My name’s Lisa and I’m a carb-aholic. Or maybe a bread-aholic. Probably both! I have been trying to write this blog post for such a long time now, but every time I pull up these pictures, I want to head straight to the kitchen and make this bread!! AGAIN. It’s really not the bread’s fault…..it’s just SOOOO……dang…..good!!! And pretty easy to make as far as bread recipes go. Oh and you don’t need a bread machine and it’s just bursting with flavor too!! Oh man! See!! I want to make it again!! I actually had to cut the original recipe in half because well, I just should not have THAT much of something so delicious on hand. I will eat it until it’s gone. ALL of it! No shame. Sorry not sorry! Someone please come over so we can share this…Or just pry this out of my hands….either way!

Here’s all that you’ll need: flour, kosher salt, sugar, yeast, olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, garlic, and pepper.

Let’s get started with the herb oil! Start by julienning the basil. All that really means is to cut it into thin strips.

Warm 1/4 cup of olive oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in the basil, 1/2 tablespoon of kosher salt, pepper, and garlic. I love using the minced garlic in the jar aka cheaters garlic! Allow the herb oil to steep on the stove while we make the bread dough. OMG this smells so yummy!!

In a large bowl, stir together flour, yeast, sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt.

Add the oil and water. Mix with a hand mixer on low speed until a wet, sticky ball forms.

Using your hands, knead for 5-7 minutes. Basically I just punch down the dough and try to collect all of the flour from the sides. I like to pretend I’m in the ring with Glass Joe and throw a couple of jabs. Am I showing my age??? TKO!!!!

Sprinkle enough flour on your workspace to form a six inch square. Stretch the dough into a rectangle and rest in the flour for about 5 minutes.

With floured hands, stretch the dough until it has doubled in size.

Fold the dough just like you would a letter. Fold the bottom third up towards the middle.

And then fold the top third down overtop.

Brush with olive oil and then lightly dust with flour. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes and then stretch it out again and repeat the process (brush with oil, lightly dust with flour, let rest for 30 minutes). Repeat this process one more time and then let rest for an hour. It should double in size!

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Transfer the dough onto the parchment paper trying to maintain it’s rectangle shape as much as possible. I like to have a helper available to shove the pan underneath as soon as I lift up the dough. Spoon half of the herb oil over the dough.

Use your fingertips to dimple the dough. Basically you’re just going to press your fingertips down into the dough to create little tiny flavor holes for all of that delicious herb oil. Spoon over the rest of that herb oil. We don’t want any of that liquid gold to go to waste!

Press the sundries tomatoes into the dough. Check out that masterpiece! I’m drooling a little.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Place the pan in the oven and lower the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan and then bake for an additional 5-10 minutes or until slightly brown. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the bread to cool on a cooling rack. Enjoy…..and try not to eat the whole thing in one sitting!!!