Basic Italian Bread by Emeril Lagasse
"Recipe from Foodnetwork.com. I'm going to try this in my bread machine dough only cycle and make rolls out of it."
- Ready In:
- 1hr 26mins
- Ingredients:
- 8
- Yields:
-
1 loaf
- Serves:
- 12
ingredients
- 2 cups water, lukewarm
- 1 3⁄4 ounces cake yeast (1/3 cup)
- 5 3⁄4 cups bread flour
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
directions
- Place the water and yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer and allow the yeast to bloom for about 5 minutes. Using a dough hook attachment, add the flour and sugar to the water and mix on low speed until a dough starts to form. Drizzle the oil and salt into the dough and beat on medium speed for 8 to 10 minutes, or until a smooth, firm, elastic dough is formed.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and spray the dough with a thin coating of cooking spray. Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to proof in a warm, draft-free place for 11/2 hours or until doubled in size. Remove the plastic wrap, punch down and flatten the rounded dough with the heel of your hand. Roll the dough up tightly, sealing the seam well after each roll. The dough should be elongated and oval-shaped, with tapered and rounded (not pointed) ends.
- Preheat the oven lined with a pizza stone to 425 degrees F. Alternately, an inverted baking sheet may be used in place of a pizza stone.
- Place the dough on a baker's peel heavily dusted with semolina flour, or cornmeal, or alternately on an inverted baking sheet. Allow the dough to proof, loosely covered with a damp towel, for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size. Brush the dough with the egg white and sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top. Using a razor blade or sharp knife, score 3 (1/4-inch deep) slashes across the top of the dough at a 45 degree angle.
- Spray the dough generously with water from a water bottle and place in the oven on the baking stone. Immediately close the oven and bake for 3 minutes. Open the oven door and spray the dough again with the water bottle. Close the oven door and bake for an additional 3 minutes before spraying the dough for a third time (the spraying of the dough will ensure a crisp golden brown crust). Bake the dough for 45 minutes, or until a hollow thud is heard when the bread is whacked with the bowl of a wooden spoon. Allow the bread to cool slightly before serving.
Questions & Replies
-
How much dry yeast is equal to 1 3/4 oz. cake yeast?
Reviews
-
My son started making this bread 4 years ago when he was 16 and it is the best Italian bread recipe online. My family is Italian and they prefer this over the local bakery bread. The only adjustment we make is to add the sugar in with the yeast as it blooms, it really feeds the yeast and gives a stronger yeast flavor in the cooked bread. -
I have been doing this recipe for quite awhile using a Kitchen-Aid mixer. I recommend dividing the dough in half and making two loaves as one is huge. I also recommend 425 deg for only 30 Minutes. 45 minutes tends to burn the sesame seeds and the crust turns out like wood.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
<p>I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, in California. I am now a stay at home mom after trying desperately for 9 years. With the love and generosity of my sister-in-law who acted as our surrogate we now have a beautiful little boy, Ian. I love to camp and go jet skiing with my husband and our families. We have a wonderful chihuahua named Swiffy! She is always making us laugh. We enjoy spending time with our many nieces and nephews. I am an avid reader and I'm addicted to reality television!</p>
