Homemade Italian Bread Recipe

• servings: 8 servings
• active time: 30 minutes
• total time: 2 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

2¼ tsp yeast (*active dry yeast)

1 tsp granulated sugar

1 cup warm water (like bath water)

2¼ cups bread flour (divided)

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

Combine *active dry yeast, sugar, and water. Allow it to sit for approximately 5 minutes or until bubbly. If you are using instant years, there's no reason to let it sit and get bubbly.

Add 2 cups of flour, salt, and olive oil to the yeast mixture and stir until combined with a wooden spoon.

Lightly flour a working surface and knead bread together until soft and silky. Approximately 10 minutes. Form a ball with the dough and put it into an oiled bowl, turning the dough once so it's oiled on both sides. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 °F. If using a baking stone, put it in the oven while preheating.

After 1 hour, turn the dough out onto a floured working surface. Gently deflate with your fingertips and form a rectangle. Form the dough into a batard or torpedo shape and put it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Alternatively, place it on parchment paper on a hard surface like the back of the baking sheet, pizza peel, or bread board. Set it aside to rise for 20 minutes, lightly covered.

Score the bread 1/4" deep with a lame or sharp knife and place the bread in the oven. Optionally spray the oven walls with filtered water to create steam.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing.

Nutrition

• Calories: 35 kcal
• Sodium: 323 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 6 g
• Protein: 1 g