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bread on a white board with a knife and 2 slices

Easy Italian Bread

Rosemary
Fresh Italian Bread. This easy bread recipe will have you making and baking your own in no time. Soft and delicious and with the perfect crust.
5 from 5 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Rising Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Course Yeast Breads
Cuisine Italian
Servings 1 Loaf
Calories 934 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 cup lukewarm water (temperature 105F / 40C) (175 grams)
  • 1/2 teaspoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 2 cups all purpose flour (250 grams)
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl add the water and honey and mix, sprinkle the yeast on top. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then stir to combine.
  • In the bowl of the stand up mixer whisk together the flour and salt. Make a well in the middle and add the yeast mixture. Start to knead for about 5 minutes at speed #2, the dough should be smooth and elastic and pull away from the sides of the bowl.
  • Move the dough to a lightly floured flat surface and knead a few times into a ball. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, make sure to roll the dough in the oiled bowl so that is lightly covered in oil. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel, place it in a warm draft free area and let it rise for an hour or two. If the room is warm enough an hour should do. Or you can let it rise overnight in the fridge.
  • Form the dough into desired loaf shape and place it on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, cover again with the tea towel and let rise one hour in a warm draft free area.
  • Pre-heat the oven to 400F (200C). Place a pan of water on the bottom of the stove. Score the bread a few time then bake it for about 30-35 minutes. Check to make sure it is done by tapping on the bottom, if it sounds hollow it is done. You could also use a long wooden stick to check for doneness. Immediately move the baked bread to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy!

Notes

To tell if the dough has risen enough do the following test, with your knuckles or a couple of fingers make an indentation in the dough, If the indentation disappears, the dough needs more time to rise.  If the dent remains, the bread is ready to bake or move to the second rise. The test should be repeated with the second rise also.
If you let the dough rise overnight in the fridge, be sure to let it come to room temperature (45-60 minutes) before continuing with the recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 934kcalCarbohydrates: 195gProtein: 27gFat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 14mgFiber: 8gSugar: 4g
Keyword Homemade bread, Homemade Italian Yeast Bread, Italian bread
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