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4.9 from 276 votes

Italian Bread Recipe

It is so easy to make our Italian bread recipe at home! This soft, crust bread is delicious and takes just 6 simple ingredients.

Prep Time
40 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Rise
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 40 mins
Servings: 2 loaves
Calories: 1379 kcal
Course: Bread
Cuisine: Italian , American

Ingredients

  • 2 cups very warm water
  • 5 teaspoon instant yeast
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 5 cups all purpose flour

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Whisk water, yeast, sugar, oil, and 2 cups of flour in a large bowl till smooth. Let sit in a warm place till bubbly, about 30 minutes. Add the salt and add enough flour to make a soft dough.
  2. Knead a few times on a floured counter till smooth. Return to bowl. Cover and let rise till doubled, about an hour.
  3. When it looks like it has doubled in size poke it with your finger. If the dough springs back and fills in the dent, let it rise longer. If the dent stays, it's ready.
  4. Divide the dough in half and roll each piece into a long loaf about 12 inches long. Place both loaves on a greased baking pan.
  5. Cover and let loaves rise till doubled, 30-45 minutes. Cut a few diagonal slits across the top of each loaf.
  6. Bake in an oven preheated to 375°F for about 30 minutes or till the crust is golden brown.

Notes

  • Using active dry yeast. Activate first by adding the yeast and sugar to the warm water. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until bubbly. At this point, you can add the yeast mixture to the other ingredients.
  • ctivate first by adding the yeast and sugar to the warm water. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until bubbly. At this point, you can add the yeast mixture to the other ingredients.
  • Rise dough faster. Placing the dough near a warm window, crock pot, or oven can help it rise faster.
  • Kneading tips. Knead by hand (fold and press the dough repeatedly) for a few minutes or a quicker way is to use a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.
  • Freeze the dough. Shape the loaves of dough, but don't let them rise. Instead, freeze until solid then wrap with plastic and again with foil and freeze for up to 3 months. When you're ready to bake, unwrap a loaf, place it on a baking sheet, and cover it loosely with a tea towel. Let the dough rise until double (several hours), add scoring slices, and bake.
  • Store baked bread. Allow to cool, wrap with plastic, and store at room temperature for 2-3 days, or wrap them again with foil and freeze them for 3 months.

Nutrition Information

Calories 1379kcal (69%) Carbohydrates 257g (86%) Protein 44g (88%) Fat 19g (29%) Saturated Fat 12g (60%) Sodium 3522mg (147%) Potassium 621mg (18%) Fiber 17g (68%) Sugar 7g (14%) Calcium 63mg (6%) Iron 15mg (83%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 2loaves

Amount Per Serving

Calories 1379

% Daily Value*

Calories 1379kcal 69%
Carbohydrates 257g 86%
Protein 44g 88%
Fat 19g 29%
Saturated Fat 12g 60%
Sodium 3522mg 147%
Potassium 621mg 13%
Fiber 17g 68%
Sugar 7g 14%
Calcium 63mg 6%
Iron 15mg 83%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.