Herb & Cheese & Garlic Bubble Loaf

Mmm.... this bread... it is beyond amazing! Sure, it take a little more effort to make than other breads, but when it tastes this good, who cares, right? I got this recipe from Better homes and gardens cookbook - but I made a slight change to it. I added 2 cloves of garlic. And I wasn't sorry that I did. It was unbelievable!

The bubbles were easy to make. You don't have to roll each of them. You just need to pull each portion of dough into a ball and tuck edges beneath. It was nice to make the bread this way because then I didn't have to cut it when it was done. And it's fun to look at. Use your favorite herbs. I used parsley, rosemary, and marjoram. The original recipe calls for dried oregano. I personally like rosemary better so I used it instead of oregano.

Have fun making the bubbles!

Herb & Cheese & Garlic Bubble Loaf
Slightly changed from Better Homes and Gardens Recipe

Ingredients:

2 1/2 to 3 cups all purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or Swiss cheese
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 tablespoons snipped parsley (I used fresh parsley)
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed (or oregano)
1/2 teaspoon marjoram, crushed (dried or fresh, I used fresh)

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl combine 1 cup of the flour and the yeast; set aside. In a small saucepan heat and stir milk, the 1 tablespoon butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt just till warm (12o-130 degrees F) and butter almost melts. (on low heat) Add milk mixture to dry mixture. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl often. Beat on high speed 3 minutes. Stir in cheese and as much of the remaining flour as you can.

2. Turn doug onto a floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderatey stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6-8 minutes). Shape dough into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl; turn once. Cover; let rise in a warm place till nearly double in size (about 1 hour)

3. Punch dough down. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, lightly grease a 9X5X3-inch loaf pan. Stir together the 1/4 cup melted butter, parsley, rosemary (oregano), and marjoram. Set aside.

4. To shape, on a floured surface roll out dough from center to edges, forming an 8x6-inch rectangle, cut into 48 pieces. Gently pull each portion of dough into a ball, tucking edges beneath. Roll each ball in butter mixture. Arrange balls, smooth sides up, in prepared casserole or pan. Cover; let rise in a warm place till nearly double (30-40 minutes).

5. Bake in a 375 degrees F oven 35-40 minutes or till bread sounds hollow when tapped (cover loosely with foil the last 10-15 minute of baking to prevent overbrowning *I skipped this part and the bread didn't overbrown). Remove bread from pan if desired. Serve warm.