Weekend Herb Blogging # 109 is hosted this week by the self-described goofy Vanessa, at What Geeks Eat...
After reading her recipes for Double Chocolate Pecan Muffins and Grilled Chocolate Sandwiches, I'm hooked!

I love to make bread and love mixing things into the dough to create different textures and flavors. I often add sautéed onions or shallots, sometimes some cooked, crisp bacon or herbs such as chopped rosemary or thyme.

This week I decided to try adding some freshly snipped chives.



In addition to being a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, calcium and iron, chives have a wonderful, subtle onion flavor that we love.

The bread dough is my basic, Olive Oil Dough that I wrote about for WHB # 98, to which I added a couple of tablespoons of freshly chopped chives.




1 1/3 cup (325 mls) lukewarm water
1 packet yeast
1/3 cup (75 mls) olive oil
3 to 4 cups (450-600 grams) all-purpose flour
good pinch fine sea salt
2 tablespoons (or more) freshly minced chives

Whisk together the water and yeast in a large bowl until yeast is dissolved. Whisk in olive oil.
Add one cup of the flour and whisk until combined.
Now switch to a wooden spoon and stir in salt, then slowly incorporate enough flour to make a soft, but not too sticky, dough.
Turn out onto a floured surface and knead, using as little extra flour as possible, for about 5 minutes. The dough should look satiny and feel moist but shouldn't stick to clean hands.
Place the dough in a large, clean bowl, cover with a tea towel and let it rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size, at least 1 hour, 1 ½ hours is better.
Punch down the dough, incorporate the chives, shape into what you need on a cornmeal sprinkled baking sheet, and let it rest again while the oven warms up.
Bake in a 400 degree oven. The shape will determine the cooking time but you want it to be a lovely, golden color.
focaccia bread about 25 minutes
oval loaf about 30-40 minutes

It was a delicious loaf!