Italian Bread 2

This attempt at Italian bread turned out much better than the previous attempt. I used a completely different recipe and made the bread in one day. While the bread turned out nice, I thought that it was lacking flavor. The previous recipe had a "starter sponge" or "pre-ferment" part to it, which seems to provide the typical Italian bread flavor. This recipe did not have anything like that. The Italian bread recipes that I use from now on will have the pre-ferment included, even though they are much more time consuming.

This recipe comes from How to Cook Like Your Grandmother by Drew Kime. The bread is good and had a nice crust to it. If you aren't too picky about the strength of the flavor, go ahead and try this bread.

Italian Bread (link to the original)

1 package (1/4 ounce, 2-1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast

1-1/4 cups warm water (105°-115°)

3 cups unbleached flour or all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

cornmeal for dusting

Proof the yeast in 1/4 cup of water. Or you can forget to pay attention and proof it in the 1 and 1/4 cups of water. It turns out fine; the yeast just won't get as foamy on top.

In a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and salt.

Once the yeast is proofed, pour it into the flour mixture and combine until all the liquid is absorbed. At this point, add the olive oil and mix well. I did all this mixing with my hands. 

Place the dough on a clean surface and knead until smooth. Put the nicely kneaded dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Let rise for an hour or until doubled in size.

Sprinkle some cornmeal onto a wooden cutting board. This will prevent the dough from sticking to it.

Place the dough on a clean surface and lightly punch it down. Roll it into a loaf shape. Cut the loaf into two pieces.

Roll each piece of dough until it has a length of around 10 inches. Place the pieces of dough onto the wooden cutting board, leaving room for them to rise. Cover with an oiled piece of plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in width. Slice the top of the dough pieces with a very sharp knife.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit with a baking stone or baking sheet inside. I don't have a baking stone, so I used an upside down baking sheet! To create steam in the oven, which will create a better and "crustier" crust, place a pot or small pan of water at the bottom of the oven.

Once doubled in width, scoot the dough onto the preheated cookie sheet. This is tricky if you haven't done this before! I accidentally flipped the dough upside down at least once. Be careful or the dough will deflate.

Return the cookie sheet to the oven. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for an additional 25 to 30 minutes. The bread with be finished when it sounds hollow when tapped.

Slice and serve immediately or let cool completely.

Enjoy!