| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 3 hr 26 min |
| Prep: | 35 min |
| Inactive: | 2 hr |
| Cook: | 51 min |
| Yield: | 1 large loaf Italian bread |
Ingredients
- 2 cups water, lukewarm
- 1 3/4 ounces cake yeast (1/3 cup)
- 5 3/4 cups bread flour
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Instructions
- Place the water and yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer and allow the yeast to bloom for about 5 minutes. Using a dough hook attachment, add the flour and sugar to the water and mix on low speed until a dough starts to form. Drizzle the oil and salt into the dough and beat on medium speed for 8 to 10 minutes, or until a smooth, firm, elastic dough is formed.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and spray the dough with a thin coating of cooking spray. Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to proof in a warm, draft-free place for 11/2 hours or until doubled in size. Remove the plastic wrap, punch down and flatten the rounded dough with the heel of your hand. Roll the dough up tightly, sealing the seam well after each roll. The dough should be elongated and oval-shaped, with tapered and rounded (not pointed) ends.
- Preheat the oven lined with a pizza stone to 425 degrees F. Alternately, an inverted baking sheet may be used in place of a pizza stone.
- Place the dough on a baker’s peel heavily dusted with semolina flour, or cornmeal, or alternately on an inverted baking sheet. Allow the dough to proof, loosely covered with a damp towel, for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size. Brush the dough with the egg white and sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top. Using a razor blade or sharp knife, score 3 (1/4-inch deep) slashes across the top of the dough at a 45 degree angle.
- Spray the dough generously with water from a water bottle and place in the oven on the baking stone. Immediately close the oven and bake for 3 minutes. Open the oven door and spray the dough again with the water bottle. Close the oven door and bake for an additional 3 minutes before spraying the dough for a third time (the spraying of the dough will ensure a crisp golden brown crust). Bake the dough for 45 minutes, or until a hollow thud is heard when the bread is whacked with the bowl of a wooden spoon. Allow the bread to cool slightly before serving.
Reviews
Very good and so easy!
Made 2 loaves, baked 20 minutes and used 2 packets of yeast.
Made 2 loaves, baked 20 minutes and used 2 packets of yeast.
This is a very simple recipe. I have made this multiple times and it is perfect each time!!
I made this for the first time yesterday and it turned out beautifully! My family was laughing at how it just kept getting bigger! I was a little confused by the amount of dry yeast to use so went by some of the reviews and used 4 1/2 teaspoons. I also used the inverted baking pan and simply slid the unbaked loaf over from another baking pan on parchment paper and it worked out fine. The outside was so nice and crusty and the inside so soft. I think it was one of the best breads I have ever made – at least of the Italian breads I have tried. My family absolutely loved it and told me to put it in my “favorites” recipe folder.
Comes out great every time! I use 1 3/4 Tbsp instant yeast in place of cake yeast. Baking time is always less than recipe, just keep an eye on it. Coarse salt makes a great alternate topping. You can also form it into two smaller loaves. A preheated baking sheet works just fine!
Family favorite. I love that it’s not fussy. I use 2 1/2 tsp of yeast. I also only need to bake 30-35 min after the last spritz of water.
Excellent recipe. I did as others suggested and used 2 packets of active yeast. Also, split into two loaves and baked about 25 minutes after the initial water spraying steps. Best bread I’ve ever actually made.
could this bread be braided?
Foolproof and delicious!! I was using another recipe for years and tried this one out of simplicity, delicious and so glad that I did!
Halve the dough! This loaf was ENORMOUS! Almost didn’t fit on my pizza stone. And because I don’t have a peel, was a real pain to slide off a cookie sheet onto the stone (used lots of cornmeal, which helped). I used two packets of yeast since I didn’t have the cake yeast and that worked fine. Baking time for me was also shorter than the recommended 45 minutes after the spritzing. Closer to 30 minutes. All that said, make this! Easy and delicious! Served with homemade ravioli last night and had some toasted with jam for breakfast this morning.
Made this 3 times so far and its amazing! Bread and I are usually not friends but this worked everytime I made it. This will be my go to recipe for bread. Super simple and it doesnt take all day like other bread recipes I tried.