Crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, just like grandma used to make!
Bread making is one of the oldest forms of cooking there is. I mean, they talk all about it in the bible, that is how old it is. And thanks to the Covid-19 lockdowns, bread making seems to be one of the most popular “trends” of the past few years.
Making bread is not only a top Covid trend, but also an important skill that that dates back thousands of years and spans across all cultures. From Naan Bread in India to Bannock here in Canada to this beautiful loaf from Italy, every culture seems to have their own take. It is a time honoured tradition that is usually passed down from generation to generation.
We are all for people learning how to make their own bread! It is so much more sustainable and healthier than any bread you are going to get from the grocery store. A close second would be bread that is made locally at a bakery. The bonus of making yourself? You get a big hit of pride and it somehow makes your bread a hint sweeter too.
My mom used to make bread when I was a kid, and I can still taste her warm fresh bread with some butter or jam on it. If your mom or grandma ever made bread when you were younger, you know what I am talking about, and your mouth probably just started watering (mine did… lol)
So, I have been working on a recipe that I have used for sandwiches, garlic bread, bruschetta and pretty much every other occasion that I can think of that could possibly use bread. You may remember seeing this bread featured in my Tuna Sandwich blog post.
Why Make my own bread?
Besides the fact that rolling up your sleeves and getting a little floury is SO MUCH FUN, there are lots of reasons to make your own bread. As with any other recipe that you are making at home, when you make your own bread at home, it is always going to be better than the bread you buy at the store. Sometimes the biggest difference in making your own food is what is NOT going in your food (i.e. Preservatives and extra sugar and salt).
One of the most important ingredients in store bought bread is the preservatives. It needs to last on the shelf. Bread that is made without preservatives may last about 3-4 days. Bread with preservatives can last 2 weeks. That is not natural, and our body is not designed to process these artificial chemicals properly which can cause health problems if consumed in excess.
What Can I Use my bread for
This bread is an Italian style bread. I generally let it be a bit of a torpedo, but you can also put it in a loaf pan to get the more traditional bread look if that is what you are into. You can use it for anything that you like to use bread for. I especially like to pair it with soups and Italia
n dishes. I even like to cut it into smaller pieces and use it for croutons after a couple of days.
-Sandwiches
-Dipping in soups
-Garlic Bread
-Bruschetta
-Toast
What Do I need to Make My Bread
One of the great things about this recipe is that it doesn’t take a lot of equipment to make. All you will need is a few tools:
- Mixing Bowl
- Wooden Spoon
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- A Clean, Lightly Floured Surface
- A Sheet Pan Or Loaf Pan
- Tea Towel
- Serrated Knife
- Cooling Rack
- If you want to use a Mixer you can do that, you will need the dough hook attached. It is not necessary to have a mixer.
Homemade Italian Style Bread
Ingredients
Something I absolutely love about Italian cuisine is that they do simple extremely well. You don’t need to have a ton of ingredients to make something beautiful and delicious
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 cup warm water (Not Hot)
- 2 cups bread flour
- ½- ¾ cup Additional Bread flour for kneading
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (Plus a Little Extra for the Bowl)
- 1 teaspoon Table Salt
Directions
1. In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, combine yeast, sugar, and warm water. Let stand 10 minutes so the yeast can do its thing and get foamy.
2. Add 2 cups bread flour, olive oil and salt to your yeasty mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon or with the dough hook on your mixer on low speed until a shaggy dough forms. The Dough will look dry and flaky. That is okay! We will get it nice and soft in the next step.
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes, adding your remaining flour just a pinch at a time until a soft, smooth and elastic dough forms; OR, increase dough hook speed to medium and knead dough in stand mixer 5 minutes. You may not use all your remaining flour in this step and that is okay. Every loaf is different.
4. Coat a mixing bowl with olive oil, Shape dough into a ball and place in the oiled bowl and rub the top of the dough with the extra oil so the whole dough is covered. Cover bowl with a kitchen towel and let dough rise for about 1 hour until doubled and fluffy.
5. Heat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, punch down dough to get rid of extra air, then carefully shape into a torpedo about 12 inches long. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Cover with a tea towel and let rise another 20 to 30 minutes until puffy.
6. Use a serrated knife to make a few 1/4-inch-deep slits in the surface of the loaf. Bake loaf 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing. If Using a Loaf Pan bake for 25-30 minutes
Have you tried making your own bread? Want to try for the first time!? Leave us a comment with how things went!
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