Make it with Cramer Cooks

Fresh Italian Bread, made the traditional way, AT HOME

How to make Fresh Italian Bread

Ingredients:

1 1/2Tbsp active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water (for the yeast)
1/2 tsp white cane sugar (for the yeast)
2 Cups hot water (110°F)
3 Tbsp white cane sugar
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 cup oil (vegetable or olive)
3 Cups all purpose flour
2-3 Cups flour (needed later to make dough workable)

Makes 2 loaves

Directions:

Dissolve the yeast in warm water and add the sugar (1/2 tsp) in a small bowl. Stir so the yeast isn’t lumpy. Then set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients mixing in the flour last.
At this point your yeast mixture should be foamy. Dump it in to the large bowl and mix in. You can also mix in another 2 Cups of flour in at this stage to make the dough easy to work with.
Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let sit for one hour (letting the dough rise)
After the dough has risen, sprinkle flour on a counter, table, or large working area and turn the bowl upside down to get the dough out, it will be very sticky. (Rub flour on your hands to keep from getting sticky dough all over yourself)

6. Rub the sticky blob of dough with a flour and divide it into two or three loaves (three if you want smaller 9in loaves)

7. Using a rolling pin, roll out one piece of dough at a time till it’s about 1/2in thick and the length that you want.

8. Roll the dough up lengthwise from one side like a taco and place on a cookie sheet.

9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 for all other loaves

10. (Optional) I use an egg yolk and butter mixture to brush the top of the bread. Melt 3-4Tbsp of butter and mix in one egg yolk. Lightly brush the loaves (you don’t need to cover the whole thing)

11. Preheat your oven to 375° F and let your loaves rise again for 30min before putting them in the oven.

12. Bake for 35-40min

13. Let the loaves cool on a wire rack for 2-3min then cut and serve warm