This bread is the best. It’s kind of like a french bread with a little touch of orange and a hint of basil and makes the house smell amazing while it bakes. I love making it and eating it on its own or with some cheese.

It’s soft, fluffy, and has a great depth of flavor. I love that I can make it with regular olive oil instead of the refined stuff. The fresh orange zest and thyme in the dough make this bread just heavenly.

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(from the Baked cookbook) Serves: 2 loaves 2 cups warm water

2 tbsp active dry yeast

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp thyme

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour

2 tbsp orange zest

1 tsp kosher salt

2 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves

2 tbsp minced fresh chives

1 tsp minced fresh parsley leaves

1 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup fresh orange juice (about 3 oranges)

cornmeal, for dusting

1/4 cup sesame seeds or 1/4 cup poppy seeds If you have a stand mixer, you can put all the ingredients together in the bowl, including the orange juice, and let it knead the dough as it sits. If not, you’ll need to do it by hand. Put the warm water in a bowl and stir in the yeast. Let it sit for 5 minutes, or until the yeast dissolves and it begins to get bubbly (you may need to adjust the temperature a bit so it doesn’t get too hot). Once the yeast is bubbling, stir in the honey, olive oil, salt, thyme, flours, orange zest, herbs, smoked paprika, and pepper and hand knead until a smooth dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead in the extra-virgin olive oil and orange juice until everything is combined. Put the dough in a large bowl, cover it with a damp towel, and let it sit in a warm place for approximately 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 450F. Grease two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans

Ingredients:

• 3 cups (375 g) flour
• 1 1/2 cups (300 g) sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup (112 g) butter, melted
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) orange juice
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the melted butter, milk, orange juice, vanilla, and eggs.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
5. Gently fold in the basil.
6. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.