Easy Homemade Italian Bread
This Easy Homemade Italian Bread with its soft, slightly chewy and flavorful interior and golden-brown crust is perfect paired with any meal. It's also great for making sandwiches, garlic bread, toast, and lots more!
Servings: 1 loaf (about 16 slices, approximately ½-inch thick)
Estimated Calories: 78
Ingredients
- 2½ cups bread flour
- 1 cup warm water, 110°F to 115°F
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for oiling the bowl and baking sheet (I use regular or light-tasting olive oil)
- 2½ teaspoons instant yeast
- 1½ teaspoons sugar
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten
Instructions
- Place the bread flour, water, olive oil, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl; stir until a ball of dough forms.The mixture will seem a little dry and shaggy at first, but keep stirring; the flour will absorb the water, and it will come together. When the ball forms, the dough won't be very smooth, and it shouldn't be sticky. It should hold together well and not be too dry or crumbly or too wet and loose. If needed, add water or flour, just a little at a time and stirring well after each addition, to reach the desired consistency.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead it a few times by hand to smooth it out a bit, and then form it into a ball. To knead dough: Push the dough down and away from you with the heel of your hand. Grab the edge of the dough that's farthest away from you and fold it over in half towards you. Repeat, occasionally turning the dough 45 degrees.
- Lightly oil the bowl that you mixed the dough in (first clean out any loose leftover bits); place the dough ball in the oiled bowl and turn it to coat all sides.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place that is free from drafts until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and press it out into a 12x7-inch rectangle.
- Starting on one of the long ends, roll up the dough to form a 12-inch long loaf.
- Pinch together all seams (both the long seam and the ends), then place the dough seam side down and gently shape the loaf with your hands, making it evenly wide along the length and rounded on the ends.
- Lightly oil a baking sheet (15x10-inch or larger) and place the loaf on the oiled sheet, seam side down.
- Cover the loaf with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place that is free from drafts until doubled in size, about 30 to 45 minutes.
- While you are waiting for the loaf to rise, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- After the loaf has risen, lightly brush the top and sides with the beaten egg white (you probably won't need to use it all).
- Using a very sharp knife, cut three diagonal slits in the top of the loaf (don't go very deep, no more than about ⅛ of an inch).
- Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when you tap the bottom.To check for doneness by temperature: the loaf is done when the internal temperature at the center is between 195°F and 210°F (use an instant-read thermometer for the most accurate results).
- Place the bread on a wire rack to cool.Don't slice the bread while it is still hot. If you want to enjoy it warm, wait until it is almost completely cool but still just slightly warm.
Recipe Notes
- This bread is at its absolute best when freshly baked and mostly cooled but still just a little warm and when the crust is slightly crisp. The crust will soften over time and after is it wrapped (but, even so, it's still very delicious)!
- Be sure to use instant yeast and not active dry yeast. They are not interchangeable in this recipe.
- When kneading and shaping the dough, don't use a lot of flour; only use as much as is needed so that the dough doesn't stick. If too much flour is added to the dough, the bread can end up dense.
- Rising times given in the recipe are a guideline only. Actual times can vary depending on the temperature of your house, so always go by the size of the risen dough.
- Estimated calories shown is for 1 slice of bread (based on 16 slices per loaf).
Tried this recipe? I'd love to see it!Take a photo, post it on Instagram, and mention @nowcookthis or tag #nowcookthisrecipes. Thanks!