Homemade Italian Bread is easier than you think! You'll be so proud when this delicious, crusty loaf comes out of your oven. Don't miss the video and step-by-step photos and check out all of my Italian Bread Recipes!
My goal today is to convince you to try this Homemade Italian Bread. It's so easy, crusty and delicious. I don't want you to miss out!
There's nothing like the sense of accomplishment that comes from baking your own bread, whether it be a loaf of Italian bread or Parmesan Focaccia with Rosemary.
"Did I do that?!!," you'll wonder, in your best Steve Urkel voice. Or maybe that's just me.
But, seriously. Why is it that as kids, we went to town with Play Doh and Silly Putty (now I'm aging myself), yet as adults, we shy away from making dough and shaping it into a simple loaf?
Yes, there's kneading involved. But if you have a stand mixer with dough hooks, all you need to do is throw in your ingredients and let the machine run for six minutes. By hand, you'll probably need a couple of minutes longer, but it's so therapeutic.
My son has been making this easy Italian bread for years, and kneads the dough by hand like a boss. I just use my KitchenAid (affiliate link).
Recipe ingredients
Yeast: Use instant or active yeast. If using instant yeast, you can just add it with all the other dough ingredients.
If using active yeast, you'll have to proof it first to activate it. Those instructions are included in the recipe card.
Flour: Use all-purpose flour or bread flour. I always use all-purpose, unbleached flour, since that's what I keep in the house.
Can you use whole wheat flour?
After being asked this question more than once, I recently tested this recipe with a 50-50 combination of all-purpose flour and white whole wheat flour. The dough had to be kneaded for at least 10 minutes in the stand mixer.
The half-whole-wheat version came out more dense than the loaves made with 100% all-purpose flour. The flavor was a little stronger, but it was a decent loaf, if you like whole wheat.
But I wouldn't recommend using only whole wheat flour for this bread. The flavor would be too strong, and the recipe would need to be adjusted in a few ways, such as adding more sugar and salt, and possibly adding vital wheat gluten.
So, although I use all whole wheat flour in recipes such as blueberry muffins, I recommend making white Italian bread with all-purpose flour. If you really want to incorporate whole wheat, you can use a 50-50 combination of flours.
How to know whether to add more flour
The only part of this recipe that requires thought is figuring out whether to add more flour. The humidity of your kitchen will be a factor.
Here's a ridiculously simple tip: If, after a couple of minutes of kneading, you touch the dough and realize it's stuck to your fingertips, you need to add more flour.
Start with an extra ¼ cup, knead it some more and see if the dough comes together. In a stand mixer, the dough should pull away from the insides of the bowl and form a ball in the center.
If you still see residue at the bottom of your bowl, add a little more flour and knead some more. Try touching the dough again.
Still sticky? Add another ¼ cup of flour.
It's not rocket science, I promise. You almost can't go wrong.
How to make Italian bread
See the card at the end of this post for the full recipe, but here's an overview.
- Mix the ingredients in bowl and knead in a stand mixer or on the counter. Add extra flour if the dough is sticky.
- The dough should come together in smooth ball. Place it in a greased bowl, covered, to rise for two hours. (You can leave your house!)
- After the first rise, the dough should have doubled in size.
- Gently punch it down. Let the dough rise again for 40 minutes, covered. (One time, I left to do errands and came back more than an hour later — no big deal.)
- After the second rise, the dough is ready.
- Shape it into a loaf (it takes about five seconds!) and place it on a lined or greased half-sheet pan (you don't need a special loaf pan!) Cut a vertical slit (or horizontal ones) in the loaf to allow it to vent and open as it bakes.
- Bake it on the center rack of your oven, with a metal pan of hot water below it.
Recipe tips
- Baking the shaped Italian bread dough with a pan of hot water below it will create steam. The steam produces a crispy crust.
- To test whether your bread is done: Wearing oven mitts, turn over the loaf of bread when it's out of the oven. With ungloved fingertips, tap the bottom of the loaf. If it sounds hollow, it's done.
