A simple crusty Italian style loaf bread.
This is a really good bread, but the recipe is VERY vague. For example, it says to shape the dough into loaves, placing the seam side down...what seam? See now, if I didn't know any better, I wouldn't have rolled the dough into a rectangle & then rolled it (like a jelly roll) into a "loaf", making a seam...to put "seamside" down. BUT I just assumed that rolling was the way to go & the bread turned out great. I don't have a bread machine, so I made it using my kitchen aid w/ the dough hook. I also took it out of the oven after 15 minutes & brushed it again with egg white & that also gave it a very nice crust. I liked the addition of brown sugar in this recipe compared to my normal recipe. Thanks for the tip Verla!
Read MoreReally salty---might cut the salt to 1 tsp. next time. Also, mine took longer to bake (35-40 min.)
Read MoreThis is a really good bread, but the recipe is VERY vague. For example, it says to shape the dough into loaves, placing the seam side down...what seam? See now, if I didn't know any better, I wouldn't have rolled the dough into a rectangle & then rolled it (like a jelly roll) into a "loaf", making a seam...to put "seamside" down. BUT I just assumed that rolling was the way to go & the bread turned out great. I don't have a bread machine, so I made it using my kitchen aid w/ the dough hook. I also took it out of the oven after 15 minutes & brushed it again with egg white & that also gave it a very nice crust. I liked the addition of brown sugar in this recipe compared to my normal recipe. Thanks for the tip Verla!
This was an excellent Italian bread recipe, but it's a good thing I checked it after a few minutes of kneading in the machine; it was like batter instead of dough! I ended up adding about 3/4 C. more flour just so it would knead into a ball. It was still rather hard to handle, but I did manage to get it into loaves. Thankfully, the end result was super! I strongly urge that 5 minutes in the oven before serving; it was the finishing touch for a nice, crusty loaf! Will make again.
We loved this bread--had a nice crust and soft interior and was so delicious! The recipe is very adaptable to a manual process--I kneaded it for about 5 minutes after mixing. I made one big loaf, used a little less salt than specified, and did not use the egg wash or sesame seeds. I'll definitely make this again.
THIS BREAD IS AWESOME!!!!!! THE BEST ITALIAN BREAD I HAVE EVER MADE! My family loves this bread. I have made it 3 times already and it has turned out great every time. The only change I have made was that one time I put sesame seeds, one time I put poppy seeds, and once I made it plain. Thanks for this recipe I will be making this bread for a long time.
This recipe is my family's favorite bread recipe. I am constantly asked to make it. I use it to make homemade hamburger buns, (just divide dough into 8 balls, you'll never want those wimpy, soft buns at the store again) or when guests are expected, I braid it. Yummy...there is never any left after a dinner! Thank you Verla
I like a chewier, less sweet bread so I used bread flour and reduced the sugar by half. Also, a 3:1 ratio of flour to water generally works best for me, so I used just one cup of water. Sandwich-style loaves are most practical for us, so I baked this in a glass loaf dish at 350 degrees, about 35 minutes. I greased the pan and used the egg wash, but skipped the cornmeal and sesame seeds. Very pleased - good, basic, home-style white bread.
Great bread recipe. It was a little sticky once I removed it from the bread machine so I just left it all in one large loaf and it baked just perfectly. I did add 1/2 tsp-1 tsp of each garlic powder,italian seasoning,onion & herb seasoning by Mrs.Dash. It was heavenly and had the perfect amount of flavor. It is without a doubt a 5 star recipe I did leave out the seeds as well. We had this with Lasagna.
This was a very easy and delicious recipe. The original recipe doesn't tell you what to do with the egg, but I combined the egg & water and washed the bread with it, which gave the bread a lovely shiny crust. I definitely recommend reheating the bread before serving, and spritzing it with water to make the crust crispier. My neighbors begged me to make this again, but hey, they have a bread maker too!
