Recipe: Appetizing Basic Italian Bread

Basic Italian Bread. Using a dough hook attachment, add the flour and sugar to the water and mix on low speed until a dough starts to form. Add the sugar and yeast to the warm water and let proof. Beat in the salt and then add enough remaining flour to make a stiff dough.

Now slice into that yummy easy basic Italian bread. Can this bread dough be used as a pizza dough? Bread: Place the water in a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over top and mix well. You can cook Basic Italian Bread using 5 ingredients and 15 steps. Here is how you cook it.

Ingredients of Basic Italian Bread

1. Prepare 1 1/2 cup of warm water, around 100f, no higher than 115f.
2. Prepare 1 Tbs of active dry yeast.
3. You need 2 tsp of Kosher Salt.
4. It's 1 1/2 Tbs of olive oil.
5. It's 500 g of AP White Flour, about 3 1/2 Cups.

Add the biga, flour, and salt and stir with a wooden spoon (or mix with your hands) until everything is mixed. The dough will be fairly wet and sticky at this point. Italian bread is super soft and absorbent, making it perfect for soaking up sauces. This homemade bread has a light crust that's not too hard or crunchy, so it works really well for making sandwich recipes, too!

Basic Italian Bread instructions

1. Add water to a stand mixer with a dough hook, the yeast, sugar, and salt. Let sit for the yeast to soften or foam. I usually just mix it in the dry ingredients as I've never had yeast fail. That was in the old days with the yeast cubes that some still use..
2. Add 350g (flour 2 1/2 cups) flour and mix at medium speed for 2 minutes..
3. Reduce speed and add 150g (1 cup) flour a little at a time..
4. Adjust flourer for a soft dough that doesn't stick to the bowl..
5. Remove and form into a ball, put into a large greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise until double, about an hour..
6. At this point, I cut the dough in half, wrap in greased plastic and freeze for another time. I use the other half for todays bread..
7. For a full recipe, cut the dough in half and form each into two loaves..
8. Either put them on parchment paper on a peel or sprinkle cornmeal on a cookie sheet. Or, if you're brave, sprinkle the peel with cornmeal to slide the dough..
9. If using a stone, preheat the oven to 375f for 45 minutes..
10. Cover and allow to rise until about double..
11. Without a stone: Preheat the oven to 400f about 15 minutes before baking..
12. Make 3-4 shallow slits in the top of the dough with a serated knife or razor blade. This keeps it from splitting when cooked..
13. On a stone: Gently slide the dough onto the stone and bake for 40 minutes until lightly brown and hollow sounding..
14. Without a stone: Put the pan in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly brown and hollow sounding..
15. Cool on a rack and serve or wrap in plastic rap..

What do you eat with Italian bread? Italian bread is amazing dipped in olive oil or thick sauces. Using a dough hook attachment, add the flour and sugar to the water and mix on low speed until a dough starts to form. Use a pastry brush to gently, apply egg wash to the top of each loaf of bread. One of the things that makes this bread recipe so easy is that there is no kneading involved, it's all made in the mixer.