How to serve it
When the bread cools...you'd better have some dipping oil ready.
It's perfect for entertaining, so I included it in this collection of 63 Italian Appetizers. And, you have to try this crusty Italian bread with some of our favorite Italian side dishes!
Of course, you can make slab sandwiches or enjoy Homemade Turkey Lunch Meat on sliced Italian bread. You haven't lived until you've had a "sangwich" with Pan-Fried Eggplant, Italian Chicken Cutlets, or Italian Peppers in Oil!
For breakfast, slice it into thick pieces and make Italian Bread French Toast.
And if you have some leftover bread that's drying you can make bread crumbs. You won't believe how delicious they taste!
Frequently asked questions
Store the Homemade Italian Bread at room temperature, wrapped in plastic and then placed in a brown bag. It's best eaten by the next day or so for freshness.
Yes! The best way to keep Italian bread fresh is to freeze it. Slice it into portions first, then place it in a sealed, zip-top bag in the freezer.
Just do it!
Friends, making this Homemade Italian Bread is easier than lots of things in life.
- It's easier than changing a tire.
- Easier than driving a stick shift.
- Easier than filling out back-to-school paperwork.
- Easier than mowing the lawn.
And many readers tell me this is the best Italian bread recipe they've tried.
So go for it!
More bread recipes
Be sure to try this Artisan Italian Bread, Homemade Pizza Dough with Beer and these Quick Hamburger Buns (ready in 40 minutes). And during the holidays, you can make panettone (Italian Christmas bread).
But, if you insist you're not ready for yeast breads and kneading dough, you can crank out this 5-Ingredient Beer Bread in under an hour. And don't forget quick breads like zucchini bread or banana bread!
Enjoy!
If you try this Homemade Italian Bread, be sure to leave a comment and rating!
Homemade Italian Bread
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (use up to four cups if needed; see notes)
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast (see notes if using active dry yeast)
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ¼ cups warm water
For Serving:
- olive oil (optional)
Instructions
- Add three cups of flour and the remaining dough ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer, if you have one. Otherwise, use a large mixing bowl.
- If using a stand mixer with dough hooks, start the machine on "stir," then switch to a low speed to knead the dough for six minutes.
- If kneading by hand, stir with a spoon, then knead the dough on a clean, floured work surface for at least six minutes.
- After a couple minutes of kneading in your mixer or by hand, check to see if the dough is sticky. Touch it with your fingertips and pull them away.
- If there is dough residue on your fingertips, you need to add more flour. Add ¼ cup extra flour and knead some more.
- Check again to see if the dough is still sticky. If so, add more flour, ¼ cup at a time, until your dough comes together in a smooth ball and isn't sticky. It should pull away from the inside of the bowl of your stand mixer.
- When you are done kneading, grease your mixing bowl with cooking spray (you can use the same bowl without cleaning it first.) Place your ball of dough in the greased bowl and roll it around to coat it a bit with the oil.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for two hours at room temperature.
- After two hours, peel back the plastic and gently punch down the dough. Cover the bowl again with the plastic wrap and let the dough rise for another 40 minutes.
- When your dough is almost done rising, preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Make a steam bath so your crust will be crispier. Fill a 9x13 metal pan or cast iron pan halfway with hot water. (Avoid using a glass pan, if possible, because it could shatter.) Wearing oven mitts, place the pan with the hot water on the bottom rack of your oven.
- When the dough is risen, place it onto a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. (If you have neither, you can lightly grease your pan with cooking spray.)
- Shape your dough into a loaf about 10 inches long and four inches wide. Use a straight-edged knife to score the dough (make a long vertical slit or horizontal slits along the surface of the dough) to allow venting. Place the pan with your dough on the middle rack of your oven.
- Bake initially for 10 minutes at 425 F.
- Lower your oven temperature to 400 degrees F, and bake your bread for 30-35 minutes more. Check if your bread is done by removing the pan from the oven. Wearing gloves, flip over the loaf. Take off one glove and tap the underside of the bread with your fingertips. If the bread sounds hollow, it is done. If not, bake it a little more.
