Italian Bread

This homemade Italian Bread recipe makes two loaves of perfectly soft bread with a chewy crust. Perfect for dipping in pasta, soups, or using to make sandwiches!

Course bread

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Rise Time 1 30

Total Time 2 30

Servings loaves (24 servings)

Calories 1405kcal

Author John Kanell

Equipment

Stand mixer
Mixing Bowls
Baking Sheet

Ingredients

2 cups warm water (about 110°F) (480ml)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
5½ cups all-purpose flour (660g)
1½ teaspoons sea salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, stir together the warm water, sugar, and yeast, and set aside for about 10 minutes or until very foamy.
Add 3 cups of flour to the mixture along with 1 tablespoon olive oil and the salt. Stir together with a spatula, then begin mixing with the dough hook on low speed. Add the remaining flour a half cup at a time while mixing. Stop and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally.
Once the flour has been incorporated, increase the mixer speed to medium-low and continue to knead until the dough pulls away from the bowl and forms a ball, about 5 minutes. (The dough should spring back when pressed, and not stick to your finger. Add additional flour, a few tablespoons at a time if needed.)
Transfer to a lightly oiled large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm place (about 75°F) to rise until doubled in size, about an hour.
Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it in half. Shape each half into a round by cupping your hands around the dough and gently pulling the dough toward you a few times to create tension and a tight ball.
Stretch and roll each dough ball into an 8x11-inch long oval. Flip each oval over. Starting on one long side, roll the dough like a jelly roll into an oval shape with pointed tapered ends. Pinch the seam together to seal.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the loaves on the pan, seam side down. Brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise once more until very visibly puffed, 30 to 40 minutes.
After the loaves have risen for 20 minutes, arrange one oven rack in the middle of the oven and one on the bottom. Fill a 9x13-inch pan with ½-inch of water and place on the bottom rack of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Once risen, cut 3 diagonal slashes on top of each risen loaf using a bread lame or very sharp knife. Place the loaves on the middle rack of the oven.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pan after 20 minutes, until golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when you tap on them. Let the loaves cool completely before slicing.

Notes

Mind the temperature of the water. You want warm water, around 100-110ºF to activate the yeast, not boiling water. If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast- don’t heat it higher than 120ºF. If it’s too cold, it will significantly delay the rising process or may not activate the yeast at all- make sure the temp is above 100ºF.
Slowly add the flour when mixing the dough. This will help create a light soft dough texture. If you add the flour all at once, it can become dense. You’ll know when the dough is done kneading when it begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl while mixing.
Let the dough rise in a warm space. When the dough is resting in the covered mixing bowl, make sure it is in a space between 70ºF and 75ºF. This will help the dough rise quickly. If your kitchen is cold, place the covered dough in the unheated oven with the light on, which will typically be 70-75°F, a perfect environment for proofing bread! If your oven has a bread-proof setting, feel free to use that as well.
Dust your hands and rolling surface with flour. Lightly dust your hands and sprinkle a clean hard surface with extra all-purpose flour before kneading the dough. This will prevent the dough from sticking and will make kneading, rolling, and shaping the dough much easier.
Allow the loaves to cool completely before slicing. While tempting to cut into the Italian bread as soon as you take it out of the oven, it’s worth the wait to let it cool to room temperature first. If you cut it too soon, you can tear the inside of the bread. It can also cause the bread to dry out since it will steam out and evaporate through the cut area, instead of the crust trapping in that essential moisture. Speed up the cooling process by placing the bread loaves on a wire cooling rack.

Nutrition