How to Make Italian Herbs and Cheese Bread
See how to make Italian herbs and cheese bread the easy way that tastes just like your favorite Subway’s Italian herb bread. This delicious Italian herb bread recipe is made with simple ingredients and packed with fresh flavors.
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How to Make Homemade Italian Herbs and Cheese Bread
Ingredients for making Italian herb and cheese bread:
Starter Ingredients:
- 5 grams honey
- 5 grams active dry yeast
- 200 grams bread flour
- 200 grams filtered warm water
Bread Dough Ingredients
- starter
- 500 grams bread flour
- 300 grams filtered water
- 20 grams kosher salt
Italian Herbs & Cheese Topping Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
You will also need a standard kitchen scale to make this delicious homemade bread. If you don’t already have one you can get one online here: Food Scale.
Bread Starter Recipe
The first step to making this Italian cheese bread recipe is the starter. First, pour the water into a small bowl.
Next, add the active dry yeast to the bowl.
Add the honey to the bowl.
Briskly whisk to dissolve the yeast and honey and incorporate air into the yeast mixture. Set aside for 10 minutes in a warm place to allow the yeast to bloom.
After 10-15 minutes add the bread flour.
Mix thoroughly until smooth.
Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for about an hour. Then place in the refrigerator overnight or for 16 hours.
Making the Bread Dough
Remove the starter from the refrigerator, and uncover it. The starter should have doubled in size and be very bubbly.
Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon transfer the starter to a large mixing bowl. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl to get all of the starter.
Next, add the water to the large bowl.
Stir the water and starter together.
Add the bread flour and salt to the bowl.
Mix until you achieve a shaggy dough.
Kneading the Dough
Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead the dough for 10 minutes. To knead the dough fold the dough in half, press down with the palms of your hands pushing outwards and repeat. If you feel the dough is too sticky you can add a small amount of flour and continue kneading.
Form the dough into a ball and place it into the bowl lightly coated with olive oil to prevent sticking.
Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and set aside to let the dough rise for 2 hours or until it has doubled in size.
Portioning the Dough
Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a clean work surface. Fold the dough into thirds and crate an elongated loaf.
Cut the dough into 6 equal parts.
Next, slightly stretch each portion and fold each end into the center. Turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat. Add flour as needed to prevent sticking.
Do this for each of the portions of dough. Place on a sheet of parchment paper and set aside to rest for 20-25 minutes.
Forming the Italian Herbs and Cheese Loaves
Remove the rested bread dough from the parchment paper.
Lightly roll each one into an elongated loaf of bread.
Place each rolled Italian bread loaf onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Set aside to proof for 20-30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Shred the cheese if you aren’t using pre-shredded cheese, and combine the Italian herb seasoning with the garlic powder, and grated parmesan.
Next, lightly mist each loaf with water before you sprinkle the top of the bread with the flavorful herbs and shredded cheese. The water will allow the dry ingredients to stick to the dough.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Remove and let the bread cool.
Copycat Subway Italian Herb Bread
This tasty bread smells exactly like the Subway bread recipe and tastes even better. From the first bite, this may become your new favorite bread. Enjoy this fresh homemade bread with melted butter if you want to keep things simple. It is the perfect complement to Italian food dipped in marinara sauce, or of course for your favorite sandwich with cold cuts. Make this cheesy bread for dinner parties, or even dip it into soup.
Make sure to check out all of our bread recipes:
How to Make Italian Herbs and Cheese Bread
See how to make Italian herbs and cheese bread the easy way that tastes just like your favorite Subway's Italian herb bread.
Ingredients
Bread Starter
- 200g Bread Flour
- 200g Filtered Warm Water
- 5g Active Dry Yeast
- 5g Honey
Italian Herbs and Cheese Bread
- Bread Starter
- 500g Bread Flour
- 300g Filtered Water
- 20g Kosher Salt
Italian Herbs and Cheese Topping
- 3 TBSP Italian seasoning
- 1 TSP garlic powder
- 2 TBSP finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Instructions
Bread Starter
- In a small mixing bowl combine water, yeast, and honey and whisk vigorously until the yeast and honey are dissolved.
- Add the bread flour and mix until thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Place the starter in the refrigerator overnight.
Italian Herbs and Cheese Topping
- In a small bowl, mix the parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.
- Shred the Monterrey Jack Cheese and set aside.
Italian Herbs and Cheese Bread
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the bread starter and water.
- Add the Kosher Salt and stir.
- Add the bread flour and mix until a shaggy dough develops.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes.
- Place dough into a large bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rise until the dough has doubled in size (about 3-4 hours)
- Remove dough from the bowl and place onto a clean surface.
- Fold the dough into thirds to create an elongated loaf, then cut into six equal pieces.
- Gently stretch each piece and fold each end to the center. Turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat.
- Place each loaf on a piece of parchment paper and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
- Gently roll each loaf into an elongated loaf shape
- Place the loaves on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Lightly mist the loaves with water and sprinkle on the Italian herbs and cheese topping then top with shredded Monterrey Jack cheese.
- Bake at 425 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.
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