Easy Basic Italian Bread

In this instructable, I will show you how to make a super easy and super delicious Italian bread. Also, it takes only 6 ingredients to make this bread. I must confess I have a minor obsession with bread more particularly homemade bread, ok, let's be honest, a major obsession with it, it is so yummy. Impress your friends and family by making some homemade bread for your next meal!

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Follow the easy steps or watch the short video tutorial or do both! :)

Print the FULL recipe here.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup hot water (250 mL)
• 1 tsp. white sugar (5g)
• 2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast (12g)
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil (30mL)
• 2 1/2 cups of bread flour or all-purpose flour (320g)
• 1 tsp salt (5g)

Tools:

• Wooden spoon
• Bowl
• Baking sheet
• Silicone baking mat or parchment paper or kitchen spray

First let's go ahead and get our yeast started. Take you water and heat it up to 105 to 115 degrees F. Then add in your sugar and your yeast. Mix it gently with a fork or whisk or spoon. Then let it sit for 8 to 10 minutes until it gets nice and foamy. It if doesn't get foamy, either the yeast is bad, or the water wasn't hot enough or it was too hot, you will need to start over.

Now let's add in our oil and about 1 cup of our flour. Mix together with a wooden spoon or with your stand mixer. Then add in your salt.

Now lets add in about another cup of our flour. Mix until the dough comes together and is fairly tacky. Then place the dough on a floured surface. Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes adding more of your flour as needed. To knead fold the dough over, push done, then turn it a quarter turn, and repeat the steps.

Now form to dough into a ball and then place in a large bowl that you have oiled up with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap then a damp towel. This helps the dough to not dry out. Let the dough rise in a warm place (80 to 85F works well) for 1 hour. If you happen to have a dough proofer, you can use that as well. I do have one, but didn't use it for this instructable.

Now after the dough has risen, punch down the dough, then shape it into a torpedo shape, or make whatever shape you want. Next place it on a sheet pan lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Then cover it with your plastic wrap and towel and let it rise for another 30 minutes. At the 15 minute mark preheat your oven to 400 F. (205 C) Then make some slits in the top of the bread with a knife. Now bake the bread for 20 to 25 minutes until it gets nice and golden brown on the top.

After the bread has done baking, take it out of the oven and let it cool before serving. Enjoy!

Print the FULL recipe here if you like.

Now watch those steps in action by checking out my video tutorial. :)