I originally baked this bread on a whim for my hubby on one tired afternoon – as a special treat for him.
By the time he arrived home from work, the lights were dimmed, the darkness had taken over for dusk, and he was ready to be “done” for the day.
However, he simply couldn’t resist the temptation of breaking in to a loaf of freshly baked, crusty artisan bread.
You know that smell, don’t you?
And, you know my bread will sing to you as you remove it from the oven, right?
This man has grown to love fresh herbs – and he’s always been a fan of lime.
So, I married the two together for him.
I think (I know) the marriage worked.
“Oh my f*#c^!n$ god this is the best f$*cking thing I’ve ever had.”
Those were the words I could make out from his mouthful of bread, dripping with melted lime butter.
He told me I’d better make it again for the blog.
So I did!
Artisan Basil Bread
1 1/2 tsp. yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
3 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbs. fresh basil, finely torn
In the large bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the yeast and water and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
Add the salt and flour, and using the dough hook, mix until doughy. Throw in the basil and mix again.
Cover loosely with a towel, stored in a warm area for about 2 hours.
You can bake right away at that point, but I prefer to refrigerate for several hours, or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 450 for 40 minutes.
Form the dough into a round “boule,” or any other shape, with flour dusted hands and place on a parchment lined baking sheet for the 40 minutes the oven is heating.
Fill a large tin pan with water and place on the bottom rack of the oven.
Once the oven is ready, bake the bread (salt it a little more on the top) for about 20-25 minutes.
It really will sing when you pull it out.
TRY to wait at least 10 minutes for it to cool before slicing and slathering with Fresh Lime Butter.
Fresh Lime Butter
8 Tbs. room temperate butter
zest of one lime
Mix the two together and spread all over the hot and fresh Artisan Basil Bread.
