The smell of freshly baked bread is one of the best things in life, especially when your house is full of the scent of deliciously homemade Italian bread. I usually make this to serve with dinner, but it’s also perfect as an evening snack covered in some garlic spread or melted butter while it’s still nice and warm.
How To Make Crusty Italian Bread?
1. First step is to proof the yeast. Combine the sugar, yeast, and water in the bowl of your stand mixer. Allow the mix to turn foamy for a few minutes. Now your yeast is activated.
2. Now add in 3 cups of flour, salt, olive oil, and Italian seasoning. Use the stand mixer with the hook attachment to combine until your dough is formed. Slowly add in more flour if you feel like you need to until there’s no dough sticking to the sides.
3. Put a wet cloth on top of the bowl and place it in a dry and warm area to allow the bread to rise, such as the oven for 30 minutes with the power off.
4. When ready, sprinkle some flour over your counter and put the dough on top. Separate it into two and turn them into loaf form. Transfer into a baking pan covered in parchment paper and allow them to rise for 30 more minutes with a damp cloth cover.
5. Once risen, coat them with an egg wash and cook in the oven until brown for 30 minutes. Make sure they’re in the center rack on the oven with a plate full of water in the lower one.
What Makes The Italian Bread Crusty?
The purpose of putting a plate of water in the lower rack is to help the loaves get that crusty outside. Skipping this step will make your loaves mostly soft without any crust.
Of course, this is not the only way to enjoy crusty bread bites at home. A delicious way to restore store-bought bread and rejuvenate it is the Savory Party Bread recipe.
Storing Method
It holds up well uncovered for 24 hours, but for any longer than that, it’s best to place it in a paper bag or to cover it in foil.
This way you will preserve your bread for two days. If you still have leftovers after the third day, wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in the freezer.
This is ideal for Italian themed dinners, it’s the perfect side for pasta. Some examples for tasty Italian dinners are Copycat Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli, and Spinach and RED LOBSTER SHRIMP SCAMPI RECIPE. Another one is a twist on Italian food, but it’s still amazing, which is Cheesy Taco Pasta.
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ITALIAN BREAD RECIPE
The smell of freshly baked bread is one of the best things in life, especially when your house is full of the scent of deliciously homemade Italian bread.
Ingredients
- 1 and ⅓ cups of lukewarm water
- 2 teaspoons of yeast
- 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons of olive oil
- 3 and ½ to 4 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 egg beaten with a tablespoon of water, this is the egg wash
Instructions
- Combine the yeast, water, and sugar inside the stand mixer bowl. Allow it to turn foamy and activate the yeast.
- Throw in 3 cups of flour, Italian seasoning, salt, and olive oil. Mix until your dough is formed with the hook attachment of the stand mixer. If you need more flour to unstick the dough from the sides of the bowl, add it gradually. Place a wet cloth to cover.
- Place in a dry and warm area for 30 minutes to let the dough rise such as your oven while it’s off. Then remove it from the bowl and separate it into 2 loaves. Transfer to a baking pan covered in parchment paper. Put a slit lengthwise on the loaves and allow them to rise for 30 more minutes.
- When ready, coat each loaf with egg wash and put a rolled parchment paper divider between them to keep them from touching one another once they start gaining size. Put a plate of water in the lower rack before baking for 30 minutes at 350 F until browned and crusty.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 131Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 31mgFiber: 4gSugar: 1gProtein: 16g