Description
Learn how to bake crusty Italian bread with a perfect golden crust every time. This simple recipe combines all-purpose flour, yeast, and olive oil to create a traditional, flavorful loaf that’s crispy on the outside and soft inside.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 packet (2 ¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
Wet Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups warm water (about 110°F)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Proof the yeast: In a large mixing bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until it becomes frothy, indicating the yeast is activated.
- Make the dough: Add the flour, salt, and olive oil to the yeast mixture. Stir until a rough dough forms, ensuring all ingredients are incorporated.
- Knead the dough: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 8-10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic, which helps develop gluten for texture.
- First rise: Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with a clean kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 to 1.5 hours, or until it has doubled in size.
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C). Place a baking stone or an inverted baking sheet in the oven to heat, which will help create a crispy crust.
- Shape the dough: Punch down the risen dough and shape it into a round loaf. Place the loaf on a piece of parchment paper for easy transfer.
- Second rise: Cover the loaf with the kitchen towel and let it rise for another 30 minutes to develop volume.
- Score the loaf: Using a sharp knife, make a few slashes on the top of the loaf. This allows steam to escape and helps the bread expand properly while baking.
- Bake: Carefully transfer the loaf along with the parchment paper onto the hot baking stone or baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- Cool and serve: Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack before slicing. This helps set the crumb and improves the texture.
Notes
- For a softer crust, brush the loaf with melted butter immediately after baking.
- To add extra flavor, mix in 1 tablespoon of dried herbs such as rosemary or oregano into the dough before kneading.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approximately 1/12th of loaf)
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 2g
- Saturated Fat: 0.3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: Italian bread, crusty bread, homemade bread, easy bread recipe, yeast bread, rustic bread
