just a little something different. prep time doesn't include rising time. In the directions I didn't specify kneading. there are 2 schools of thought on this subject. I leave that up to your personal preference. I knead this type of bread but i've know people who don't. As long as the bread gets a good double in size rise you should have good results. You can either use dried herbs or fresh. I prefer fresh but have had good results with the dried. Just remember dried herbs tend to have a more concentrated flavor so you may what to cut back on the amount a bit if using dried herbs.