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Homemade Italian Loaf Bread
This bread is a staple in our house. We have it with everything. Sometimes we just have it with butter! This bread tastes best on the day of baking, of course. But, you can also freeze the loaves for another day. Once cooled, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in the freezer. When you are ready to eat it, remove it from the freezer and keep it in its original wrapping until thawed. Then, throw it in a 325 degree F oven for about 10 minutes to freshen. This will help to crisp up the outside of the loaf.
You will knead... haha. Sorry, couldn't resist
Ingredients:
2.5 tsp Active Dry Yeast
2 C warm water (between 105-110 degrees F)
1 tsp granulated sugar
2 tsp salt
5 1/2 C all purpose flour
Note: you don’t need to use a stand mixer for this. You can certainly knead the dough by hand. I actually think it comes out better when kneaded by hand. I just like the convenience of the mixer because I can clean up while its kneading for me.
Method:
- Place yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Slowly pour the warm water over the yeast and let sit, undisturbed for about 5 minutes.
- Add the sugar, flour, and then salt. (Salt kills yeast, so do not pour the salt in first. Let the flour be a buffer between the yeast and salt.)
- Using the dough hook, carefully combine the ingredients a little so that the yeast is not sitting on the bottom of the bowl in clumps.
- Let the mixer knead the dough on medium low for about five minutes.
- Once the dough has pulled off the sides of the bowl, place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm area for about an hour. Dough should double in size.
6. Punch down the dough and place on a lightly floured surface. Divide in half and shape each half into a loaf. Place the loaves seam side down on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover with a tea towel and let sit for about 30 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Once the loaves have completed their second proof, use a sharp knife to make three to four shallow slits on the tops of each loaf.
8. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden in color. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack.