Italian Bread Recipe
Total Time
3 hrs 15 mins
Prep Time
2 hrs 30 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Rating
4.84 out of 5 stars
(118)
Ingredients
16 servings
- For the Dough
- 2 cups lukewarm water (~100°F)
- 1 package active dry yeast (2.25 teaspoons)
- 5 cups bread flour
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2½ teaspoons salt
- For the Topping (Optional)
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
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Preparation
Chef’s notes
Bread Flour – I outlined above why I’m a big advocate of bread flour for this particular recipe; you can find it in nearly all grocery stores or can buy it online. If you substitute all-purpose flour, the bread will still turn out, but there will be a definite difference in texture.
Yeast – This recipe calls for active dry yeast, but you can substitute instant yeast without an issue or any modifications.
Mixing by Hand – While using a stand mixer with a dough hook makes this easier, you can absolutely use a large mixing bowl and mix and knead entirely by hand.
Extra Flour – Note that the recipe states you may need to add a little extra flour during the mixing process to get a dough to come together. I find that this varies during different times of the year, as well as what the weather is like. If it’s warmer/more humid, you may need more flour. When it’s colder and drier, I rarely, if ever, need to add more flour.
Metal Pan – I want to emphasize once more that the pan you place on the bottom rack of the oven to create steam needs to be METAL and not glass.
Baking Stone – This is the baking stone that I use, and this is the pizza peel you see pictured above. If you don’t have a baking stone, you can flip a baking sheet upside down, put a sheet of parchment paper on top, and bake the bread on there (you would not need to place the upside-down pan in the oven during preheating).
Freezing Bread Dough – Once the dough is shaped, it can be placed on a lined baking sheet and placed in the freezer for 12 hours. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze in a ziploc freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then remove and proceed with step #5 of the recipe. The final rise may take longer since the dough has been cold.
Freezing Baked Bread – Once the bread has been completely cooled, you can wrap a whole sliced or unsliced loaf in a double layer of plastic wrap, place in a ziploc freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.