Homemade Italian bread is actually very easy to make and tastes delicious! While you could buy a loaf of Italian bread from the grocery store, baking bread is fun and satisfying. Warm, toasty bread from the oven is pure comfort food.
I love my 1963 homemade white bread for sandwiches and everything peasant bread for snacking, but this Italian loaf is perfect with a bowl of spaghetti, or alongside a plate of my crockpot roast beef!
Italian Bread Recipe
There’s a definite difference between French bread and Italian bread. Most of the general population either doesn’t know or simply doesn’t care, but there are differences nonetheless.
Basically though, French bread only uses flour, yeast, salt, and water. In fact, French law states that added oils or fats are prohibited. A French loaf is usually long and thin, while an Italian loaf is shorter and wider.
Expert Tips & FAQs
In this section I like to provide tips and recommendations about the different ingredients used. I also try to answer questions about substitutions. You will find the full list of ingredients with measurements in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- You can use the packets of active dry yeast available at any grocery store. I bake a lot of bread, so I prefer to by SAF instant yeast in larger packages.
- When a bread recipe calls for warm water, the temperature should be around 110 degrees F. If the water is too hot it will kill the yeast, and too cold will delay the rise process.
- You’ll also use hot water in this recipe, but since you are mixing it with other ingredients before adding the yeast mixture it will be fine. You want hot tap water, not boiling water.
- This recipe calls for vegetable oil, but olive oil can also be used.
- We are using all-purpose flour, white not wheat, to make this bread.
You can freeze the dough for up to 3 months. If kept in the fridge, the yeast will continue to grow, even if it’s slowly. This can be done for about a day, but I wouldn’t do it much longer than that. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and store in freezer bags. When ready to bake, remove from the freezer and thaw at room temperature. It will take about 4 hours to thaw. Then bake according to the recipe.
Helpful kitchen tools:
- Mixing bowls
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Baking sheets
- Wire cooling rack
- Pastry brush
- Rolling pin
- Bread knife
Bread Machine instructions are at the end!
How to Make Italian Bread
- Dissolve yeast, 1/2 cup warm water, and 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar in a small bowl.
A NOTE ABOUT YEAST: You can use either active dry yeast or instant yeast. If you use active dry yeast it needs to be proofed in order for it to be reactivated. Instant dry yeast doesn’t need proofing. Active dry yeast must be reactivated by proofing in warm water, or the bread won’t rise properly. This process is to “prove” that the yeast is still alive.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine 2 cups hot water, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, the salt, and the oil. Add 3 cups of flour to the mixture in this large bowl/mixer and mix well.
- Stir in yeast mixture.
- Add 2 – 3 cups more flour and mix until well blended. (At this point your dough will still be quite sticky).
- Leave in bowl, cover with a towel and let rise for 1 hour. (If using a mixer, remove the bowl from the mixer and cover it with a towel. Otherwise your paddle attachment or dough hook will get covered in dough when it rises).
- Divide dough into 2 (or 3 if you want smaller loaves) pieces.
NOTE: This dough does not require kneading.
- Roll out each piece on a floured surface into the length desired then roll up length wise like a jelly roll.
- Put on a greased cookie sheet, sealed side down, and tuck the ends under. Slash the top diagonally across the top every couple of inches with a sharp knife.
- Cover and let loaves rise 30 more minutes.
- While loaves are rising, preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Whisk the egg white and brush over the top of loaves.
- Bake for 25 – 30 minutes.
How to Make Italian Bread in a Bread Machine
Several people have asked if this Italian bread can be prepared in a bread machine. We were able to test it successfully and have provided the instructions below. Please note, the preparation of the dough is in the bread machine, but you will still remove the dough, form a loaf, and bake it in your conventional oven.
- Using the printable recipe below, cut the ingredients in half, and eliminate the water and sugar step used for proofing the yeast.
- Put 1 cup of water (110 F) and 1/4 cup oil in the bread machine bucket (make sure the paddle is on).
- Add 4 1/2 teaspoons sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.
- Gently add 3 cups flour over the water mixture so that it is all covered.
- Place 2 1/4 teaspoons (one packet) of yeast on top of flour with nothing else touching it.
