{Italian Bread}

 

It is so easy to make Italian Bread at home with just a few simple ingredients. Nothing beats a soft and crusty bread warm from the oven!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Rise: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 2 loaves

Ingredients

2 cups very warm water
5 tsp instant yeast
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp salt
5 cups all purpose flour

Instructions

1) Whisk together water, yeast, sugar, oil, and 2 cups of the flour in a large bowl till smooth.

2) Let sit in a warm place till bubbly, about 30 minutes. Add the salt and enough flour to make a soft dough.



3) Knead a few times on a floured counter till smooth. Return to bowl. Cover and let rise till doubled, about an hour.

4) Divide dough in half and roll each piece into a long loaf about 12 inches long. Place both loaves on a greased baking pan.



5) Let loaves rise till doubled, 30-45 minutes. Cut a few diagonal slits across the top of each loaf.

6) Bake in an oven preheated to 375° for about 30 minutes or till crust is golden brown.