This recipe is good but not great. It is a bit vague and although I used the full amount of salt it tasted bland. It does have a nice crust and soft interior which is the reason for the 4 stars. I didn't care much for the sesame seeds so if I make it again I'll leave them out and try to add other seasoning like the previous reviewer mentioned.
Really salty---might cut the salt to 1 tsp. next time. Also, mine took longer to bake (35-40 min.)
this is a really good bread. I didn't used the bread machine. So after I did the dough I let it stand for an hour and than I formed the loaf and let it rest for an other 45-60 mins. And it turned out perfect.
So good! The crust was nice and crusty and the inside was perfectly soft. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
Great recipe! I made this for a dinner party to accompany pasta. Everyone loved it! This bread has a terrific crust and soft perfectly textured inside. I will definitely make this again. Thanks!
Very easy and everyone liked it, will make it often. Nothing special just a great every day bread.
LOVE this bread but you should use BREAD FLOUR!!! It's never soupy with bread flour. I also only make 1 loaf, I put the egg wash on twice (once before baking and once during) and I spray with water and bake again when we're ready to eat it. I also bake the bread on a pan with the corn meal and olive oil and before I bake it the second time, I put more oil in the pan. The bread is so yummy you don't even think about butter. mmmm
Taste is ok and the bread was easy to make but, the crust was very disappointing.
OMG - made exactly like recipe stated. The BEST italian bread I think I have ever made! Oh - I didnt wash with egg so the crust was soft and chewy. Loved it!
Excellent Recipe! This bread was a hit! It was sooo yummy, and moist inside yet had the "perfect" crunch on the outside. I would definitely recommend putting a small pan of water in the bottom of oven, and half way through the cook time spritzing with some water. I am making another batch of this bread as I type this!
This is the best bread recipe I have found. I have been looking for a recipe for light and fluffy italian bread with a good crust. Thank you.
I mixed it up by hand and let it rise for 50 minutes then formed one loaf and baked on a pizza stone. This tastes so good I am making 2 more as the original cools. dough was very sticky but the finished loaf is the best!
great, simple recipe ! I "health"ed it up a bit by using half white flour, 1/2 whole wheat pastry flour and demerara sugar. I also had to add a touch more water ( where most reviewers said they needed less) but that is because of the type of yeast I use- my suggestion would be to start with one cup, and add 2 tablespoons of water until bread looks the right dough consistency. Great time saver :)
Recipe is good, I subed brown sugar for granulated,added 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast. Makes 1 large loaf or 2 small round loafs
This is my new fave bread recipe. It's versatile and easy ! The inside texture is soft and silky. I use my kitchen aid mixer to make this. Mix it on #2 speed for about 5-8 minutes, then put it into a bowl which has been coated in olive oil and let it rise until it about doubles in size before shaping it. I only get one loaf out of this. It does get larger as it bakes, so keep that in mind when you shape it for the oven. (my first one was very oval shaped) I've added different things to the bread; dried oregano,basil and garlic, used it for garlic bread, made it into a flatbread etc. I don't use sesame seeds, or brush anything on the top of it. My family LOVES this bread anyway I make it!
very nice recipe. I don't have a bread machine so I kneaded it by hand, but it still turned out great. I made two loaves and there were no left overs
I rarely review anything but this recipe was not a good at all. I rarely review recipes on here because they all turn out so well but not this one. The dough came out of the bread machine much too sticky and salty. I couldn't even form it into a loaf, so I had to add about a cup of flour. After it had risen, I made the little cuts in the bread, and it fell! My husband said it only derseved one star. He wouldn't eat it and he always eats whatever bread I make! We had stew and he wouldn't even use it to dip in the stew.
This recipe was so easy to make and my family loved it. I let my bread machine do all the work and then i throw it in my oven and it comes out crusty on outside and soft inside. Perfect!
It is a really nice recipe. Very easy and fool proof. The whole family loved it.
