Learn how to make delicious Italian bread from home with this easy and quick recipe! All you need is 5 ingredients plus water to make this mouth-watering homemade Italian bread!
Combine *active dry yeast, sugar, and water. Allow it to sit for approximately 5 minutes or until bubbly. If you are using instant years, there's no reason to let it sit and get 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 for 20 minutes, lightly covered.
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
Recipe originated by Girl Versus Dough*If you are using instant yeast, you don't have to wait for it to activate as indicated in the 1st step of the instructions.
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.