Tips to get you started:

· Sugar can be used in place of the honey for feeding the yeast

· Dried herbs can be used in place of fresh, but remember that the dried herbs are more concentrated, and you'll need less by about 1/4

· The warm water should not be above 100 degrees, or it will kill the yeast instead of wake it up

· If you have leftover infused EVOO you can use it later to dip the bread in for an extra kick of flavor!

Prep time: 20 minutes, plus 1 hour rise time

Cook time: 15 -30 minutes

Serves: 16

Ingredients:

3/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt

3 Cloves fresh garlic

1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary

1 Tablespoon fresh thyme

1/4 Teaspoon ground black pepper

2 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour

1 Cup warm water

1 Tablespoon rapid rise yeast

1/3 Teaspoon local honey

Part one: Wash and dry your fresh herbs. Gently strip the herb leaves from the stems, and finely chop the leaves (I measure the herbs once chopped for this, vs measuring whole plants/leaves). Peel and mince your garlic cloves.

Part two: In a small saucepan, place EVOO, fresh herbs, garlic and black pepper. Turn heat on low and allow this mixture to infuse for about 5 minutes while you complete step three. Note: the garlic should not be allowed to brown, as this will make it taste bitter and impact the entire recipe. At the first sign of browning, remove the pan from heat immediately and allow to cool.

Part three: Time for the yeast wake up! In a large mixing bowl, place your warm water, stir in the honey, and then the yeast. Allow this to sit for 5 minutes. You'll know the yeast is awake and ready for the next step when you see a frothy layer and the mix begins to smell like bread.

Part four: To the large mixing bowl, add 1 cup of flour. Mix this in until all flour is wet. Let this combine for another 5 minutes.

Part five: To the large mixing bowl, add the remaining flour, salt and 1/3 cup of your infused EVOO- including the herb bits and stir until the dough starts to stick together, 5 or so big mixing strokes should do the trick. There will be some flour left unincorporated which will be worked in next.

Part six: Using your hands, scoop the flour and dough together in the center of the bowl and then rock the dough around the bowl to pick up any left behind bits and then knead the dough 10-12 times by pressing the base of your hand into the center of the dough and then away from you, and then folding down the edges one at a time, repeating the down and away motion after each fold.

Part seven: You'll know it’s ready when the dough looks uniform in the incorporation of ingredients and it no longer feels wet, rather it will feel a bit springy and vaguely moist.

Part eight: Rise and shine! Oil the dough generously with some of your infused EVOO, and cover the bowl with the dough in it, with a damp kitchen cloth. Place in a warm (about 70 degrees F) area of your home, I like to place it over a running dishwasher or on top of the fridge, for about an hour.

Part nine: At the hour mark, preheat your oven to 425 F. Using about 3 Tablespoons of the infused EVOO, oil a baking dish or jelly pan of about 9x13 size, and transfer the dough to the pan and use your fingers to make indents all over the bread, which will also help the dough to spread out into an even layer. Drizzle more infused EVOO on top and brush it gently all over, to distribute oil and herbs evenly.

Part ten: Bake the bread for 20-30 minutes, checking at the 20-minute mark for progress. The product should be a light to medium golden brown and the top should bounce back up after pressing on it gently.

Serving suggestion: Enjoy with hot soup, or sliced in two to make a great bread for my caprese sandwich (https://www.theopenbookcook.com/blog/caprese-sandwichhttps/wwwtheopenbookcookcom/blog-page-url/new-post-title)

Tiny chefs at home? They can:

· Strip fresh herbs off the stems

· Measure and mix ingredients

· Knead dough (just make sure they wash their hands before and after to avoid contamination)

Nutrition information: Total Calories: 165 // Total Fat: 11 g // Cholesterol: 0 mg // Sodium: 56 mg // Total Carbohydrates: 15 g // Sugars: 0 g // Protein: 2 g

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.