Homemade Italian Bread

"This is my favorite Italian bread recipe. It tastes so good and smells wonderful. **NOTE Prep time has been recalculated due to the first two reviews."
 
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photo by Heather R. photo by Heather R.
photo by Heather R.
photo by DutchFoodie photo by DutchFoodie
photo by Valeria L. photo by Valeria L.
photo by airinmarie photo by airinmarie
photo by mountain_matt photo by mountain_matt
Ready In:
2hrs 50mins
Ingredients:
6
Yields:
2 loaves
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ingredients

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directions

  • In large mixer bowl, combine 3 c of flour and the yeast.
  • Combine the water and salt.
  • Add to the dry mixture.
  • Beat at low speed for 30 seconds, scrapping the sides constantly.
  • Beat at high for 3 minutes.
  • By hand, stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a very stiff dough.
  • Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and very elastic (15-25 minutes).
  • Shape into a ball.
  • Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough.
  • Cover and let rise in a warm place till double (about 1 hour).
  • Punch down and turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
  • Divide the dough in half.
  • Cover with the bowl and let rest for 10 minutes.
  • Roll each half into a 15x12 inch rectangle.
  • Beginning at the long side of the rectangle, roll the dough up tightly, sealing as you roll.
  • Taper the ends of the loaf.
  • Grease 2 baking sheets and sprinkle them each with cornmeal.
  • Place each loaf diagonally seam side down, on baking sheets.
  • Make diagonal cuts 2 ½ inches apart (1/8 to ¼ inch deep) on the tops of the loaves.
  • Add tablespoon of water to the beaten egg white and brush over the top and sides of the loaves.
  • Cover and let rise in a warm place till double (about 20-45 minutes).
  • When ready to bake, place a large shallow pan on the lower rack of the oven and fill with boiling water.
  • Bake at 375° for 20 minutes, brush with the egg white mixture.
  • Bake 20 minutes longer.
  • Cool on a rack.
  • Tips: Raising tip: In a cold oven, place the dough on the top rack.
  • On the rack beneath, place a pan filled with very hot water then close the door.
  • This will create a warm, draftless environment for raising your dough.
  • Temp: be sure to use a thermometer to test the temp of the liquids before adding to the yeast.
  • Temperature is very critical– too cold and the yeast won’t activate, too hot and they die– either way the bread will not raise.

Questions & Replies

  1. ingredients calls for 7 1/4 to 7 3/4 cup flour and the recipe uses 3 cups. how many cups of flour did you use in this recipe?
     
  2. I'm rather new to bread making. I've made a few white breads which all turned out pretty good. The last Italian bread i tried didn't rise much, if at all, and didn't call for any sugar, just like this one. Why don't italian breads call for sugar? What causes the bread to rise if the yeast doesn't have sugar/sweetner to feed on? Is it not supposed to rise much?
     
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Reviews

  1. I took a chance on this recipe, using it to make 4 loaves of bread for an Italian-themed dinner the other night for a visiting university choir. The music director is himself Italian so I felt "on trial." I've got to say the loaves turned out beautifully! And the taste was superb. The music director praised the bread. I had to work hard to sneak a half-loaf home to my husband. This recipe goes into my winner file. :o)
     
  2. This was my first foray into this shaped loaf. I couldn’t believe how fast it came together, I set on the stove top, oven temp turned to 170. It rose super fast and bam, I had 2 loaves of bread. People love this recipe and I’ve made it many many times. I’ve turned it into rolls, boulles and regular loaves. It’s wonderful and we love the way it tastes toaste, sprinkled with sesame seed, etc.
     
  3. Made this last night to go with spaghetti. It was very good! The crust was perfect! I think I will add some more salt to the dough to give it a wee bit of flavor, but other than that it was perfect. Oh, also, I cut the recipe by half to do only one loaf and it worked great. :)
     
  4. I made this once, it was okay, but after a couple adjustments, it is as good as, if not better than what you buy at your local grocery store. The biggest diff was that I added 1 1/2 tbsp vital wheat gluten when mixing yeast into flour. Second (mostly because I don't have a brush and apply with a fork) I skipped the second egg wash, and just turned the temp on the oven up to 400 to aid in the browning. I also reduced the amount of water to 2 cups to try to give it a little more yeast flavor, and allowed an extra 20-30 min for the final rise before putting it in the oven, to try n make it a little less dense. I also skipped the cornmeal, and baked on greased parchment paper
     
  5. I have tried to make bread in the past, with so/so results. This bread, however, is the BEST I have ever had! It beats restaurant quality! I love it! Will make again and again!
     
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<p>I am one of the early members of Zaar joining in October 2001. It was instantly my favorite site even though there were only about 5000 recipes. Back then the original owners Troy and Gay ran the site and they had a lot of interaction with the members. I miss them. <br /> <br />Through the years it still remains to this day my favorite go to site and the one that I send all of my friends and family to when they need anything.</p> 8724616"
 
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