This homemade Italian Bread recipe is everything you want in a fresh-baked loaf—soft and fluffy on the inside with a crispy golden crust. Whether you’re making sandwiches, garlic bread, or dipping into soup or scooping up sauces, this recipe will be your go-to every time.
Best Homemade Italian Bread
One of the things that I’ve always been proud of in the kitchen is taking a loaf of golden brown homemade bread out of the oven! There’s nothing quite like it, whether it’s homemade garlic breadsticks, a loaf of sourdough bread, or this delicious Italian bread; the aroma of baked bread wafting through the house is enough to make me want to bake bread every day!
This Italian loaf bread has got a soft and tender inside with the perfect chewy crust, and it’s all done without the need for a bread machine. With just under 2 hours of rise time, some yeast, and a few simple ingredients, I have no reason to ever go back to store-bought bread again.
It’s a good thing this recipe makes two loaves, since there are limitless ways to eat this bread. You can slice it up and serve it with soups or use it to soak up the sauces from stuffed pasta shells.
You can also toast it and slather it in your favorite spreads or use it for avocado chicken salad, or portobello mushroom sandwiches, or your morning toast. Freeze whatever you don’t use and thaw it when you need it!
Italian Bread Ingredients Notes
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe. Scroll down to the full recipe card for the specific amounts.
- Warm water: The water needs to be between 100°F and 110°F. Use a thermometer for accuracy because if it’s too hot, it’ll kill the yeast; if it’s too cold, it won’t activate it.
- Active dry yeast: You’ll need a packet of fresh yeast. Be sure to check the expiration date.
- Sugar: Granulated white sugar helps feed the yeast, allowing it to work its magic. The sugar also adds to the flavor of the bread.
- Bread flour: I prefer to use bread flour for a chewier bite; however, I know not everyone has bread flour at home, so you can substitute it for all-purpose flour with a 1:1 ratio. It’s best to weigh out the flour on a kitchen scale. If you don’t have a scale, then gently scoop flour into measuring cup and use the back of a butter knife to level off the top. Do not scoop into the container and pack the flour or your bread will be much more dense.
- Salt:
- Olive oil: Used in the dough and for greasing the bowl.
Can I substitute Instant Yeast for Active Dry Yeast?
You can!! It’s an equal swap amount too. The only difference is you won’t have to let the yeast sit for the 10 minutes and proof. Simply add the instant yeast in with the dry ingredients and add the water and oil and mix together then let rise as stated below.
How to Make this Bread Recipe
There are a few steps to making bread, but the results are always worth it. Plus, it’s much easier than you might think. Here’s how it’s done:
Step 1: Whisk the warm water, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and let that stand for 5 minutes. The yeast should start to foam.
Step 2: Add 3 cups of flour, sea salt, and olive oil. Use the dough hook attachment to mix on low speed until no flour streaks are left. Then, while the mixer is still running, add ⅓ cup of the remaining flour at a time, blending between each addition.
Step 3: Increase the speed to medium-high to knead the dough for 5 minutes. It should be soft and not sticky.
Step 4: Transfer the kneaded dough ball to a large greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm place for about an hour until it doubles in size.
Remove the plastic wrap and punch down the bread dough to deflate it. Divide it in half, shape each half into a ball, and place them down on a clean, lightly floured work surface.
Step 5: Dust a rolling pin with flour and roll each ball into an oval shape about 12×8 inches. Then, use your hands to roll the dough along its length so that it forms an oval shape. Pinch and smooth the seams.
Step 6: Place the loaves on a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam side down. Tuck in each end and gently smooth the surface. Brush with olive oil, cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rest and rise for another 20 minutes.
Step 7: Preheat the oven to 375° F. Make sure your oven rack has one rack in the center and one on the bottom. Place a 9×13 glass dish filled ¾ of the way with water on the bottom rack in the oven as it preheats.
Step 8: Score the top of each loaf at least ½ inch deep to allow the steam to escape.
Bake the loaves on the center oven rack for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let them cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Tips
- Depending on the temperature of your kitchen, , it could take a little longer than an hour for the dough to rise. It’s important to keep it in a warm, draft-free area for best results.
- To score the dough, use a sharp knife. This gives the steam a way out, preventing unwanted cracks or too much expansion in the crust.
- Using a water bath is optional. I prefer it because it gives the bread an extra crusty exterior. If you prefer a softer crust, do not use a water bath.
How to Store Leftovers?
Home-baked bread doesn’t last as long without the preservatives, so you may want to freeze one of the loaves until you need it. Once it is completely cooled, place one or both of the loaves in a freezer bag to keep frozen for up to 4 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving. You can also warm it up in the oven.
Store leftover bread slices in a plastic zip closure bag or an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature. You can also keep it in the fridge for an extra few days, although it will get stale a bit quicker from the lack of moisture.
If you like this recipe, please leave us a comment and rate it in the recipe card. We would love for you to join us and over 300,000 followers on Facebook as well as on Pinterest and Instagram too!
Italian Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups warm water 16 ounces or 500 ml
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast 7 grams, 1 packet
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 5 ½ cups bread flour 825 grams
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
Instructions
- Heat the water to between 100° and 110° Fahrenheit. Any colder and the yeast won’t activate and any warmer could kill the yeast.2 cups warm water
- In the bowl to a stand mix, add the warm water, yeast and sugar and whisk it together. Let it stand for 5 minutes until the yeast is dissolved and very foamy.1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- Add 3 cups of flour, sea salt and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and beat on low speed with the dough hook attachment until no flour remains are showing.5 ½ cups bread flour, 1 ½ teaspoons salt, 2 tablespoons olive oil
- While the mixer is still running, add the remaining flour ⅓ cup at a time and blend between each addition.
- Increase the speed to medium-high and knead the dough for 5 minutes. The dough should be soft and not stick to your fingers.
- Grease a large bowl with olive oil and place the kneaded dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for an hour until the dough is about double in size.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Punch the dough down and divide it in half and shape each half into a ball and place on a floured surface like the counter or cutting board.
- Using a rolling pin dusted with flour, roll each ball into an oval shape about 12 inches long and 8 inches wide.
- Then with your hands, roll the dough along the long side into an oval shape and pinch together and smooth the seams.
- Place the loaves on the prepared cookie sheet, seam sides down. Tuck each end underneath and smooth it slightly.
- Brush each loaf with the remaining olive oil, cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise again for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375° F. Make sure your oven rack has one rack in the center and one on the bottom.
- Fill a 9×13 glass baking dish ¾ full with water and place that on the bottom rack. Using a water bath gives the bread a very crisp crust. You can skip the water bath but the crust will be softer.
- Score the top of each loaf at least ½ inch deep with a sharp knife to allow the steam to escape.
- Place on the center rack of the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Rotate the pan after 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, place on a wire cooling rack to cool before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclosure
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
Leave a Reply