Description
This Crusty Italian Bread is a golden, bakery-style loaf with a crisp crust, soft chewy center, and simple homemade flavor that makes every meal feel special. It is an easy recipe for bread lovers, perfect for dinner ideas, soup sides, pasta night, sandwich slices, quick breakfast toast, and cozy food ideas when you want fresh bread from your own oven.
Ingredients
1 ½ cups warm water
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
4 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon cornmeal or semolina
1 teaspoon flaky salt, optional
1 teaspoon chopped fresh herbs, optional
Instructions
1. Stir warm water, yeast, and sugar together in a large bowl. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes, until foamy.
2. Add bread flour, salt, and olive oil. Mix until a shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains.
3. Knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes by hand, or 5 to 6 minutes with a dough hook, until smooth and elastic.
4. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until doubled.
5. Gently punch down the dough, then shape it into a round or oval loaf.
6. Place the loaf on parchment sprinkled with cornmeal or semolina. Cover loosely and let rise for 30 to 45 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 450°F with a Dutch oven, baking stone, or heavy sheet pan inside.
8. Score the top of the loaf with a sharp knife. Sprinkle with flaky salt and herbs if using.
9. Bake covered in a Dutch oven for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until golden and crisp.
10. Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
Notes
For the best crust, use steam during the first part of baking. A Dutch oven works best, but a pan of hot water in the oven also helps.
Do not slice the bread immediately after baking. Letting it cool helps the inside finish setting and prevents a gummy texture.
If the crust softens after storage, warm the loaf in a 350°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes to bring back its crisp texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 185
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 585mg
- Fat: 2g
- Saturated Fat: 0.3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: Crusty Italian Bread, homemade bread, easy bread recipe, Italian bread, crusty bread, dinner ideas, soup side, pasta night, quick breakfast toast, food ideas