Fresh Milled Flour Italian Herb Bread | Easy Bread Machine Recipe

October 22, 2025

There’s nothing quite like the smell of fresh bread baking — especially when it’s filled with Italian herbs and made from freshly milled flour. This Italian Herb Bread Machine Bread is one of my family’s favorites because it’s easy, flavorful, and wholesome. It goes perfectly with pastas, salads, soups, and really makes for more flavorful sandwiches!

Fresh Milled Flour Italian Herb Bread - Bread Machine & Dough Cycle

Ingredients

For a 1 lb loaf:

1 cup (240 g) lukewarm water
2 tablespoons (27 g) oil or melted butter
¾ teaspoon (4 g) sugar or honey
335 g (about 3 cups) freshly milled hard white wheat flour
2 teaspoons (7 g) vital wheat gluten (optional)
¾ teaspoon (3 g) dough enhancer (optional)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (7 g) Italian seasoning
¾ teaspoon (4 g) salt
1 teaspoon (3 g) instant yeast (add after autolyze)

For a 1.5 lb loaf: (the size I made in the youtube video)

1½ cups (355 g) lukewarm water
3 tablespoons (40 g) oil or melted butter
1 teaspoon (5 g) sugar or honey
500 g (about 4½ cups) freshly milled hard white wheat flour
1 tablespoon (10 g) vital wheat gluten (optional)
1 teaspoon (5 g) dough enhancer (optional)
2 tablespoons (10 g) Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
1½ teaspoons (5 g) instant yeast (add after autolyze)

For a 2 lb loaf:

2 cups (475 g) lukewarm water
4 tablespoons (54 g) oil or melted butter
1½ teaspoons (8 g) sugar or honey
670 g (about 6 cups) freshly milled hard white wheat flour
1½ tablespoons (14 g) vital wheat gluten (optional)
1½ teaspoons (7 g) dough enhancer (optional)
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons (14 g) Italian seasoning
1¼ teaspoons (7 g) salt
2 teaspoons (6 g) instant yeast (add after autolyze)

To mill your flour: Use 2 ⅔ cups of wheat berries (500 g), which will yield about 4 ½ cups (500 g) of freshly milled flour once ground.

Bread Machine Instructions

1. Mill your flour: Mill wheat berries just before using for the freshest, most nutrient-dense flour.

2. Add ingredients: Place all ingredients except the yeast into your bread machine pan in the order listed (water, oil, sugar, flour, vital wheat gluten, dough enhancer, Italian seasoning, salt).

3. Autolyze period: Select the basic white or dough cycle and let the machine mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Then turn the machine off and let the dough rest for 15 minutes to 3 hours — this allows the flour to absorb moisture and soften the bran. (I usually rest mine for 45 minutes to 1 hour.)

4. Add yeast: Sprinkle the instant yeast on top of the dough. Choose either the basic white or whole wheat cycle.

5. Check your dough: After a few minutes of kneading, check that your dough forms a smooth, soft ball — not too dry, sticky, or wet. Adjust with a tablespoon of water or flour if needed.

6. Bake: Allow the machine to complete the cycle. Remove bread from pan immediately after baking, brush with butter, cover with a tea towel, and let cool before slicing.

Dough Cycle Option

1. Follow steps 1–4 above, but instead of choosing a baking cycle, use the dough cycle.

2. When the dough cycle finishes (about 1 ½ hours), punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.

3. Shape into a loaf and place into a well-oiled 8.5 x 4.5-inch or 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

4. Let rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the dough just peaks above the pan.

5. Bake in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 35 minutes, until golden brown.

6. Remove bread from pan immediately after baking, brush with butter, cover with a tea towel, and let cool before slicing.

PRINTABLE RECIPE!

*If you're looking for an alternative to plastic bread bags, our beeswax bread bags are a healthy way to store your bread! They are reusable, made of 100% cotton, infused with organic beeswax and coconut oil, naturally antibacterial to keep your bread from molding, and handmade by me and my daughters on our family farm!