This is a satisfying and easy bread recipe. This can be made with a stand mixer with a dough hook or the way I make it – good old handwork! Try it out and have fun!
- What you’ll need
- Pizza peel and pizza stone or two baking sheets
- a spray bottle with water
Ingredients
- 2 cups of water, warm to the touch but not hot
- 1/3 cup (about 5 tablespoons) yeast – seems like a lot but this is one big loaf!
- 5 3/4 cup bread flour – but don’t fret, you can use all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
Place the water and yeast in a bowl – big enough to hold all of the flour. Allow the yeast to bloom (dissolve and bubble) in the warm water for about five minutes. Add all the flour and begin to mix it. You can use a stand mixer for this with a dough hook. Once everything is incorporated, add the brown sugar, salt, and oil. Continue to mix until the dough starts to come together. Here you can either dump it out as I do and knead the dough for ten minutes or adjust the speed of the mixer to medium and let it beat for eight to ten minutes or until the dough is firm, elastic, and comes together.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and move the dough around until it’s coated with the oil. Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to proof in a warm, draft-free place (I put the bowl into the oven with the light on) and let it rise for one and a half hours or until doubled in size.
Now, remove the plastic wrap and take the dough out and knead the dough for a minute so that you have a smooth dough and all the air bubbles are out and the oil is incorporated. Roll the dough up tightly, sealing the seam well with each roll. The dough should be elongated and oval-shaped, with tapered and round ends.
Preheat the oven with the pizza stone to 425 degrees. You can use an inverted baking sheet in place of a pizza stone.
Place the dough on a bakers peel dusted with cornmeal. If you don’t have a bakers/pizza peel, use another baking sheet to slide the dough onto the stone or another baking sheet when its time. Allow the dough to proof, loosely covered with a damp, clean dish towel for about thirty minutes or until it’s doubled in size. Brush the dough with the egg white and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Using a very sharp knife, score the top with 3 slashes about 1/4 inches deep across the top at an angle.
Spray the dough with water and put it onto the stone/baking sheet in the oven. Close the door immediately. Bake for three minutes. Open the door and spray the dough again with the water. Close the door quickly and wait another three minutes and spray the dough again. You get the picture. Basically you want to spray the dough three times, three minutes apart each. Bake the dough for forty-five minutes or until its nicely browned and you hear a thud when you “knock” the top of the bread. Allow the bread to cool slightly before eating – this step is the hardest!
Simple Italian Bread
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading...This is a satisfying and easy bread recipe. This can be made with a stand mixer with a dough hook or the way I make it - good old handwork! Try it out and have fun! What you'll need Pizza peel and pizza stone or two baking sheets a spray bottle with water
Ingredients
- 2 cups of water, warm to the touch but not hot
- 1/3 cup (about 5 tablespoons) yeast - seems like a lot but this is one big loaf!
- 5 3/4 cup bread flour - but don't fret, you can use all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
Instructions
Place the water and yeast in a bowl - big enough to hold all of the flour. Allow the yeast to bloom (dissolve and bubble) in the warm water for about five minutes. Add all the flour and begin to mix it. You can use a stand mixer for this with a dough hook. Once everything is incorporated, add the brown sugar, salt, and oil. Continue to mix until the dough starts to come together. Here you can either dump it out as I do and knead the dough for ten minutes or adjust the speed of the mixer to medium and let it beat for eight to ten minutes or until the dough is firm, elastic, and comes together.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and move the dough around until it's coated with the oil. Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to proof in a warm, draft-free place (I put the bowl into the oven with the light on) and let it rise for one and a half hours or until doubled in size.
Now, remove the plastic wrap and take the dough out and knead the dough for a minute so that you have a smooth dough and all the air bubbles are out and the oil is incorporated. Roll the dough up tightly, sealing the seam well with each roll. The dough should be elongated and oval-shaped, with tapered and round ends.
Preheat the oven with the pizza stone to 425 degrees. You can use an inverted baking sheet in place of a pizza stone.
Place the dough on a bakers peel dusted with cornmeal. If you don't have a bakers/pizza peel, use another baking sheet to slide the dough onto the stone or another baking sheet when its time. Allow the dough to proof, loosely covered with a damp, clean dish towel for about thirty minutes or until it's doubled in size. Brush the dough with the egg white and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Using a very sharp knife, score the top with 3 slashes about 1/4 inches deep across the top at an angle.
Spray the dough with water and put it onto the stone/baking sheet in the oven. Close the door immediately. Bake for three minutes. Open the door and spray the dough again with the water. Close the door quickly and wait another three minutes and spray the dough again. You get the picture. Basically you want to spray the dough three times, three minutes apart each. Bake the dough for forty-five minutes or until its nicely browned and you hear a thud when you "knock" the top of the bread. Allow the bread to cool slightly before eating - this step is the hardest!
No Comments