Rustic Asiago Bread
Savory loaves of rustic asiago artisan bread that are crunchy on the outside but soft and tender in the middle.
Ingredients
- 3 cups water cold from tap
- 1 ½ tablespoons instant yeast
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 ½ cups (6-ounces) freshly grated asiago cheese
- 6 ½ cups (32.5-ounces) all-purpose flour
Topping Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup (1-ounce) freshly grated asiago cheese grated
Instructions
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In a large bowl add the following: 3 cups water, 1 ½ tablespoons instant yeast, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 ½ cups grated asiago cheese and about 3 cups of the flour. Mix well. Then add the rest of the flour and mix. Cover with light dishcloth and let rise 2 hours (or up to 5 hours).
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When the dough has risen, gently drop it on a floured countertop and divide into two. Carefully form each loaf into a round ball with a floured top. Be careful not to overwork the dough at this point causing it to deflate. Just quickly form the loaves and flip them in the flour. Place each one on a separate sheet of parchment paper. Cover with light dishcloth and let rise 30-45 minutes.
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While dough is rising, preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place a pizza stone on middle rack (or an overturned baking sheet if you don’t have a pizza stone). Place a shallow dish (I use the base of the broiler pan) on the bottom rack.
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When loaves have risen, slash each one with a sharp knife or razor with two or three slashes down the middle about ¼-inch deep. Prepare the topping by combining the melted butter, olive oil, minced garlic, and Italian seasoning in a small bowl. Brush the mixture equally over both loaves and then sprinkle each with Asiago Cheese.
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Bake by placing one loaf at a time in the 450 degree oven on the pizza stone (or overturned baking sheet) and then pouring 1 to 2 Cups of water into the shallow dish on the bottom rack. The quickly close the oven door. The steam from the water will evaporate during baking to give the crust a beautiful crispy texture. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Repeat this step with the remaining loaf.
Recipe Notes
1. If making this recipe ahead of time, follow step 1 and then let the bread rise for a couple of hours. Then cover the bowl with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to a week. When ready to bake, follow steps 2 through 5 increasing the rising time in step 2 to 1 ½ to 2 hours.