.
  2. Add the green onion mixture and the remaining ingredients to the machine according to the manufacturer's directions. Select the basic white bread cycle.
Kitchen Flavours changes :
~ used fresh herbs, and did not cook the herbs. 
~ place the milk, butter, chopped fresh herbs, egg (beaten lightly), in the bread machine pan. Add the flour, place the sugar in one corner, salt in another corner, make an indentation in the centre of flour, add in the dry yeast. Select Basic Dough Cycle (right up to the first rise).
~ at the end of the cycle, remove dough, roughly roll out dough to 8" x 10". Dough will be a little sticky, sprinkle lightly with flour all over the work surface and top of dough. Roll up from the shorter end, press edges to seal, place dough seam side down in a greased 9"x5" loaf pan. Cover with greased cling wrap and leave to rise until doubled in size. 
~ preheat oven about 15-20 minutes before baking, at 175C, with a rack placed at one level below the centre of the oven.
~ remove cling wrap, place pan in oven and bake for about 35 minutes until bread is cooked, test by knocking the bottom of the bread with your fingers, if it sounds hollow, it it cooked, otherwise, baked for a few minutes more.
~ remove bread from pan and let cool completely on wire rack.


I'm linking this post with :

Cook-Your-Books #7 hosted by Kitchen Flavours


22 comments:

  1. Delish looking loaf you got there!! And there thyme plant is the same plant you had some problem previously? or a new plant?

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    1. Good morning Emily,
      I have discarded the thyme plant as the white fungus has spread to the rosemary. Managed to save the rosemary and have gotten myself a new thyme plant! :)
      The thyme pictured above was the previous plant, when I made this bread weeks ago.

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  2. Lovely looking bread mixed with herbs. Simply wonderfully clicked pics.
    Deepa

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  3. Oh my what a wonderful loaf!!!

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  4. Joyce, This is such a lovely loaf!!

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  5. Wish I could grow all these lovely herbs in my garden! The only problem is I don't have green fingers :( I love this bread made of fresh herbs.

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  6. Hi Joyce
    It is not often I come across herb bread post or even getting this at the shops but it is wonderful to be able to maje this at home. Love your last pic as your sandwich look so tasty.

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  7. u r such a great sandwich maker.... wished i had you to prepare my breakfast

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  8. Hi Joyce, I've never tried add herbs to my bread loaves. Thanks for sharing. I must try if fresh herbs can be used.

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  9. Realy very flaborful, soft and delicious bread.

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  10. Hi Joyce , bread looks so like and delicious , like you I grow my herbs , I must try this recipe , thanks for sharing :)

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  11. Joy, I can almost smell this bread coming out of the oven and I can't wait to make it. It is going to be delicious! Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and enjoy your weekend!
    Miz Helen

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  12. your picture tells it all! can see the softness on the sliced up bread! must be so ' heong' ;D

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  13. Hi Joyce, I hope i can have this healthy sandwich every morning, yum yum! :)

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  14. Must be smell wonderfully with freshly baked herbed loaf. You have a great herbs garden :)

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  15. I love cooking with herbs! And I'm particularly fond of green onions. I think I would avoid sauteing the herbs too, preferring their fresh flavors. So many types of sandwiches can be made with this beautiful bread. Thank you for sharing, Joyce.

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  16. Joyce, you are really good at baking bread! I love breads with herbs and I bet I can easily polish off a few slices of yours!

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  17. Joyce, do u have any tips on growing thyme? I seem to have no luck growing this in my herb garden.

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  18. Your bread turned out beautifully! I love using my bread machine to do the kneading for me too. I can't imagine hiw delicious this must taste with the herbs.

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