I made it with "World's Best Lasagna" and a green salad for guests and it went over really well! I would make it again.
Excellent Some of the best I've ever had, and I'm not being bias because I made it.
This was my first attempt at making a crusty bread. I noticed when the bread first came out of the oven, the crust was firm, very crusty. But after sitting on the counter to cool, the crust softened...and because of my lack of experience making this type of bread, I can't explain why. I did put the loaf back into the oven for 5 min. just before eating it as suggested by other reviewers. The bread was very good, with a wonderful texture, but the crust was not firm...it was more soft. Don't get me wrong it was the best tasting Italian bread I've ever had, I just thought the outer layer would be firmer. I will make this bread again and again, we loved it and it earned 5 stars! I guess I don't have to have the crusty crust after all. I made Italian butter on this website and dipped the bread into that wonderful mixture of spices and good olive oil. Soooooo good!
I was a little confused by the instructions. It tells you to divide the dough in 2 but the recipe is for one loaf. Anyway, it was delicious . It was my first attempt at Italian Bread and my family all loved it! I also used your tip about baking it the extra five minutes while the lasagna I made was cooling. It worked great. Warm and crusty. Thanks, Verla!
this bread has too much water so i tried to fix it by adding flour and it just did hold up this is the worse bread i had made this far i have nothing good to day about it.
Made this bread two different ways, one loaf style with olive oil and sesame on top, and the other portion of the dough I rolled into a square, spread garlic butter on it, rolled it up, cut like I would have cinnamon rolls, and let them rise in the 8" x 8" metal cake pan..... Both were light, crusty and delicious, served with lasagne -- will use this again!
This turned out so good! The only reason I'm giving it a 4 is because the dough was so soupy when I took it out of the machine I had to add at least another 1/2 cup of flour for me to even be able to touch it. I had to sub granulated sugar for brown (I didn't have any), but it still tasted great. I also didn't have time to let them rise all the way - but was pleased to see it rise further in the oven. I also forgot to add the pan of water during baking (oops). With all of the changes/mistakes...it still turned out fabulous. There were no leftovers. This is one darn good recipe!
Pretty good - easy to throw together and have ready for dinner. Next time, I'll make one big loaf instead of dividing into 2. The smaller loaves went well with our dinner, but I would like a bigger loaf for sandwiches,etc. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Loved this bread! I shaped the dough into four balls and let them rise in greased, oven-safe rice bowls. They made perfect bread bowls. The texture was just right for holding soup (but definitely use bread flour!). I love soup in a bread bowl, but bakeries seem to only make sourdough ones, which are not our favorite. So this was a treat for our family.
If you are looking for a classic Italian bread recipe - this is it! It is so easy being able to prepare it in your bread machine then just put it in the oven! I give it 5 FULL stars!!
My whole family loves this bread. I have also had this bread requested several times at family get togethers. Sometimes I follow the recipe exactly, but most of the time I skip the egg wash and omit the sesame seeds. Thanks
I love this! It tastes like bakery Italian bread, only fresher and better. I will definitely make this again, it will probably become a staple bread in our home. Thanks.
This recipe did not make 2 loaves for me, but that's probably to do with it being too cold here for the bread to rise properly. I made this bread manually. It does produce a very soft dough that likely wants more flour to make it work properly, but in order to avoid that what I did instead was melt a tablespoon of butter, let it cool a bit, and pour it over the dough before kneading and shaping. It won't stick to anything after that! Tastes good too. The recipe does produce a tender loaf of bread, very pretty, but it probably wasn't the best. I think if I made this again I'd add another teaspoon of yeast--I think I was missing the smell and flavor of yeast as it wasn't dominating my senses during the baking OR the eating time! (P.S. If you use the butter method to keep your bread from being sticky, omit the egg wash and just add your seeds to the buttery wet dough when you form it up for the 2nd rise. You can also use a plain milk wash instead of an egg wash anytime a recipe calls for an egg wash. It doesn't look identical, but it looks so close no one will complain!)
