2 Hour Cheesy Garlic Artisan Loaf
This 2-hour cheesy garlic artisan loaf is everything you want in a homemade bread—crusty on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, and packed with melty cheese and bold garlic flavor. Made with simple pantry ingredients and no complicated techniques, this quick artisan bread delivers bakery-style results in a fraction of the time, making it perfect for weeknight dinners, soups, pasta, or entertaining.
Ingredients
- 1½ cup warm water
- 2¼ tsp dry active yeast
- 1 tbsp honey or granulated sugar
- 1 bulb of garlic
- 2 tbsp olive oil + 1 tbsp extra for garlic bulb
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
- 2 tbsp Italian herbs oregano, basil, thyme
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Slice the top off a whole head of garlic to expose the cloves. Place it on a piece of foil, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and wrap tightly. Roast for 40–45 minutes, until the cloves are soft, golden, and fragrant, let cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 2¼ tsp dry active yeast with 1½ cups warm water and 1 tbsp honey or granulated sugar and let stand for at least 5 minutes until foamy.
- In the same bowl add 4 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, 2 tbsp Italian herbs, ½ cups grated Parmesan and 2 tbsp olive oil. Stir until a shaggy dough forms before transferring it to a clean, floured surface and bring it together with your hands, kneading for about 5 minutes.
- Flatten out the dough in a large rectangle and sprinkle 1 cup shredded mozzarella onto the dough, folding it over itself and continuing to knead for an additional minute or 2 until the cheese is incorporated into the dough.
- Transfer to a large, oiled bowl & cover with plastic wrap, let stand at room temperature for 1 hour to rise. After 40 minutes, place a Dutch oven with the lid on in the oven and preheat to 425° F.
- After the dough has risen for an hour, punch the dough to release the air and transfer it from the bowl to a floured surface to form into a ball once more. Place in a parchment paper-lined mixing bowl and cover with plastic cling wrap. Let stand on counter top for 30 more minutes.
- Score the loaf with a sharp blade, making a large "C" across the top. Carefully remove the Dutch oven from the now heated oven and remove the lid (very carefully – it will be HOT!). Lift the parchment paper with the dough and transfer gently into the hot pot. Cover with lid and bake for 25-30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, remove lid and if needed, return, uncovered, to oven and bake additional 5 minutes until golden browned. Let it cool at least 15 minutes before slicing.