- Place bucket in bread machine and enter dough cycle.
- When it beeps, take out and roll dough, adding more flour if needed.
- Roll up (follow instructions in printable recipe for forming loaf) and place on baking sheet, add slashes to top, and cover with towel to let rise (again, according to recipe).
- Brush with egg white and bake at 400 F (see recipe instructions below).
How to Enjoy this Italian Bread
There are plenty of dinners that we like to eat this homemade bread with, and they aren’t all Italian meals! I’ve been known to sop up the juices of my favorite pork sirloin roast using a hunk of this bread.
A big bowl of Italian Sausage Tomato Orzo Soup or my Cheddar Cheese Potato Soup screams for a piece of warm, buttered bread. It’s also amazing with this Zuppa Toscana for those Olive Garden fans out there! Another dinnertime favorite is this Chicken Cacciatore, and it’s great to have a hunk of bread for dipping into the sauce.
Try our new Crockpot Lasagna, it would be perfect with this bread!
Need more ideas? Find all my dinner recipes here!
What Our Readers Are Saying
Never baked bread before? Want to make sure before you invest the time and ingredients? Here’s just a small sampling of what our readers are saying about this recipe! You can find more reviews in the comments down below!
“I have made this twice and it is very tasty, good crust and soft inner not dense , very good flavor, I have been baking bread for 40 years, this is in the top five, Thanks.” ~ Thomas
“By far one of the best and easiest bread recipes I have come across!! Dough comes out perfect and is so easy to roll!! So glad I came across this recipe it’s a game changer.” ~ Tracy
“This bread was so, so delicious! I am proud of myself for going through with it. I was scared to do it and usually need video ( visual learner ) but went ahead and one of the two loaves is already gone! I wish I could attach a pic! I will make this over and over!” ~ Desiree
“I never post reviews… but after making this, I had to!!! I only had bread flour, so used that… but that was the only deviation. I followed the recipe exactly. The bread came out PERFECT! Crispy outside and moist inside. This is some of the best bread I’ve ever made. It will definitely be made again. Thank you!!” ~ Terri
“‘This is a million times better than store bought bread’
‘You have to make this every time we have pasta now’
‘Nom nom nom…’Feedback from my family after serving them this bread for dinner. Excellent recipe!” ~Dave
“OMG! I made this bread today and have to say this is the BEST bread I have ever made, and I’ve tried a lot of recipes! It was very light and fluffy yet just crispy enough on the crust. The only changes I made were I used bread flour and only used 2.5 tablespoons of the sugar instead of three. Thank you for sharing this! I am throwing away all my other bread recipes!” ~ Nadine
Homemade Italian Bread
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Pin It Rate ItIngredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons active dry yeast 2 packets
- ½ cup warm water
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 cups hot water hot to the touch, not boiling
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 5-6 cups all-purpose flour add more if needed to get to a pliable dough
- 1 large egg white for brushing on loaves
Before You Begin
- If your dough is still super sticky, you can add small amounts of flour until the dough just comes together.
- You can use the packets of active dry yeast available at any grocery store. I bake a lot of bread, so I prefer to by SAF instant yeast in larger packages. If you use active dry, just follow the instructions in the recipe and let it sit for a few minutes to proof (it will get a little foamy).
- When a bread recipe calls for warm water, the temperature should be around 110 degrees F. If the water is too hot it will kill the yeast, and too cold will delay the rise process.
- Use regular white granulated sugar for this recipe.
- In a separate step, you’ll also use hot water in this recipe. Since you are mixing it with other ingredients before adding the yeast mixture it will be fine. You want hot tap water, not boiling water.
- Regular everyday table salt is used, not Kosher or sea salt.
- This recipe calls for vegetable oil, but olive oil can also be used.
- We are using all-purpose flour, white not wheat, to make this bread.
Instructions
- Dissolve yeast, 1/2 cup warm water, and 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar in a small bowl.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine 2 cups hot water, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, the salt, and the oil. Add 3 cups of flour to the mixture in this large bowl/mixer and mix well. Stir in yeast mixture.
