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Everyone needs a dependable, pantry-friendly recipe—the kind you can pull together when unexpected guests arrive or when the day has run you ragged and dinner hasn’t crossed your mind. This is one of those go-to recipes: Asiago Herb and Garlic Bread.
We spent part of this week on standardized testing, which left the boys tense and short-tempered. Tests make them worry over things they don’t know, even though I keep reminding them that missing a few questions is normal. During testing week I try to be extra patient, but two things consistently calm the mood: food (served early and often) and a very effective, if slightly silly, threat. If needed, I make them sit on the couch facing each other, holding hands and singing “Kumbaya.” Don’t laugh—it works. A friend uses a different version: she once had her grown sons hold hands in a circle while reciting a short blessing about brothers living together in unity. Whatever it takes, right?
By the time evening rolled around one day this week, my pantry looked a little bare and I’d realized at 3:00 PM that dinner wasn’t planned. Cue the emergency bread—and inspiration struck from an old favorite: a quick Cuban Bread from The Tightwad Gazette. It’s a fast, simple loaf that’s ready in about an hour and a half. I wanted something with more pizazz than plain bread, so I experimented and turned that humble recipe into something spectacular.
The result: Asiago-studded, herb-scented, garlic-kissed loaves with a deeply browned, cheesy crust. We devoured most of a loaf in under twenty minutes. I dreamed about that bread. The remaining slices became “toads in a hole” for breakfast, and I immediately started another batch to send home with a generous friend who had dropped off garden seedlings.
If you hesitate because “you don’t bake bread,” don’t. This loaf is extremely forgiving. You can mix it by hand, in a stand mixer, or in a food processor. There’s no long proofing schedule, no preheating marathons—just straightforward steps and an impressive payoff. I’ve made multiple batches this week; we ate it plain, buttered, and toasted. Toast made from this bread is particularly remarkable.
Now that testing is finished, I’m celebrating with more baking and a little giveaway I put together as a thank-you for surviving another school round and for discovering this bread with me.
Asiago Herb and Garlic Bread
Ingredients:
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups plus 2/3 cup grated Asiago cheese, divided
- 2 tablespoons dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic (optional)
- 2 cups hot tap water (about 120–130°F)
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus a little for the bowl
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, 1 1/2 cups grated Asiago, yeast, sugar, salt, Italian seasoning, rosemary, red pepper flakes, onion powder, and garlic powder.
(If using a food processor, add the dry ingredients to the processor bowl and pulse five times.) Pour in the hot water and stir 100 times. (That equals roughly three minutes in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. If using a food processor, drizzle the water in while the machine runs until the dough forms a ball.)
Knead the dough for 8 minutes. (If using a stand mixer with a dough hook, mix on low for about 4 minutes. In a food processor, allow the dough ball to spin about 20 times.) Form the dough into a rough ball.
Drizzle a little olive oil into a bowl—using your mixing bowl is fine. Place the dough in the bowl and turn it so both sides get lightly coated with oil. Cover with a damp tea towel or paper towel and allow the dough to rise for 15 minutes; it will become puffy.
Punch down the dough, divide it into two equal pieces, and shape each into a tight round. To tighten a ball, pull the top of the dough down and tuck the excess under the ball. Place the loaves about 6 inches apart on an ungreased, rimmed baking sheet and gently pat them so the tops are relatively flat.
Use a sharp knife to slash an “X” about 1/4 inch deep across the tops of the loaves. Drizzle each loaf with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Then generously top each loaf with about 1/3 cup additional grated Asiago—don’t be shy; 1/2 cup is fine if you love cheese.
Place the baking sheet in a cold oven positioned above a cake or loaf pan filled with hot tap water. Set the oven to 400°F and start a 40-minute timer as soon as the oven turns on. Begin checking the bread when the timer rings. If it still looks pale, bake up to 10 more minutes until the loaves are a deep golden brown and the cheese is melted and crusty.
Remove the bread and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature. This loaf is delicious any way you slice it.
