We love breads especially dinner breads. This one is bursting with flavors. Marjoram, thyme, and basil saturate this wonderful loaf. This is a great bread to serve with any meal. We like it with comfort foods like soups and stews, but also with casseroles, meat and potatoes. I have made this delicious bread probably more than any other loaf because it is so easy and so tasty. I’ve also made this loaf dozens of times for families I’ve taken a meal to. It takes 5 minutes to put the ingredients in the breadmaker and 2 hours to bake so if I need to make a quick meal on the spur of the moment this bread is always on the menu!

This recipe is from the Black and Decker manual that came with our Black and Decker breadmaker. I make this loaf a lot for company. It always comes out perfectly and has a delicious taste. In Black ‘N Decker’s model the 2-lb. loaf takes only 2 hours on the rapid rise setting. It’s great if you want to have a nice home baked loaf of bread in a very short period of time. (By the way, I can’t find any of their recipes on their website, though a few people who have their breadmakers have posted some of the recipes on line).

If you’re looking for a fantastic breadmaker bread recipe, consider giving this recipe a try. This bread is not one you will soon forget. Since it has no preservatives in the batter make sure you only leave this bread out on your counter or in your bread box for no more than two days. After that you will need to refrigerate the bread so it doesn’t grow mold.

Here’s a look at this delicious bread fresh from the oven.

We like this bread served with butter and jam.

This close up shows the texture of the bread.

You can see the flecks of basil, marjoram and thyme leaves in this wonderful bread.

Here’s what I did.

Measure out hot water and pour into breadmaker loaf pan.

Here the hot water is in the bread pan.

Measure out dry milk powder. Add to the bread pan.

Add Crisco shortening. I have also used olive oil and canola oil and gotten good results.

Add sugar.

Add salt.

This is what the bread loaf pan looks like at this point.

I always use bread flour when making yeast breads — either in the breadmaker or by kneading myself. Mom said it had more gluten which helped all the ingredients to adhere better and not make the bread all crumbly. Even though Black and Decker suggests using all purpose flour, I ALWAYS use bread flour. 

Add bread flour.

Add basil, thyme, and marjoram.

Here I’ve added the spices.

Add bread machine yeast.

Here I’ve added the yeast. My breadmaker rapid rise option bakes this bread in 1 hour 58 minutes.

Here is the bread just out of the breadmaker oven.

After removing the bread from the breadmaker pan I butter the top and sides of the bread. This prevents the bread from getting too hard and crusty on the outside.

Here I’ve finished buttering the bread. Mom always buttered the tops and sides of her home made breads, rolls, and cinnamon rolls after they came out of the oven. She said it prevented the crusts from becoming too hard and crusty. I agree with her and have carried on the tradition. 

I use an electric knife with a bread blade to cut the bread. It is so much easier. Cut the bread in half lengthwise.

Here I’m cutting the bread.

This is what the bread looks like now.

Now I cut down each half section.

Here I’ve started cutting the bread down.

Here one half of the bread has been cut.

Such a great dinner bread. 

This is so tasty. You can see the wonderful, soft texture of this bread. Flecks of basil, marjoram and thyme enhance the delectable taste of this bread.

Here’s the bread ready to serve.

Spread your slice with butter and jam. Yum, yum.

We love this fantastic bread and think you will too.

We love to eat this tasty bread with salads, soups, or main meals.

Mom always liked to toast homemade bread already buttered in the oven. Then she would broil it about 5 minutes in the oven, and then we would eat it spread with jam. So tasty.

Here’s the recipe.

RAPID RISE ITALIAN HERB BREAD

(Recipe from our Black & Decker Breadmaker)

1 ½ cups hot water

3 tbsp. powdered milk

2 tbsp. shortening or olive oil

3 tbsp. sugar

1 ½ tsp. salt

4 cups bread flour

1 ½ tsp. dried marjoram

1 ½ tsp. dried basil

1 ½ tsp. dried thyme

2 tsp. bread machine yeast

Measure ingredients in the order listed into bread-maker baking pan. (You will need one the size for a 2-lb. loaf). Ours bakes for 1 hour 58 minutes at the Rapid Rise setting.

We love this delicious bread served with butter and jam.

Serve some of this great bread with chili or stew. Oh, my!

Go ahead and grab a piece. Enjoy!

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Homemade Rolls or Bread

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

Tips for Baking Homemade Bread

Popovers

Red River Cereal Bread

Easy French Bread

Caraway Rye Bread