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
Latest posts by Amanda Davis (see all)
- Frankenstein Margarita - October 29, 2024
- Purple People Eater Cocktail - October 22, 2024
- Halloween Candy Apples - October 15, 2024
Ashley says
Can you freeze the dough?
Amanda Formaro says
You would need to par-bake the loaves first.
Chros says
I did and after thawing it didnt raise up much. It tasted ok but not like it usually does.
Angelica says
Can I use bread flour? How would it change the bread?
Amanda Formaro says
Yes you can use bread flour 1:1! :) It won’t change the bread enough for you to notice.
Dave M. says
“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!
Amanda Formaro says
Awesome, thanks so much Dave! It’s definitely my family’s favorite too :)
Nadine says
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!
Amanda Formaro says
Thanks so much Nadine, what an amazing review, I appreciate it!!
Lorraine says
Thank you so much for this recipe the bread is amazing!
Amanda Formaro says
Thank you Lorraine!!
Lisa G says
Hi Amanda, I’m going to make this bread over the weekend. Quick question, in step 3, when it says “mixing a few strokes a couple of times during the hour”, so if it’s still in the electric mixer do you mean turn the mixer on and mix it? Should it rise a good amount before you do the first mix? Thank you for your recipe!
Amanda Formaro says
It’s probably easier just to turn it with a wooden spoon to be honest. :) ALSO, I will caution you to remove your paddle attachment while the dough rises, otherwise it will rise above your mechanism and could gunk it up!
Wendy Barrett says
I just made this and the family loved it. I was wondering though… it came out alot darker than I like at only 25 minutes. Do you suggest a lower temperature than 400 or less time to correct this?
Amanda Formaro says
All ovens are different, so if your oven runs hot that could be the culprit. If you have an oven thermometer you can test your oven temp before baking. I wouldn’t suggest covering the bread with foil at any point because it could cause the dough to steam. You certainly could try a lower temperature, maybe 375 or 350. However, I would test your oven temp first! :)
Arolem says
This recipe makes an excellent bread. I guessed at the “hot” water temp as that seemed to be the only info missing from this. I opted for 2.5 cups of flour in the final add and it was perfect. Both my son and husband claim I can stop making any other kinds of bread now b/c this is pefection.
Thanks so much for sharing!!!
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Arolem! Sorry for the confusion on the hot water. It was in the tips in the post, but not in the recipe card, so I’ve corrected that. So happy you guys loved it so much, thank you!!
Lynn says
To make just one loaf can you just halve the ingredients without any other adjustments? And when exactly are you supposed to add in more flour if you think the dough is too wet/sticky? After or before the first proof? I’m confused from the directions if the dough is still supposed to be wet or not after the first proof? Also which mixer attachments do you use for which steps?
I’m a novice bread baker, so when I made this today I halved the ingredients (except accidentally forgot to halve salt, so it turned out very salty oops), and also added in maybe about a half cup of extra flour after the first proof because it was still very sticky and was hard to roll without sticking to table. I also baked for about 15 extra minutes. Overall, the outside crust turned out nice but inside was very dense. I’m sure it’s due to my own user error though.
Amanda Formaro says
It sounds like you figured it out the same way I would have answered your questions. :) As for the denseness, here’s a really good explanation as to why that can happen! https://mikeswindow.com/notebook/5-reasons-your-homemade-bread-is-dense/
Stella says
Can I use olive oil instead of vegetable oil?
Amanda Formaro says
Yes that will be fine! :)
Arla Rohrer says
Delicious! It was an easy recipe to follow and it came out perfect.
Amanda Formaro says
Glad to hear it, thank you!
Kim says
Just made this tonight and it came out perfectly! Ridiculously easy and incredibly delicious.
Catraven Feuerstack says
It was very successful! Really easy to follow recipe and such helpful instructions! I never get bread to come out right but this did! Thank you for this great recipe and instructions! So helpful and empowering in these really scary times. To know I can successfully make bread for my family and they like it💖😺💖
Amanda Formaro says
That’s wonderful Catraven, thank you so much!
philip askenback says
Can this dough be made in a bread machine?
Amanda Formaro says
I haven’t tried this recipe in a bread machine. If you decide to try it, I would love to hear the results!
Cheryl Hughes says
I made this today and it turned out perfect with great taste!
Amanda Formaro says
Hooray, thank you!
Andrew says
I’ve been using this recipe, minus the oil, plus a tablespoon of vital wheat gluten for pizza dough. I’ve been using the dough setting on my bread machine. It’s perfect for a nice chewy crust that can be stretched thin. Makes about 8 crusts. They freeze well, and work great for a mini loaf of fresh bread.
Amanda Formaro says
I love that Andrew! Thank you so much for sharing that tip with all of us!
Andrea says
Lovely texture but just far too sweet. Will be repeating but reducing sugar. Probably just US versus UK taste.
Amanda Formaro says
Probably! :)
Melanie says
All we have is instant yeast instead of active dry yeast. how can we use instant yeast in place of the active dry yeast?
Amanda Formaro says
Just use it the same way, it’s what I use too.
navy2mom says
My whole house smells super delish. Very easy recipe to follow and NO MESS.
Very well detail explained recipe, ”it can’t be better explained than this!!” Great job Amanda!!
My first time and I can’t wait to do it again. Super good and soft bread that we all love ❤️.
Thank you, Amanda!!
Amanda Formaro says
Thanks so much for the great review, I really appreciate it and am so glad you loved it! :)
Marianna says
I’m planning on making this bread next week and it’ll be my first time making bread!!
Questions:
1. For steps 2-3, do I use the paddle attachment or dough hook of the stand mixer?
2. There’s no kneading involved, correct?
Thanks!! :)
Amanda Formaro says
No kneading involved, and the paddle attachment is fine!