Easy to make, but somewhat flavorless and not very dense like the Italian bread I am used to where I grew up. Worth a try as it's very simple, pretty fool proof, and would probably be enjoyable toasted with garlic...but I wouldn't recommend for sandwiches. Crust turned out excellent. Inside was really soft. Dough was very soupy straight from the machine, just be prepared to work in a little more flour, don't freak out!
This italian bread recipe is the best bread yet that I have made in my bread machine. It is delicious! I have made 4 batches in 3 days, my family and I can't get enough of it.
don't have a bread machine so did this by hand. Wonderful dough to work with. Only change I made was to use 2 1/4 tsp yeast. Nice crispy crust and soft center. Perfect crumb. Baking time/temp was perfect. Thanks so much for this recipe
I made this for company and not a slice was left! My kids asked for it again the next morning, I didn't complain! It is so easy to make and so delicious! I changed nothing except I did not add the sesame seeds. I loved the cornmeal on the bottom.
This is a very easy-to-make recipe, and the bread tastes wonderful! I made a double batch, and used half of it to make Pepperoni Bread from this site. The other half of the dough I formed into the two loaves and baked as the recipe states. I did make a mistake, however. I put the eggs into the dough instead of brushing them on top. To make up for this, I added less water. The bread turned out beautifully, and still tasted good!
I made this bread to have with the Italian Sausage Soup recipe also on this site. I followed the recipe exactly. We enjoyed it very much and I will make it again. Thanks!
This was very tasty. I think next time i will just make one loaf though because the two loaves yeilded pretty small slices of bread. put garlic butter on it and served with baked ziti and a salad.
I don't know what it is about the recipe, but the bread comes out perfectly every single time. It's nice and crisp on the outside, but tender on the inside.
Like other posters, I say too much water. Dough was a runny mess when it came out of the machine. After baking it was flat physically and to taste. There are better recipes with accurate measurements on this site.
It's a 5 with just two changes. Don't separate the dough and do bake it in a loaf pan. It makes it much easier to get even slices for sandwiches.
Well I made this just as directed except I used King Arthur bread flour. Couldn't be happier with the results. Toss the dough on to a silpat liner and you won't even need additional flour. Great recipe, will be using it in the future to make my own hoagie buns and hamburger buns a
This recipe worked perfectly. I have tried other recipes that didn't turn out as soft and delicious as this one. I am excited to try this recipe as a pizza crust. Great job!
in process of making bread...the water amount seems to little ...adjusted to 1 cup warm water . hope it works out.
Amazing bread! I made it exactly as directed and served it with French Onion Soup. Yum!
This tastes like real italian bread, awesome recipe. I dont have a bread machine so i just did everything by hand. Gonna keep this one
This recipe is a keeper! Very easy and it made a beautiful loaf. The crust was perfect, not too soft nor too chewy and the interior was soft. My family loved it but had one complaint -- they wished there'd been more.
The only change I made when I made this bread was to use bread flour. No extra flour or water is needed. I have made this bread numerous times. The recipe is perfect. Thanks for sharing.
Perfect! Crispy on the outside soft on the inside. We ate it with butter and wanted to bake more right away.
I like to use a 3 to 1 ratio of flour to water which I did for this recipe and the dough was perfect to work with. I also added a little garlic and onion powder. I didn't place a pan of water in the oven as instructed. Instead, I used my pizza stone and it baked perfectly. Also, after about 15 minutes in, I lightly brushed it, again, with the egg wash. The bread browned up beautifully.
First time I added 1/2tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp parmason cheese, I divided into 3 loaves and it was devoured before we could freeze it. Second time I made 1 sandwich loaf it was great, and the third time I divided by 4 and froze them all. I also substituted 1 cup flour for whole wheat and made a great whole wheat bread
Haven't tasted bread yet! Just took it out of the oven. Looks and smells Wonderful?? I will update tonight as I plan on doing the suggestion of reheating before serving.
