Italian Bread Recipes

MOM'S ITALIAN BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the sugar, salt and 3 cups flour. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Stir in remaining flour to form a soft dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch dough down. Turn onto a floured surface; divide in half. Shape each portion into a loaf. Place each loaf seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. , Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°. With a sharp knife, make 4 shallow slashes across top of each loaf. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

MAMA D'S ITALIAN BREAD

Steps:

• Add the sugar and yeast to the warm water and let proof.
• Stir in 4 cups of flour and beat until smooth. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
• Beat in the salt and then add enough remaining flour to make a stiff dough. Knead until as soft and smooth as a bambino's behind. Turn in a greased bowl, cover, and let double in size. (I put it in the oven with the light on - perfect rising temperature.)
• Once doubled, punch down and divide into three. Place back in the bowl, cover, and let rise.
• Once doubled again, punch down and form into three fat "footballs." Grease heavy cookie sheets and sprinkle with corn meal. Place the bread on the sheets, cover with a towel, and let rise.
• Once risen, mist with water and place in a preheated 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) oven. Mist loaves with water and turn occasionally while they bake. Bread is done when golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.

BASIC ITALIAN BREAD

Steps:

• Place the water and yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer and allow the yeast to bloom for about 5 minutes. Using a dough hook attachment, add the flour and sugar to the water and mix on low speed until a dough starts to form. Drizzle the oil and salt into the dough and beat on medium speed for 8 to 10 minutes, or until a smooth, firm, elastic dough is formed.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and spray the dough with a thin coating of cooking spray. Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to proof in a warm, draft-free place for 11/2 hours or until doubled in size. Remove the plastic wrap, punch down and flatten the rounded dough with the heel of your hand. Roll the dough up tightly, sealing the seam well after each roll. The dough should be elongated and oval-shaped, with tapered and rounded (not pointed) ends.
• Preheat the oven lined with a pizza stone to 425 degrees F. Alternately, an inverted baking sheet may be used in place of a pizza stone.
• Place the dough on a baker's peel heavily dusted with semolina flour, or cornmeal, or alternately on an inverted baking sheet. Allow the dough to proof, loosely covered with a damp towel, for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size. Brush the dough with the egg white and sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top. Using a razor blade or sharp knife, score 3 (1/4-inch deep) slashes across the top of the dough at a 45 degree angle.
• Spray the dough generously with water from a water bottle and place in the oven on the baking stone. Immediately close the oven and bake for 3 minutes. Open the oven door and spray the dough again with the water bottle. Close the oven door and bake for an additional 3 minutes before spraying the dough for a third time (the spraying of the dough will ensure a crisp golden brown crust). Bake the dough for 45 minutes, or until a hollow thud is heard when the bread is whacked with the bowl of a wooden spoon. Allow the bread to cool slightly before serving.

ITALIAN BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Add the sugar, shortening, salt, egg, remaining water and 4 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Shape each portion into a loaf. Place seam side down on greased baking sheets., With a sharp knife, make four shallow diagonal slashes across the top of each loaf. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. , Bake at 350° for 37-42 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Brush with butter.

ITALIAN BREAD

Steps:

