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6 Ingredient Simple Classic Italian Bread Recipe

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Homemade Italian bread doesn’t have to be hard or take all day. This Crusty Italian Bread recipe uses only 6 ingredients and is ready in under two hours.

THIS POST HAS BEEN UPGRADED FROM 4/11/17 TO IMPROVE READER EXPERIENCE.

Rustic loaf of Italian bread sitting on a bread board with an antique knife and linen napkin and a banner with recipe name in the corner

Soft Italian bread recipe has a crusty exterior and a soft and tender melt in your mouth interior crumb. Matched with a plate of Bucatini Cacio e Pepe and you have a 5-star menu in no time.

I first made this recipe as a part of a bread challenge group that I participated in. The theme was “Bread from Italy”. This excited me because my hubby’s papa is 100% Italian and John is half (Irish is the rest of the mix). Since I’m related by marriage to this wonderful country, homemade Italian bread should be simple right?

I’m not sure what part of Italy this Classic Italian Bread recipe comes from. If I were to guess I would say Puglia or the southern part of Italy. John’s family is from the north so maybe that’s my excuse for flunking this Italian bread recipe the first 3 times I made it! Slow-learner me!

For my first attempt, I man-handled it and thought that was the reason it “deflated” before I had it in the oven. The second time it deflated again as soon as I scored it. Then I got to researching and determined that I was either over-proofing my bread or proofing it at too warm a temperature. I would say, I was doing both!

Homemade Italian bread loaf sliced showing a white tender crumb with a golden crispy crust.

My biggest problem in making this “Simple” Italian bread is over-thinking it. The recipe stated to proof it for one hour for the first rise and 20 minutes for the second. I proofed it like I do other yeast bread recipes which is 60 to 90 minutes for the first rise and 60 minutes for the second. Also, I covered my dough with plastic wrap and set it in my oven that I had just barely warmed. I read that the air temperature for proofing bread doesn’t need to be any warmer than 70°F. Oops!

Homemade Italian bread slice with a bite taken out of it showing a white tender crumb and golden crust.

On the third go around, I followed the directions to the letter. A novel idea don’t you think? Well, this is how it’s done.

  • After one hour I gently deflated it by just pushing my fingertips into it to form a rectangle and keeping some bubbles in the dough.
  • Fold the dough using the bâtard method and place it on a cutting board covered with parchment paper.
  • Proof for 20 minutes
  • Slide the bread onto a baking stone using the parchment paper. If you don’t have a stone you can use a baking sheet turned upside down.
  • For a Crusty Italian bread recipe mist the walls of the hot oven with a spray bottle filled with filtered water to create steam. *NOTE cover the glass of your oven door with a dish towel first. Water dripping on the glass can cause it to shatter.

After the third attempt, this Italian bread came out beautifully. You can see how the scores “bloomed” which didn’t happen on the earlier attempts. Note to self, simple can be delicious! John loved the flops, but he really loved the successful attempt!

Homemade bread doesn't have to be hard or take all day. This Classic Italian Bread recipe uses only 6 ingredients and is ready in under two hours. | HostessAtHeart.com
Left deflated with no bloom. Right proofed correctly.

Even though my attempts may make you think that this is a difficult bread to make. It’s not. I just got in my own way which is generally the case. If at first you don’t succeed follow the directions.

What makes Italian Bread different?

  1. Italian Bread Recipes can contain milk, olive oil, and sometimes sugar that other countries such as France do not.
  2. Classic Italian Bread is often baked in a stone oven rather than an electric oven.

Don’t forget to pin this homemade bread recipe to your favorite board!

Can I substitute All-Purpose flour for the Bread flour?

You sure can! Bread flour has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour so the dough is a little tighter with smaller wholes in the crumb. Either flour works well in this recipe. This site is helpful if you want to read up on flour and what different substitutions can make to your bread recipe.