- Add 2 – 3 cups more flour and mix until well blended. (At this point your dough will still be quite sticky). Leave in bowl, cover with a towel and let rise for 1 hour. (If using a mixer, remove the bowl from the mixer and cover. Otherwise your paddle attachment or dough hook will get covered in dough when it rises). NO KNEADING IS REQUIRED.
- After the rise, if the dough is too sticky to handle, add more flour until its workable. For some people this can be up to a cup or more! Just don't dry out the dough. Add by quarter cupfuls until its workable.
- Divide dough into 2 (or 3 if you want smaller loaves) pieces. Roll out each piece on a floured surface into the length desired then roll up lengthwise like a jelly roll. If it's still too sticky, add more flour until it's workable but not dry.
- Put on a greased cookie sheet, sealed side down, and tuck the ends under. Slash the top diagonally across the top every couple of inches with a sharp knife.
- Cover and let loaves rise 30 more minutes.
- While loaves are rising, preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Whisk the egg white and brush over the top of loaves.
- Bake for 25 – 30 minutes.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published here on January 28, 2009
Amanda Davis
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T Ace says
THIS WAS SO EASY and DELICIOUS!
I added stuff to the rolled out dough to make brown sugar cinnamon raisin bread and a garlic bread loaf with basil.
Outstanding!
Eric says
Hi guys, very good recipe. I’ve done one loaf, two, and many small loafs off the given measurements – Always good. I use a stand mixer for the intial steps, and then transfer. About 10-15 minutes in the rise i will go back to the bowl and Pull and tuck the dough to give it some body (i like a chewier texture). Not needed, bread is still good with out it.
Good Idea to back two loafs, one for dinner tonight, the other for garlic bread tomorrow.
Tracy says
Great recipe! I’ve made this several times and it is absolutely consistent, even when I change-up the approach.
1. Made it in a bread machine on the dogh cycle, finished it by hand per the instructions. All liquids first, sugar and yeast last. Extra flour was needed.
2. Baked in a regular oven and then tried in a steam oven at the same temperature and time in the recipe and both turned out great, the steam version was softer (of course 😊)
3. Recipe as usual, but switched up regular yeast with Red Star brand Platinum instant sourdough yeast+ culture.
Adrienne Pannell says
I love this bread! It’s easy to pull together, tastes very nice (yeasty and a little salty). Texture is great- thin crust, soft and fluffy interior, nice chew. It also makes good toast and holds up well for sandwiches and soup dunking. If you aren’t going to eat it right away, I recommend slicing it before sticking it in the freezer. That way you can pull out as much as you need and thaw it slice-by-slice in the toaster for sandwiches or soup. Another personal preference, I baked this on parchment paper instead of greasing the pan. I found that greasing my pan caused the loaves to brown more than I wanted. Definitely have recommended this recipe to friends and family!
Bonnie Barnes says
I have never made bread before, so I was very nervous. It was a lot easier than I thought! Followed the recipe exactly and I came out looking exactly like the picture. Hubby waits by the oven now in anticipation. One question, if I do quick yeast do I skip all the proofing? Also, can you add flavors to this dough?
Amanda Formaro says
I use instant yeast and still proof it out of habit. it’s only a couple minutes, but you should be able to skip it. There have been readers that have added flavors, you can see some of them in the comments!
Danielle says
Wow! I can not believe how easy this bread was to throw together! I ended up adding about 2 1/2 cups of flower instead of 3. I love that there was no need to knead too. 🤪 Final product was delicious! I will definitely save this recipe and make again!
Barbara says
Excellent recipe, easy to follow. The only change I made was I used bread flour. Next time I’ll use all purpose flour and see what the difference is
Noelle says
I’ve baked a LOT of bread over the years. This is the first time I’ve left a review on a recipe.
The recipe was easy to follow, and the bread was phenomenal. I made a honey butter from heavy cream and slathered it on after the bread came out of the oven. This recipe has already been bookmarked.
Amanda Formaro says
OMG honey butter sounds amazing, thank you!
Anna says
I made this recipe for the first time today. AMAZING!!! I used 6 cups of flour and it was perfect! Using a silicone spatula and adding a little bit of flour to my work surface kept the dough from sticking. I made one load with garlic and the other traditional. Will definitely make again!
