Traditional Italian Bread

Not much is more appetizing than the smell of bread baking in the oven. This recipe is from our Nonna and is simple to make. Serve this bread with any Italian dish like:
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Traditional Italian Bread
(Makes 2 loaves)
Ingredients
1 package active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
5½ cups bread flour
Directions
In the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the sugar, salt, olive oil and 3 cups of the four. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining flour to form a soft dough. Use up to an additional ¼ cup flour if too wet. Allow the machine to knead the dough at low-medium speed for 8 minutes.
Turn onto a floured surface and knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Place in a bowl greased with olive oil, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1½ hours.
Place a pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven (Can use an inverted baking sheet if you don’t have a stone).
Place a metal pan on the bottom rack to preheat also.
Preheat oven to 425° for at least an hour. The stone must be heated through.
Punch the dough down gently. Turn onto a floured surface and divide the dough in half. Shape each portion into a loaf. Place each loaf seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
With a sharp knife, make three shallow cuts across the top of each loaf.
Place dough in the oven on top of the pizza stone and pour hot water into the metal pan to create steam.
Bake 20-30 minutes or until golden brown and they sound hollow when tapped. Place onto wire racks to cool.
Italian recipe, simple and easy

[@RJones-mx2oi]

My mom had those same glass bowls the ingredients were in !!🥲

[@cookingwithlovefamilytradi8809]

Those bowls have been in the family quite a long time.

[@troywayne8759]

Just made this.. so simple and yummy!

[@cookingwithlovefamilytradi8809]

Glad you liked it!!

[@cynthiacarr2093]

Tyfs looks Delicious 😋

[@cookingwithlovefamilytradi8809]

So good!

[@invicta_vita]

Beautiful loaves! I bake a lot of bread myself. I'm with ya on using the stand mixer to knead lol. Although I will knead by hand sometimes. Get a little frustration out 😄. Great job, Steve.

[@cookingwithlovefamilytradi8809]

Thank you!. I also will knead by hand, it's very therapeutic. I will be uploading a no knead universal dough recipe soon that we use to make bread, calzones, pizza, stromboli, focaccia and pizza fritte. We'll have videos on all these recipes soon.

[@invicta_vita]

@@cookingwithlovefamilytradi8809 I'm excited about that! Can't wait!

[@dand3975]

Well explained recipe. I ordered a cheap stand mixer from Amazon. Will try your Italian bread recipe when I get the mixer. Have you ever tried letting your fresh bread dough ferment in the refrigerator for a day? I tried that with pizza dough and the results were Great.

[@cookingwithlovefamilytradi8809]

You can let it go through the first rise in the refrigerator overnight. After that, punch it down divide into two loaves and allow the second rise at room temperature. The slow rise actually develops more flavor for the bread.

[@ihatehers]

Hello... what is the purpose of baking the bread on a pan on top of a stone as opposed to just baking right on the stone?

[@cookingwithlovefamilytradi8809]

It makes the loaves easier to handle. You could cook them directly on the stone but transferring them may cause them to deflate a bit.

[@doloresmccann2143]

What if I don't have a pizza stone? Is there a substitute? Can I still successfuly bake this bread?

[@cookingwithlovefamilytradi8809]

Yes you can, take a cookie sheet, place it upside down and then preheat it, hope this helps

[@robertpaulis439]

So, I'm guessing about 5-1/2 cups of water and 1/4 cup of salt and 1/2 cup of sugar and add oil by feel. Oh boy!

[@cookingwithlovefamilytradi8809]

No the full recipe is under the description (click the link to 'Show More'). That's too much sugar and salt. 1 package active dry yeast 2 cups warm water 
1 tablespoon sugar 
2 teaspoons salt 1 tablespoon olive oil 5½ cups bread flour

[@robertpaulis439]

@@cookingwithlovefamilytradi8809 So sorry, as I often go to another video when one ends but I did find the recipe after my fachisis comment. Forgive me as I'm going to make a couple of loaves and trust they'll be o so boni!

[@cookingwithlovefamilytradi8809]

No problem, the bread will turn out great, you won't be disappointed!

[@robertpaulis439]

@@cookingwithlovefamilytradi8809 Just a couple of days ago I found a great deal on an Artesian Kitchenaid mixer, have made 4 decent loaves and 4 pizza dough balls which I am freezing for the 1st time. I would have tried your recipe a few hours ago but being just one person I can't eat all of what I've already made without putting on an extra 30 lbs. but rest assured yours is next on my mixers list. Bon appetit and peace.

[@billdaleandro1527]

That looks way off. Recipe is 79 % hydration but dough looks to be about 65 % ??

[@cookingwithlovefamilytradi8809]

Hi Bill, the dough is at about 69% hydration. Flour is 5 1/2 cups which is about 690 grams and 2 cups of water is about 475 grams. Hope that helps.

[@cookingwithlovefamilytradi8809]

@@troywayne8759 The recipe states"Add the sugar, salt, olive oil and 3 cups of the four. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Stir in the remaining flour " So you start with 3 cups and after initial mixing, you add the remainder of the flour. Hope that helps clarify things.

[@user-vr8op7cd1o]

Not explain properly

[@cookingwithlovefamilytradi8809]

I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have.

[@craigbrown7707]

So technically no measuremanets needed just water salt sugar olive oil and bread

[@cookingwithlovefamilytradi8809]

No, the measurements are in the description below the video. Here they are: Ingredients 1 package active dry yeast 2 cups warm water 1 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons salt 1 tablespoon olive oil 5½ cups bread flour

[@Sharif_Mustafa-Salaam]

I dislike these recipes with no measurements.

[@cookingwithlovefamilytradi8809]

All the measurements are in the written recipe under the video description. You will need to click the "more" in order to display all of the description.

[@Sharif_Mustafa-Salaam]

@@cookingwithlovefamilytradi8809 Thank you

[@cookingwithlovefamilytradi8809]

You're welcome! @@Sharif_Mustafa-Salaam