Description
This easy homemade crusty Italian bread features a golden, crisp crust and a soft, chewy interior. Perfect alongside soups, pasta, or simply enjoyed with butter or olive oil, this recipe delivers bakery-quality results from your own oven using just a few simple ingredients.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups (450g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp instant yeast
Wet Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups warm water (110°F)
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, instant yeast, and salt. Gradually pour in the warm water, stirring with a wooden spoon until a sticky dough forms and everything is evenly incorporated.
- First Rise: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Place the bowl in a warm spot and let the dough rise for 1-2 hours, or until it has doubled in size and appears bubbly on the surface.
- Shape the Dough: Lightly flour your work surface and gently turn out the risen dough. Taking care not to deflate it too much, shape it loosely into a round loaf. Place the shaped dough onto a piece of parchment paper.
- Second Rise: Drape a towel over the shaped dough and let it rest and rise for another 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C) with a Dutch oven (with lid) inside to heat up as well.
- Bake the Bread: Once the dough has finished its second rise, carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven. Lift the parchment with the dough and transfer it into the Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and crisp.
- Cool and Serve: Carefully remove the bread from the Dutch oven and set it on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing to ensure the crumb sets properly. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- For best texture, weigh your flour for accuracy.
- If you don’t have a Dutch oven, bake on a preheated baking stone with a pan of hot water in the oven for steam.
- Allow the bread to cool fully before slicing for a cleaner cut and soft interior.
- This bread freezes well. Slice before freezing for easy use.
- Instant yeast can be replaced with active dry yeast; just dissolve it in the warm water before mixing in.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (based on 10 slices per loaf)
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 350mg
- Fat: 0.5g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