- When the bread is done, let it cool on a wire rack until it's no longer hot. Slice the bread and serve with oil, salt and pepper for dipping, if you wish.
- Store the bread at room temperature, wrapped in plastic and then placed in a brown bag. It is best eaten by the next day or so for freshness. If you wish, you can slice the loaf and freeze it in a freezer bag.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
(Recipe Source: Adapted from my son's recipe, which he'd adapted after seeing it online years ago. Originally published on August 26, 2017 and updated now with process photos and additional text.)
Monique
Can I use coconut palm sugar instead of white sugar?
Mamma C
Hi Monique - I've never worked with coconut palm sugar and can't find examples of using it in Italian bread. If you try it, let me know how it worked.
Monique
Can I add sesame seeds on top bread?
Mamma C
Hi Monique - I haven't tried it, but you could add them after you shape the dough into a loaf. Brush on an egg white mixed with a tablespoon of water, then add the seeds. Then make your slit in the loaf to vent it.
Monique
Can I use sea salt in this recipe? If yes, how much?
Mamma C
Hi Monique - I haven't tried it, but you should be able to substitute sea salt here. I'd use 1 1/2 teaspoons.
Sting Ray
I made this bread twice this week, because my family and I absolutely loved it! However, one problem we had was that two teaspoons of salt was a bit too much and made the bread taste salty. So I made it again with only half the salt and it came out perfect! I also used bread flour and it tastes just as delicious!
Mamma C
Hi Ray - I'm glad your family loves this bread! I always believe salt is a matter of taste, and you should adjust to your liking. Just to clarify, though, I use table salt in this recipe. Did you use sea salt instead?
Sting Ray
Nope, I used regular table salt as well.
Annie
Hi Mumma C,
Just about to make this and I was wondering if the oven temperatures are for traditional bake or fan forced.
Thank you
Mamma C
Hi Annie - The directions are for a regular oven, not convection.
Sue
can you use bread flour instead of regular flour?
Mamma C
Hi Sue - I haven't tried it, but one of the readers commented that she did, and it worked well.
Rizza
Easy to follow recipe . It is my 3rd time now baking using this bread recipe. A life saver when no Panificio open!!
Grazie mille!
Mamma C
Hi Rizza - Prego! I'm so happy you're enjoying my recipe.
Cathy
Can I use whole wheat flower instead of white to make this bread?
Mamma C
Hi Cathy - I haven’t tested this with whole wheat flour. You might be able to use half all-purpose and half white whole wheat flour and just knead the dough longer. However, if trying it with 100% white whole wheat flour, you might need to add a little vital wheat gluten. I can’t give you any concrete advice, since I haven’t tried it.
Angie
Simply delicious! Thank you!
Mamma C
Hi Angie - You're welcome! I'm so happy you enjoyed it.
Hazel
I’m trying your easy recipe right now. It’s on its first rise. I have a quick question. I realized I used self rising flour instead of AP flour. Do you think it will come out okay ? I hope so because your recipe and detailed instructions are wonderful for a first time bread baker like me !
Mamma C
Hi Hazel - I've never used self-rising flour, but I know it contains salt and baking powder. So, the bread might come out saltier and also may rise extra high because of the yeast + baking powder. Since you've already prepared the dough, I'd bake it on the bottom rack with plenty of space above it. I'm not sure how it will taste...you'll have to let me know.
Hazel
Just tasted it and it is perfect ! My husband did say he tasted the salt but I didn’t. What a great recipe and your directions made it so easy ! Thank you very much ! I must follow you so I can try your other kitchen creations !
Mamma C
Hi Hazel - Thank goodness it worked with the self-rising flour! I appreciate you reporting back. If you'd like to subscribe to my posts and updates, you can sign up on my site ( scroll to the bottom on your phone or look at the top right if you are on your computer.) If you prefer, I can add you to the list directly, and you'd have to check your email to verify your subscription.