Description
A cheesy Italian starter, perfect for dipping in ranch or marinara sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 (1 ounce) packages dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 1 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
Instructions
- Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water in a bowl. Let stand until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam
- about 5 minutes.
- Combine yeast mixture with vegetable oil
- salt
- and half the flour in a large mixing bowl; stir mixture until no dry spots remain. Stir in remaining flour
- 1/2 cup at a time
- mixing well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together
- turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic
- about 8 minutes.
- Place dough in a large
- lightly-oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume
- about at least 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Place risen dough into an 8×8-inch square baking pan. Cover the top of the dough with Italian salad dressing mix and sprinkle loaf with oregano
- black pepper
- and red pepper flakes.
- Bake in preheated oven until the top is golden brown and the bottom of loaf sounds hollow when tapped
- about 30 minutes. About 5 minutes before bread is finished baking
- sprinkle the loaf with Colby-Monterey Jack cheese; bake until cheese has melted. Cut into wedges and serve warm.
Prep Time: 25 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 2 hrs 55 mins
Servings: 8