Deirdre Rohter says
This was the most difficult dough to work with ever. When at the end of the recipe, it stated add more flour if the dough is too sticky – I had to add by kneading (2) TWO cups. I had to SCRAPE the dough off of the dough board. I do not know if it will rise again for the last 30 minutes after overworking. In my opinion, and to be clear, I bake scones, croissants, and baguettes often. If the bread is as good as it looks in your picture, I will adjust the recipe to 8 cups of flour and add more if the dough is too sticky. Thought you should know.
Amanda Formaro says
Yes, you may have had to add that much. it varies from state to state due to barometric pressure, elevation, etc.
Justin T. says
Came out amazing. Good body and great flavor. Nice an crust on the outside and soft and “meaty” on the inside. Everyone in our family loved it. Thanks for a great recipe.
Janice Mazza says
I had the same problem as a recent reviewer. Had to use much more flour because the dough was way too thin and unworkable. I had new yeast and measured the temperature of the water. Help!
Amanda Formaro says
You did the right thing. There are many variables in baking bread! Even different elevations affect how much flour you need.
Linda says
Best bread I’ve ever made. It was delish. Great recipe !!!!!
Jacqueline Kaufman says
Can this be made with gluten free flour?
Amanda Formaro says
I have not tried that and don’t use gluten free products often, so I’m afraid I don’t have any insight without testing that myself.
Nicole says
Hi, Amanda, I made your bread the other day and it was delicious. I did use bread flour instead of all purpose flour since that was what I had enough of on hand and it came out great. I am going to use all purpose flour next time to see the difference but I do have a question. Can this dough be made ahead of time like the night before? Thank you in advance and thank you for this recipe!
Amanda Formaro says
Making bread ahead of time is really tricky. You have to either parbake the loaves and finish baking them later. Parbaking means that you bake it until a crust just forms on the outer layer but doesn’t start to brown. Then you freeze it until ready to bake. You can try putting in the fridge, but the dough will continue to rise, even if it’s slowly, and that could change the texture of the bread.
Sarah McCormick says
I wanted this bread to be perfect. I was actually kind of banking on it being perfect based on the reviews. Well, I was disappointed. I don’t know what happened…but I followed the directions to a T and my bread came out very gummy inside and very dense and heavy rather than light, airy and fluffy. Really disheartened.
Amanda Formaro says
I’m sorry you had trouble. Here’s an article that might be helpful https://mikeswindow.com/notebook/5-reasons-your-homemade-bread-is-dense/
Sara says
Not sure exactly what went wrong for me but the dough was entirely unworkable at the amount of flour and water called for. I’ve tried this recipe twice now with different brands of all purpose flour and I ended up needing about 7 1/2 cups of flour (and the loaves are pretty dense after baking with that much flour). At 6 cups of flour my hands would be absolutely coated in white paste and there wasn’t enough flour in the world to keep it from sticking to my work top or rolling pin. Even at 7 1/2 cups of flour it was still outrageously messy, difficult to roll out and roll up. It would rise beautifully, I just couldn’t touch it afterwards
Amanda Formaro says
Bread making is tricky. it’s a science and things like the temp of your kitchen, humidity, barometric pressure, can all affect the outcome. Did you check the temperature of your warm water? If it’s too hot, it can kill the yeast and increase the stickiness of the dough. Sorry you had trouble!
Nancy says
This turned out amazing! So easy and tasted great.
Jeniffer says
This is one of the easiest breads I’ve ever made. It’s amazing as is basic bread or rolled with cheese and garlic it’s great. Definitely a go to recipe, my family loves it and it turns out amazing everytime. 💗
Bunny says
I have made many breads in my lifetime. I tried this one was disappointed. :( The flavor was good, but there was a weird aftertaste. I am not sure what caused that as I have been using these same ingredients from the same bags to make a lot of breads for the past few months. I am going to use EVOO instead of Vegetable oil. It is Italian bread after all. :)
Amanda Formaro says
Hmm strange! Sorry you had trouble!
Kimberly Reese says
EASILY my new favorite recipe for bread. This was so good! And it was super easy. After I dissolved the yeast I did everything else per the instructions on my bread machine using the dough cycle. I just took it out for the last rise and baked it for about 22 minutes. Oh my God, it’s delicious! Thank you so much!