crusty herbal bread

one of the easiest ways to have fresh bread it to incorporate fresh ingredients with pre-made frozen bread.  in this recipe, adapted from donna frawley, i use my charlotte tin mold for baking the loaf.  after thawing the frozen bread dough for several hours, i incorporate herbs, either fresh or dried.  this is easily accomplished after rolling the dough flat, and then folding the dough into a roll.

i usually divide the dough into three sections and allow the bread to rise again in my charlotte mold for at least one hour.  by using the same baking directions that are suggested on the frozen dough, the bread turns out just perfectly--crusty and brown and very soft inside.

it is important to prepare the pan with a spray oil, and i recommend coating the pan with cornmeal.  that allows the bread to be easily removed from the pan without any problem. donna suggests baking the bread in a flower pot that has been seasoned prior to baking.  either way, this will be a hit with your guests. serve the sliced bread with a flavored herbal butter with parsley, dill or even chives.