Italian Bread

This post could also be titled, why I'm not afraid of working with yeast anymore! Ha!

The pictures I got of the two loaves I made didn't do it even the smallest amount of justice. Regardless, I'll post it for two reasons. One: I want the recipes I'd want to make again at some point to all be in the same place on the web. Two: Someone else may realize how easy it is to make your own bread because I did it! :p

I've picked up a couple of tips looking through SO many recipes for different breads. For one thing, the bread itself isn't complicated. One of the most important parts of making bread is having the time to wait around the house for it. Also, bread will rise even if you don't have the warmest area for it to do so. Just know that the colder the dough is, the longer you'll have to wait.

One last thing to note ... from what I can tell, you do not HAVE to have some fancy schmancy dough blade or bread maker to make bread. I didn't even have a bread pan that was big enough for this bread. I just used my regular ol' 9 X 13 pyrex baking dish!

I got this recipe from The Everyday Cooking Collection, Breakfast and Brunches. Gotta love a good cookbook find from the thrift store!!!

1 3/4 cups hot water, divided
2 packages of yeast
2 tsp salt
5 cups all purpose flour
(and I added 1 tsp garlic powder to the top of the loaf prior to baking)

Pour 1/2 cup of hot water in a bowl and sprinkle the yeast into it. Don't stir it until ten minutes have passed. After you stir it, add the rest of the water, salt, and 2 cups of the flour. Stir well.
Add another 2 to 2 1/2 cups of flour, to form a firm dough.

Spread flour over your countertop and knead the dough for 6 to 8 minutes.

Butter a medium sized bowl. Roll the dough into a ball and put into the buttery bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes. Your dough will double in size.

Knead the dough again and divide it in two. With the counter floured again, roll out one of the doughs into a circle about a foot in diameter. Roll it up tight like a jelly roll and pinch the seams closed.

Butter the pan you plan to bake it in and add the dough to it. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise for another thirty minutes. Again, it will double in size.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and sprinkle a little flour on the surface. Cut several shallow slits in the top and bake it for 25 minutes.

Something else to note, I put the second dough ball in the fridge (in buttery bowl, covered with plastic wrap with rubber band securing it) and baked it the next day. The only difference is that I had to let it reach room temperature again, kneaded it, and let it rise again.

Click here for the printable recipe.