• In large bowl thoroughly mix 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt and undissolved yeast.
• Add butter.
• Gradually add warm water to dry ingredients and beat 2 minutes with mixer at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally.
• Add 3/4 cup flour.
• Beat at high speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
• Stir in enough additional flour to make a stiff dough.
• Turn dough onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and elastic (about 8-10 minutes).
• Cover dough with plastic wrap and then a towel and let it rest for 20 minutes.
• To make loaves: Divide dough in half.
• Roll each half into a 15x10 inch rectangle.
• Starting at wide side, roll up tightly; pinch seam to seal.
• Taper ends by rolling gently back and forth.
• To make rolls: Divide dough into 6 equal pieces.
• Roll each piece into a rectangle 8x5 inches.
• Starting with wide side, roll up tightly; pinch seam to seal.
• Taper ends.
• Place the shaped dough seam side down on greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal.
• Brush dough with oil.
• Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2-24 hours.
• When ready to bake, remove from refrigerator and uncover carefully.
• Let dough stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
• Make 3 or 4 diagonal slits in dough with a sharp knife or razor blade.
• Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes for rolls, 20 minutes for loaves.
• Remove from oven and brush with egg white beaten with cold water.
• Return to oven; bake 5-10 minutes longer, or until golden.
• **Note: I sometimes add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon (adjust amounts to your preferences) of dried oregano OR basil OR rosemary to the dry ingredients.
• Sometimes I also add 1 bulb (head) of roasted garlic cloves to the dry ingredients.
• To roast garlic: Peel as much of the outer skin away as possible, leaving the cloves unpeeled and the head intact (optional: trim the tips of the cloves off to expose the"meat" to the oil).
• Place head (s) in covered casserole or on a piece of heavy aluminum foil.
• Drizzle with olive oil, and bake covered at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes (mine takes over an hour in a terra-cotta garlic baker), or until cloves are soft and can be squeezed easily out of their skins.
• Let roasted garlic cool before adding to the flour for the bread.

CLASSIC ITALIAN BREAD

Steps:

• Add sugar and yeast to warm water in large mixing bowl and let dissolve.
• Gradually add salt and flour to liquid and mix thoroughly until dough pulls away from sides of bowl.
• Turn out onto floured surface to knead.
• Knead dough for about 3 minutes.
• Allow dough to rest about 5 minutes.
• While dough is resting, scrape mixing bowl and grease (either spray with Pam or swirl about 1 tablespoon oil up sides of bowl).
• After dough has rested, knead about 3 minutes more, until bouncy and smooth.
• Place dough in bowl and turn over once to grease top.
• Cover with damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk, 1 to 2 hours.
• Punch down.
• Let dough rise again until doubled (optional).
• Punch down and knead briefly.
• Cut dough in half and shape into 2 loaves.
• To shape into loaves: pat each half into a rectangular shape, about 8 x 12 inches.
• Roll dough tightly from short end, pinching end to seal.
• Place pinched side on bottom and fold ends under loaf to make loaf shape.
• Place loaves on baking sheet generously sprinkled with corn meal and slash tops. Let dough rest, covered, an additional 10 minutes.
• For Quick Baking: Brush loaves with cold water. Place on rack in cold oven. Bake at 400 for 35-40, until crust is golden brown and hollow to the touch.
• For Traditional Baking: For a lighter, crustier bread, let the loaves rise another 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 450 for 15 minutes. Pour 2-3 cups boiling water into a roasting pan and carefully place the pan on the bottom of the oven. Place bread on rack above pan and bake 20 minutes. Turn off oven and allow bread to remain for 5 more minutes.

BEST EVER ITALIAN BREAD

Steps:

• Stir the yeast into lukewarm water and set aside.
• Combine 5 cups flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the yeast mixture, remaining water and olive oil. Using a dough hook attachment, mix on lowest speed of electric mixer (stir setting on a KitchenAid) until a dough starts to form, adding more flour as needed. Knead on low speed (2 on a KitchenAid) for 7 minutes. Transfer dough to lightly floured surface and need by hand for 1 to 2 minutes, or until a smooth, firm, elastic dough is formed.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and spray the dough with a thin coating of cooking spray. Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to proof in a warm place for 1½ hours or until doubled in size. I usually put mine in a SLIGHTLY warmed oven.
• Remove the plastic wrap, punch down and flatten the rounded dough with the heel of your hand. Roll the dough up tightly, sealing the seam well after each roll.
• Preheat the oven to 425°F and place an empty baking pan on bottom rack. This will be used later to create steam.
• Place the dough on a inverted baking sheet that has been dusted with flour. Cover with a towel, for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
• Brush the dough with the egg white, and then slash the dough lengthwise about 1/4-inch deep in three spots.
• Place the pan of dough on the top rack, and pour a large cup of water into the warmed baking pan on the bottom rack.
• Bake for 45 minutes, or until a hollow thud is heard when tapping the bottom of the bread. Allow the bread to cool before slicing.