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Homemade Italian Bread
Warm Italian bread from the oven is nothing short of good old fashioned comfort food!
Prep: 15min
Total: 135min
Yield: 32
Serving Size: 1 slice
Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 slice, calories 106 kcal, Carbohydrate 16 g, Protein 2 g, Fat 4 g, Saturated Fat 3 g, Sodium 219 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 1 g
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast (2 packets)
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 cups hot water (hot to the touch, not boiling)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 5-6 cups all-purpose flour (add more if needed to get to a pliable dough)
- 1 large egg white (for brushing on loaves)
Instruction:
- Dissolve yeast, 1/2 cup warm water, and 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar in a small bowl.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine 2 cups hot water, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, the salt, and the oil. Add 3 cups of flour to the mixture in this large bowl/mixer and mix well. Stir in yeast mixture.
- Add 2 – 3 cups more flour and mix until well blended. (At this point your dough will still be quite sticky). Leave in bowl, cover with a towel and let rise for 1 hour. (If using a mixer, remove the bowl from the mixer and cover. Otherwise your paddle attachment or dough hook will get covered in dough when it rises). NO KNEADING IS REQUIRED.
- After the rise, if the dough is too sticky to handle, add more flour until its workable. For some people this can be up to a cup or more! Just don’t dry out the dough. Add by quarter cupfuls until its workable.
- Divide dough into 2 (or 3 if you want smaller loaves) pieces. Roll out each piece on a floured surface into the length desired then roll up lengthwise like a jelly roll. If it’s still too sticky, add more flour until it’s workable but not dry.
- Put on a greased cookie sheet, sealed side down, and tuck the ends under. Slash the top diagonally across the top every couple of inches with a sharp knife.
- Cover and let loaves rise 30 more minutes.
- While loaves are rising, preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Whisk the egg white and brush over the top of loaves.
- Bake for 25 – 30 minutes.
Homemade Italian Bread
FAQ
What makes Italian bread different?
Italian bread often contains a bit of milk or olive oil, and sometimes a bit of sugar. French bread tends to be longer and narrower. Italian bread loaves tend to be shorter and plumper. French bread tends to be hard and crusty on the outside, with a light and soft crumb.
What are 2 types of Italian bread?
Baking Like An Italian – Guide To 5 Famous Breads of Italy
- Focaccia. Out of all the famous breads of Italy, the Focaccia is one of the most loved. …
- Ciabatta. The Ciabatta, is another common type of Italian bread, easy to find on the shelves of your nearest supermarket. …
- Coppia Ferrarese. …
- Piadina Romagnola. …
- Grissino.
What gives Italian bread its unique flavor?
In accordance with Italian baking traditions, only flour from durum wheat (Tritucum durum) is used in true Italian breads. This flour gives a unique texture, flavor, aroma and color on the baked goods and requires special formulation and dough processing.
What is the best flour to use for Italian bread?
Type 00 flour is the quintessential Italian flour synonymous with quality. It’s extra refined, very soft, and stark white in color because it contains none of the wheat bran.