Followed the recipe to the T & this bread came out perfect! Great for garlic bread, bruschetta or to eat with good ole butter! Thanks for sharing, as I will be making this bread often!
I love this recipe. I have my bread machine in storage so I just followed the recipe proofing the yeast, oil and water and then mixing in 2 cups of the flour with sugar and salt, adding the 3rd cup gradually until it wasn’t sticking to the bowl. Kneaded 4-5 minutes, rise 60 follow the rest of directions. So happy with the results as always. This is the best bread recipe on here IMO!
Came out absolutely perfect. Light and chewy. Perfect for a picnic or dinner. Will be making this again and might add a little rosemary to the mix.
This was exactly what I was looking for. I followed the recipe as posted except I misread the Olive Oil amount and put in 3 tablespoons, my husband said, "make it again the same way as it was perfect". It is a keeper.
It's the first time I made Italian bread and this receipe made it very simple for me. My family loved it..THX
This bread was good! I made it with a bread machine and it was just as easy! I didn't use the sesame seeds but it didn't seem to need it. I also only made one loaf not two. It was big and after putting it on the pan it spread out, which made it pretty flat and wide, but still tasted good
Very easy bread, and nice and crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. I used my breadmaker to mix the dough, and it was pretty sticky, so probably does need a bit more flour. I didn't worry about it too much, though, as I made it last night and wanted to bake it today. So i put it in an oiled boil and put in the fridge overnight. Bc it was oiled it wasn't that hard to work with. Next time I'd add a bit more flour, though. Baked up beautifully within 30 minutes. I didn't add the sesame seeds though; they aren't my favorite. Thanks for the recipe.
The flavor and texture is very good and easy to make too! But, my dough came out sticky and had to carefully work at getting it into one loaf (that was all I could do with it). Next time I will use a 3:1 flour to water ratio as another commenter suggested.
I followed the directions exactly and loved how this turned out! I also made dipping oil for this bread. Delicious!
I've been trying to find a good italian bread recipe but they all seem to have a bland taste. This turned out good, nice brown crust and soft inside, but kinda bland, wondering what i could add to give it a little more taste. Don't get me wrong the bread tasted good but still not as good as what i get at the store. all in all not a bad tasting bread just needs a little kick.
I have a brick oven and was looking for an easy same-day recipe I could make after I made pizza. I made the recipe according to the directions and put the loaves in the oven at about 400 degrees. The bread came out super flavorful with a nice crunchy crust. The only change I made is that I used a garden sprayer (I only use it for water) to spray water to create steam in the oven.
Finally made this bread and it turned out great! Made in the bread machine and made 2 small loaves. Thanks,
This is the first time I've ever made homemade bread. I recently got a bread maker and could not wait to try it out. I followed the recipe to the T. The dough came out incredibly sticky. I was tempted to add more flour but didn't since it was my first time I didn't want to risk messing it up, and hoped it would change once it rose. Big mistake. I should have added the extra flour. The loaves came out very flat. :(
We really liked the taste of this bread. I prefer bread that isn't sweet so I cut the sugar back by half and I used bread flour. I spritzed the oven when I put the bread in and again after 10 minutes, this really improves the crust. Thanks for the recipe.
This recipe was so soft and delicious! I didn't have cornmeal and didn't put any sesame seeds on it and forgot to put the egg on. So I basically just did the base if you could say that :) tonight is my third time baking this bread.
Followed ingredients as is. I only have a kitchenaid so I threw all ingredients for the bread in at once and let it knead in there 5 minutes. Oiled the bowl a bit and left it in the bowl to rise 40 minutes (my house was hot it rose quickly). Formed two loaves on parchment paper and let rise only 30 minutes bc again my house was hot. Came out phenomenal. Tasty, crusty but chewy inside, and quick!
I love this recipe! I use it to make pepperoni rolls and everyone raves.
