Italian Bread from scratch

HOW TO MAKE 

Warm Italian bread from the oven is nothing short of good old fashioned comfort food!

WHAT YOU NEED

yeast warm water granulated sugar hot water salt oil flour egg white

Dissolve yeast in warm water, with sugar in a small bowl. Combine hot water, sugar, salt, and oil. Add 3 cups of flour to mixture and mix well. Stir in yeast mixture.

1

Add 2 – 3 cups more flour and mix until well blended. (At this point your dough will still be quite sticky).

2

Leave in bowl, cover with a towel and let rise for 1 hour.

3

Divide dough into 2 (or 3 if you want smaller loaves) pieces.

3

Roll out each piece on a floured surface into the length desired then roll up lengthwise like a jelly roll.

4

Put on a greased cookie sheet, sealed side down, and tuck ends under. Slash top diagonally every couple of inches with a sharp knife. Cover and let loaves rise 30 more minutes.

4

While loaves are rising, preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk the egg white and brush over the top of loaves.

5

Bake for 25 – 30 minutes.

6

While you could buy a loaf of Italian bread from the grocery store, baking bread is fun and satisfying.

If your dough is still super sticky, you can add small amounts of flour until the dough just comes together.

TIPS