Helpful Items you may need:

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  • Baking stone – I own this particular one because it’s large and works well for longer loaves like this one. You can use it on the grill too but I just keep it in the bottom of my oven because it’s heavy!
  • Unbleached Parchment Paper – This is my favorite parchment paper. It’s important to know that there is an oven temperature rating on parchment paper. If you exceed it your parchment paper can catch fire in your oven. This one is rated to 450°F, high enough for my bread recipes.

If you like this recipe leave me a comment below and 5-✭✭✭✭✭ rating.

Here are a couple more recipes I think you’ll like!

Beautiful golden loaf of Italian bread on a rustic bread board with a pad of butter and antique knife
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5 from 9 votes

Classic Italian Bread Recipe

This Crusty Italian Bread recipe uses only 6 ingredients and bakes up with a soft center and a delicious chewy crust.
Prep Time 1 hr 30 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 1 hr 50 mins
Servings 8
Author Julie Menghini

Ingredients

  • 2-1/4 teaspoons yeast
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 cup warm water like bath water
  • 2-1/4 cups bread flour divided
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

  • Combine yeast, sugar, and water. Allow it to sit for approximately 5 minutes or until bubbly.
  • Add 2 cups of flour, salt, and olive oil to the yeast mixture and stir until combined with a wooden spoon.
  • Lightly flour a working surface and knead bread together until soft and silky. Approximately 10 minutes. Form a ball with the dough and put it into an oiled bowl, turning the dough once so it’s oiled on both sides. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise for 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 400°F. If using a baking stone, put it in the oven while preheating.
  • After 1 hour, turn the dough out onto a floured working surface. Gently deflate with your fingertips and form a rectangle. Form the dough into a batard or torpedo shape and put it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Alternatively, place it on parchment paper on a hard surface like the back of the baking sheet, pizza peel, or bread board. Set it aside to rise 20 minutes.
  • Score the bread 1/4″ deep with a lame or sharp knife and place the bread in the oven. Optionally spray the oven walls with filtered water to create steam.
  • Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing.

Notes

Prep time includes proof time. Recipe originated by Girl Versus Dough

Nutrition

Calories: 35kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 323mg | Potassium: 14mg | Vitamin A: 0.2% | Iron: 0.4%
Tried this recipe? That’s awesome!Mention @hostessatheart or tag #hostessatheart!

This bread makes a nice sandwich, french toast or just sliced with a slather of butter. It also makes great croutons!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for spending some time with me today!

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Comments

  2. Claudia Lamascolo says

    May 8, 2019 at 1:41 pm

    Julie this is awesome. Bread is my weakness thats why I cant lose weight I eat it all the time and cant stop. I just gained another pound eating that gorgeous loaf you have and then with butter its calling my name! MAMA MIA!

    Reply

  4. michele says

    March 30, 2018 at 7:26 pm

    my niece and I made this together… we did laugh though, she took an ice bath tonight so she thought it was funny you said to use bath water temp for the yeast! What a great time we had making memories together then enjoying the delicious bread together!

    Reply

    • Julie Menghini says

      March 31, 2018 at 11:27 am

      An ice bath? Whoa, I am all about warmth. I’m glad you had a great time, I know your niece did! I loved baking with my Grandmother and still remember our times together in the kitchen.

      Reply

  6. Jennifer A Stewart says

    March 30, 2018 at 2:04 pm

    I love a bread recipe that gives me fluffy insides and crusty and chewy outsides. I remove the insides and give them to my husband and smear butter on the crust. This bread recipe is perfect for dipping in those olive oil and spice dips!

    Reply

  11. Angela says

    March 27, 2018 at 7:16 am

    How perfect are these loaves!!! There is nothing like homemade bread!!! This looks like a great one for sandwiches, garlic bread or to turn into crostini! Love it!!

    Reply

  12. Kelster says

    April 29, 2017 at 12:29 am

    That pic with the melted butter is making me want to run to the kitchen to grab some bread and butter. Problem is that I don’t have this loaf in my kitchen.

    Reply

    • Julie Menghini says

      April 25, 2017 at 8:11 am

      Thank you so much! I’ve made this one 5 times and it’s one of Johns favorites. It’s now a permanent addition to our bread menu. I hope you have an amazing week too!

