Thyme & Garlic White Bread Recipe

I recently received some products to review from Influnester and one of the products was McCormick Gourmet Thyme, so I sat around thinking of a recipe I could make with thyme in it. I had been wanting to make a classic white bread, so I decided I would make the white bread and just add some thyme and garlic powder to the recipe. 

This thyme and garlic white bread recipe is the perfect bread to go with a fancy dinner. There is nothing better than fresh baked bread! The crust was nice and crispy and the inside was some of the softest bread I've ever made. Not only does it pair nice with a fancy dinner, it also made my house smell like a fancy steakhouse. The smell of the thyme is what I smelled throughout my house the most, and it was such a wonderfully, yummy smell. The warm flavor of the thyme gave the bread such a delicious taste. 

Ingredients:

6 1/2 Cups of all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons sugar 
3 1/2 teaspoons salt 
1 Tablespoon McCormick's Gourmet Thyme
1 Teaspoon of garlic powder
3 packages of active dry yeast
1/4 cup of butter or margarine (softened)
2 cups of very warm water (120-130 degrees Fahrenheit) 

*Salt and garlic powder not pictured*




Instructions:

Into a mixing bowl, put 5 1/2 cups of the flour, sugar, salt, butter, thyme, garlic powder, and yeast. Using a dough hook mixer, mix the ingredients for about 30 seconds. Gradually start to add the 2 cups of warm water and mix for an additional 1-2 minutes.

While still mixing your dough, gradually start to add the remaining flour to your mixture, 1/2 of a cup at a time. Mix the dough for about an additional 2 minutes. You want to mix the dough until it sticks to the dough hook and starts to separate from the bowl.

The next step is to let the dough rise for 20 minutes. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and a towel, and then let it rest in room temperature for 20 minutes.

Once the dough has risen, divide the dough in half.  Flour your counter and use a rolling pen to roll out the dough, flatten it, and remove any air bubbles. 

Then you want to tightly roll the dough into a log shape, pinching the ends, and turning them under.

Place the dough into a greased loaf pan, lightly brush the top of the loaf with oil (I used Extra Virgin), and cover loosely with plastic wrap. 

Refrigerate the dough for 2 to 12 hours, so the dough can continue to rise. When you're ready to bake your bread, carefully uncover the bread and let it stand in room temperature for 10 minutes. 

Finally, bake at 400 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from pan immediately and cool on a wire rack.