Description
Rustic Italian bread brings Mediterranean warmth to your kitchen with its golden crust and tender crumb. Kneaded with simple ingredients and baked to perfection, this authentic loaf invites you to savor classic Italian baking traditions.
Ingredients
Scale
Flour and Yeast:
- 6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting and baking sheets
- 2 (¼-ounce) packets active dry yeast (4 ½ teaspoons)
Liquids and Fats:
- 2 cups hot water
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup olive oil, plus more for the bowl
Seasonings and Other Ingredients:
- ½ teaspoon plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons sesame seeds, divided (optional)
Instructions
- Gently warm milk in a saucepan or microwave until lukewarm, ensuring it reaches approximately 110℉.
- Pour warmed milk into a stand mixer bowl, sprinkle yeast and a pinch of sugar, then allow mixture to become frothy and activate, roughly 6-7 minutes.
- Heat water in microwave until comfortably hot but not boiling, around 130℉.
- Add hot water, olive oil, remaining sugar, and salt to the yeast mixture, creating a foundational liquid base.
- Incorporate flour gradually using a dough hook, mixing on low speed until a rough, shaggy texture develops.
- Increase mixer speed to medium, continuing to add flour incrementally until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
- Transfer dough to an olive oil-coated bowl, ensuring complete surface coverage, and allow to rise in a warm environment until volume doubles.
- Prepare baking sheets by lining with parchment and dusting lightly with flour.
- Deflate dough and place on a floured workspace, handling gently to maintain softness.
- Divide dough into two equal portions, stretching each into a rectangular shape approximately 12 inches long.
- Create loaf shapes by folding long edges toward center, then rolling lengthwise into elongated forms or rounded boules.
- Dust loaves with additional flour if not using sesame seeds.
- Position loaves seam-side down on prepared baking sheets.
- For sesame seed variation, brush loaves with water and generously sprinkle seeds.
- Using a sharp knife, score diagonal cuts across loaf surfaces to promote even rising.
- Cover loaves with a clean towel and allow brief secondary rise for approximately 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400℉, positioning racks to divide oven into thirds.
- Bake loaves for initial 15 minutes, then rotate sheets between racks and front-to-back.
- Continue baking until crusts achieve deep golden-brown coloration, approximately 10 additional minutes.
- Verify doneness by tapping loaf bottom – a hollow sound indicates perfectly baked bread.
- Allow loaves to cool slightly before slicing to maintain structural integrity.
Notes
- Crafting this rustic Italian bread requires patience and love, transforming simple ingredients into a mouthwatering masterpiece.
- Precise temperature control matters when activating yeast, ensuring a soft, pillowy texture that melts in your mouth.
- Kneading develops gluten, creating that signature chewy interior and crisp golden crust that defines authentic homemade bread.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 4.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 5 mg