      Reply

  15. Kalyani says

    April 21, 2017 at 4:14 am

    thats a gorgeous loaf , there ! am scrolling up and down the page to muster up courage to bake a loaf like this – someday sooooon :-)) well done !

    Reply

  16. Loretta says

    April 19, 2017 at 7:24 am

    Gorgeous Julie…..this would be hard to resist during my “no-carb” diet. I’m not really going anal about it, especially if the bread is home made. Your loaves look irresistible, so I know I’d be tempted if they were placed in front of me. 🙂

    Reply

    • Julie Menghini says

      April 19, 2017 at 7:29 am

      Thank you, Loretta! I usually have bread with wind and dinner on Sundays and then leave the bread alone…not the wine LOL! This one though is creeping into my weeknight dinners. I just made it for the 5th time in about 4 weeks. My little Italian father-in-law said it took him back to the bread he used to eat. What a compliment.

      Reply

  24. Ashlyn @ Belle of the Kitchen says

    April 16, 2017 at 5:30 pm

    I’ve never made my own bread before because I’ve always been intimidated by it. You make it look so much easier and thank you for sharing all that you learned from it! I’ll have to try this soon because I buy Italian bread ALL THE TIME from the store! Homemade is so much better!

    Reply

  25. Mayuri Patel says

    April 16, 2017 at 2:29 pm

    Hi Julie tried out the recipe for the simple Italian bread. It turned out really nice the crumb especially. However, my loaf was a bit fattish even though I let it proof for 20 minutes only. Thank God the dough did not deflate after slashing it.Used half the loaf for bruschetta with watermelon topping and the other half used it up with some soup.

    Reply

    • Julie Menghini says

      April 16, 2017 at 10:16 pm

      I’m glad this worked for you Mayuri. I think for final shape really depends on how tight your dough is before baking. Regardless I’m sure it was delicious. Thank you for letting me know!

      Reply

  26. Debra C. says

    April 15, 2017 at 5:36 pm

    I have a heck of a time following a recipe too, which is probably why I don’t bake often – thank you for sharing your lessons learned!! Pretty sure I would have stood in line for your first couple of attempts and wouldn’t have noticed anything except when you put them side by side! Looks just amazing!! Homemade bread is the BEST!!

    Reply

  29. Holly says

    April 14, 2017 at 9:14 am

    Third time was really a charm! Glad to hear of the effort you put into making this a success, although I am guessing all three would have tasted good.

    Reply

    • Julie Menghini says

      April 12, 2017 at 4:40 pm

      Thank you Judi! I can’t believe how simple this one is too. It’s going on my Easter table since I can whip it up quickly. I hope you have a great Easter if I don’t talk to you before then.

      Reply

  32. Elaine @ foodbod says

    April 12, 2017 at 3:45 am

    Interesting…that seems like a lot of yeast for the amount of flour, I’m not surprised it proved so quickly!
    Your final outcome looks lovely, I’m sure it didn’t last long 🙂

    Reply

  33. Karen says

    April 11, 2017 at 11:03 pm

    Glad you stuck with it! It looks fabulous, especially that buttered slice! The great thing about bread is that even the failures still taste delicious.

    Reply

  36. [email protected] says

    April 11, 2017 at 6:47 pm

    Wow Julie! You just can’t get bread like this at the market. And honestly, I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen such good looking bread at my local bakeries! So nice and soft with a beautiful crust. And I love your photography!

    Reply

  39. Ansh says

    April 11, 2017 at 9:31 am

    I am soooooo glad that you persisted. What a gorgeous loaf! Such beautiful crumb! Well done, Julie. You get this month’s breadventure award for not giving up!

    Reply

    • Julie Menghini says

      April 11, 2017 at 6:53 pm

      Thank you, Kelsie! I have to admit that the props didn’t fare too well. Slices kept disappearing! I don’t know how anyone can resist warm bread and butter! They aren’t human and I don’t think we could be friends either. Thanks for stopping by my friend!

      Reply

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