Italian Herb Bread

I have made a lot of meh-tasting herb breads.  They always smell AMAZING while they bake, and then they come out and you can't taste the herbs at all.  And for some reason they usually end up kind of heavy and dense (and not in a good way).  Has anybody else experienced this?  Anyway...this Italian Herb Bread is everything I had hoped for in all those previous breads and so much more.  Not only does it smell incredible, but you can actually taste all those lovely scents.  Plus it is deliciously soft and fluffy.  I actually made this to use in my stuffing for Thanksgiving and it was awesome.  Also awesome on its own, slathered with butter, dipped in soup, used in grilled cheese sandwiches, and so much more!

Italian Herb Bread

Number of Servings: 2 loaves
Time to Prepare: 2 hours 40 minutes

• 2 (.25 oz) packages active dry yeast
• 2 cups warm water (110 degrees)
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 2 Tbsp dried basil
• 2 Tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tbsp vital wheat gluten
• 5 to 6 cups flour

Mix yeast, warm water, and sugar together in a large bowl. Set aside for five minutes, or until mixture becomes foamy.
 
Stir olive oil, salt, herbs, garlic powder, onion powder, cheese, gluten and 3 cups flour into the yeast mixture. Gradually mix in remaining flour as needed to form a soft dough.
 
Knead dough for 5 to 10 minutes, or until it is smooth and rubbery. Place in an oiled bowl, and turn to cover the surface of the dough with oil. Cover and let rise until doubled, about one hour.
 
Punch dough down to release all the air.  Shape into two loaves and place in two greased 9 x 5 loaf pans.  Let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
 
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.   Bread should be golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the top.  Remove from pans and let cool on wire racks for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

Source: adapted from AllRecipes