Name: Easy Homemade Crusty Italian Bread Recipe
Ingredients: 4 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting; 1 ½ teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 packet (2 ¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast; 1 ½ cups warm water (about 110°F/45°C); Olive oil for coating; Flour – Half bread flour and half wheat flour, gluten-free all-purpose flour blend; Yeast – Instant yeast (same amount and mixed directly with the dry ingredients), fresh yeast (2.5 times the amount of dry yeast); Sugar – Honey, maple syrup; Salt – Sea salt or kosher salt; Water – Milk, plant-based milk; Oil – Vegetable oil, melted butter, coconut oil; Sesame seeds; Poppy seeds; Dried rosemary or other herbs mixed into the dough or sprinkled on top; Walnuts

Ingredients

Scale

Ingredients:

4 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 packet (2 ¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
1 ½ cups warm water (about 110°F/45°C)
Olive oil for coating

Alternative Ingredients:

Flour – Half bread flour and half wheat flour, gluten-free all-purpose flour blend
Yeast – Instant yeast (same amount and mixed directly with the dry ingredients), fresh yeast (2.5 times the amount of dry yeast)
Sugar – Honey, maple syrup
Salt – Sea salt or kosher salt
Water – Milk, plant-based milk
Oil – Vegetable oil, melted butter, coconut oil

Toppings or Mix-ins:

Sesame seeds
Poppy seeds
Dried rosemary or other herbs mixed into the dough or sprinkled on top
Walnuts

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Note: If you’re using instant yeast, you may skip the first step and just add the yeast to the dry ingredients along with the rest of the ingredients.

Activate Yeast: Use a small bowl to dissolve the sugar in warm water, then sprinkle the yeast over it and let it sit for 5-10 minutes – or until it’s frothy.
Combine Dry Ingredients: Take a large mixing bowl and whisk together the flour and salt.
Make the Dough: Once the yeast is active and frothy, pour it into the bowl with the flour mixture – use a wooden spoon or your hands until you form a shaggy dough.
Knead the Dough: Once the dough is mixed, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes until it’s smooth and elastic – if you have a stand mixer with dough hooks, use those on low speed for about 7 minutes.
First Rise: Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a large bowl that you have oiled and turn the dough once in it to coat it in oil. Then cover it with a damp cloth and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until it doubles in size.
Shape and Second Rise: Punch the risen dough and turn it onto a lightly floured surface – if you want to add any mix-ins, such as nuts, you’d add them into this as you’re shaping it and kneading into layers. Once done, shape it into a round loaf or an elongated baguette shape (torpedo shape) and add any toppings now as well – let it rise again for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 475°F (245°C)
Tip: if you want a crispy crust, put a cast-iron pan or metal pan in the bottom rack while preheating it, the steam creates that crispy crust.
Score the Dough: Right before putting it in the oven, make a few slashes about 1/4-inch deep across the top of the loaf with a sharp knife or a bread lame.
Bake with Steam: Slide the loaf onto the baking sheet (dutch oven is good too) and carefully pour a cup of hot water into the heated pan on the bottom rack to create steam – then close the oven door quickly and let it bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.

Lastly, before cutting into it to enjoy it, let it cool off at room temperature for at least 30-60 minutes before slicing – that way you’ll have a perfect crust and texture!