Crusty Italian Bread
The ultimate loaves of crusty Italian bread with the best crust and a super soft interior.
Servings: 2 loaves
Ingredients
- 650 grams of bread flour (approximately 5 1/4 cups)
- 1 3/4 cups of water, warm (between 100-110 degrees)
- 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon of active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon of butter, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 1 egg white
- 1 tablespoon of water, chilled
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of active dry yeast into 1 3/4 cups of warm water (110 degrees) and let it sit for about 5 minutes or until it becomes frothy
- In a large bowl, whisk about 4 cups of the bread flour with 2 teaspoons of salt
- Once the yeast is bloomed and foamy, whisk in 1 tablespoon of very soft butter and add this mixture to the flour mixture
- Use a spatula to bring the flour and yeast mixture together until a soft dough begins to form
- Using some of the remaining flour, generously flour your counter or cutting board
- Transfer the soft dough onto the flour surface and sprinkle a little more flour over the top of the dough
- Knead for 5-7 minutes, adding additional flour only if the dough is really sticky
- Once the dough feels smooth and is tacky, but no longer sticky, form it into a ball and place it into a large bowl greased with olive oil
- Flip the dough over once or twice so that the entire surface is lightly coated in olive oil
- Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm place for 30-40 minutes
- Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and divide it into two equal portions
- Roll each portion into a large rectangle and then roll the rectangle into a long cylinder
- Pinch the seams together and tuck the ends of the dough under neatly
- Grease a baking sheet lightly with olive oil
- Transfer the two formed loaves seam side down onto the prepared baking sheet and cover with a clean kitchen towel
- Let the loaves rest for 20 minutes in a warm place
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees
- Once the loaves are rested and puffy, use a very sharp knife to slice 4 marks across the top of each loaf (photos above)
- Bake the loaves in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes
- Whisk together 1 egg white and 1 tablespoon of cold water and once the loaves have baked for 20 minutes, quickly remove them from the oven and brush them with the egg wash
- Return the loaves to a 425 degree oven and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes
- Transfer the baking sheet onto a heat proof surface to allow the loaves to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing
- Store leftover loaves wrapped tightly in foil at room temperature