Parmesan Italian Loaf

Here's another variation on the white bread recipe.  This dense, flavorful loaf is delicious with any meal, and the slices also make fabulous grilled cheese sandwiches.

Ingredients:
1 cup water, lukewarm
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
3 C bread flour
1 1/2 tsp bread machine yeast
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Place all ingredients in your breadmaker in the order recommended by the manufacturer. If no order is recommended, place ingredients in machine in the order listed above. Set machine to basic/white bread setting, and select the lightest crust color if that is an option. If your breadmaker requires that you input a loaf size, select 1 1/2 lb loaf. Push start.  Remove when cycle is complete, and cool on a wire rack.

Options and Tips:

• I take this loaf out 20 minutes before the cycle is complete and cool it on a wire rack. If you're not sure how it will turn out in your bread machine, leave it in for the full cycle the first time you make it. If the crust is too hard for your liking, then make sure to take it out early next time.
• Check the dough when it is almost done mixing. As with the Cheddar Herb Bread, there's a lot of extra stuff in this loaf, so sometimes there will be stray clumps of cheese and spices that don't get mixed in very well. Use a spoon (or a clean finger) to scrape those clumps off the sides of the pan and into the dough ball.
• This bread has no preservatives, so it won't keep for a week in your cupboard like store-bought bread. If you don't finish the loaf after two days, put it in the fridge to preserve freshness.
• If your breadmaker has a vertical loaf pan and you'd like a "normal" shaped loaf of bread, use the dough setting on your machine. When the cycle is complete, punch down the dough and place it in a greased loaf pan. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until it's almost as tall as you'd like it (about 2-4 hours, depending on how warm your kitchen is). Bake 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.
• Leftovers make the most delicious Grilled Sandwiches!
• For more tips and tricks for your bread machine, check out the post on Using Your Breadmaker.

This is an original recipe...kind of. I follow the basic white bread recipe from my breadmaker booklet, but the cheese and spices part of the recipe is my own.