Italian Bread

5 from 2 votes

Making homemade Italian bread is easier than you think, with a simple recipe that yields a crusty, golden loaf fresh from the oven. The process fills your kitchen with an unbeatable aroma and delivers spectacular results.

Prep Time3 30

Cook Time30

Total Time4

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: slices

Calories: 112kcal

Author: Marie

Ingredients

578 g all purpose flour or bread flour
375.3 g water (see NOTE 1) Reserve about two tablespoons of this for the step where you mix in salt, sugar, etc.
7 g instant dry yeast see NOTE 2 if using active dry yeast
15 g salt
17.5 g sugar
30 g olive oil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mixing and Autolyse:

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and water. Mix with your hands or a wooden spoon until just combined. Cover with a clean towel, and let this mixture rest for about 30 minutes. This is called the autolyse stage and helps develop gluten.

Add Remaining Ingredients:

Add the remaining ingredients (yeast, salt, sugar, oil, and remaining water). Mix the dough with your hands until the salt and oil are fully incorporated. I like to squeeze everything in with my hands, but you can also use a stand mixer with a dough hook. Let rest covered for about 10 minutes.

Mix Again:

Mix the dough again for about 1 minute to ensure there are no large lumps. It's okay if it's not totally smooth but ensure there are no large lumps of flour.

Bulk Fermentation (First Rise):

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise at room temperature for about 1 hour. Alternatively, you can place it in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, for an overnight rise for enhanced flavor development. If using active dry yeast, consider extending the rising time by 20 to 30 minutes.

Shaping and Final Proofing:

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a rectangle. Roll the dough up, jelly roll style and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and dusted with flour or semolina. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place and let rise for 30 minutes, or if using active dry yeast, let it rise for 40 to 45 minutes.

Baking:

Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). If you have a baking stone, place it in the oven during preheating.
Just before baking, slash the top of the loaf with a sharp knife or a lame. I slash mine right down the middle to keep things easy.
Place the loaves in the preheated oven. I like throwing a cup of ice on the bottom of the oven to steam the oven, which helps the bread expand. Be careful that the ice does NOT hit your oven glass, or it can shatter.
Bake in the center rack for about 25 to 30 minutes or until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Italian bread is typically done when it has a golden-brown crust and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. An internal temperature of around 190-210°F (88-99°C) indicates it's fully baked.

Cooling:

Once baked, transfer the loaves to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

NOTE 1: Updated from 320 grams (November 20, 2024)

NOTE 2: For active dry yeast: Warm a small amount of water (about four tablespoons or so) from the total amount required in the recipe (about 80 to 85°F), and mix with yeast in a small bowl. Let stand for 5-10 minutes until bubbly. Yeast will start to die at 120°F.

Storage: In a plastic bag for up to 2 or 3 days or frozen for 30 days.

Baker's Percentages: Flour 100%; water 65%; yeast 1.2%; salt 2.6%; sugar 3%; olive oil 5.2% (Note baker's percentages are based on weights (ie, grams), not volume (cups/teaspoons/tablespoons shown in recipe card are rounded to common measurements).

Nutrition estimate based on a single slice of 32 slices (ie, 1/2-inch slices from a 16-inch long loaf.)

Total dough weight for 1X recipe = ~1023 grams

Nutrition