Italian Bread Recipe
Enjoy a fluffy interior and golden artisan crust with this homemade Italian Bread Recipe. This timeless staple uses basic pantry ingredients and traditional methods for consistent results.
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups bread flour substitute all-purpose flour; King Arthur works great
- 1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast or instant yeast; reduce water by 1 tablespoon
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar helps bloom the yeast
- 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water about 100°F; test with a thermometer or your wrist
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil look for cold-pressed, fruity flavor
Instructions
- Stir together lukewarm water, sugar, and yeast. Let it sit until foamy.
- Combine flour, salt, olive oil with yeast mixture to form a shaggy dough.
- Knead dough for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Let dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in size.
- Divide dough, shape into loaves, and let rest.
- Let loaves rise until puffy, preheat oven.
- Slash loaves, bake in hot oven with steam until golden brown.
- Transfer loaves to wire rack and let cool before slicing.
Notes
For a chewier crumb, replace ½ cup flour with whole-wheat flour. Use a digital scale for accuracy in baking. Store bread in a paper bag to retain crust.
Nutrition
Calories: 120kcal
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