Best Crusty Italian Bread Recipes

CRUSTY ITALIAN BREAD

Steps:

• 1. Dissolve the yeast in a quarter-cup of warm water. You should actually check the temperature of the water. Too cold and it won't activate, too hot and you can kill the yeast.
• 2. Give the yeast a few minutes, until it starts bubbling, then mix it in with the rest of the warm water.
• 3. Add the flour, sugar and salt and stir.
• 4. Don't add the oil until after you've worked the water and flour together. Otherwise the oil will coat the proteins and prevent gluten formation. Gluten lets the dough stretch when it rises, making it light and chewy instead of crumbling like cake.
• 5. After mixing the oil in, turn the dough out onto a clean, floured surface to knead.
• 6. Stretch the dough away from you, fold it back, turn a quarter turn and repeat. Once the dough is well incorporated, slap it on the surface a few times. This will encourage more gluten production leading to a lighter, airier bread.
• 7. When the dough is smooth and silky, continue kneading for another several minutes. You can work it with both hands and keep turning the dough, or just hit it from opposite angles with each hand.
• 8. Once the dough is thoroughly kneaded, place it in an oiled bowl. Toss the dough around so it is coated with oil all the way around.
• 9. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, pressed right up against the dough. This will prevent a skin from forming on the dough, allowing it to rise more.
• 10. Put the bowl someplace warm until the dough has doubled in size, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
• 11. Pre-heat the oven to 425°. If you have a pizza stone, put it on the bottom rack. Otherwise, place a baking sheet upside-down on the bottom rack. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and punch down to knock out most of the air out. Don't go crazy and try to turn it into a pancake. Just give it a quick couple of hits.
• 12. Roll the dough out into a loaf shape and cut it in half. You can form the halves into loaves or, like I did here, divide each half into three smaller pieces.
• 13. Roll out the pieces of dough until they are about 6-9 inches long.
• 14. If you have a peel (the large wooden spatula you see in pizza shops) use that. If not, a wooden cutting board will work. Dust it with cornmeal so the dough doesn't stick.
• 15. Cover the loaves with plastic and allow to rise for another 40 minutes. They should roughly double in width.
• 16. Cut each loaf down the middle with the sharpest blade you have. If you don't have anything that is absolutely razor sharp, use a razor blade. You want to cut about a quarter-inch deep in a single quick stroke without sawing back-and-forth. This will prevent the bread from bursting open when it rises in the oven.
• 17. Transfer the loaves onto the baking stone. Leave room between loaves for them to rise some more. If they don't all fit on your stone, put the rest on an upside-down baking sheet.
• 18. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 400° and bake another 25-30 minutes. To check if they're done, pick one loaf up and thump on the bottom with your thumb. If it has a hollow sound, it's done. If you want really crusty bread, great for dipping in olive oil or marinara sauce, place a pan of water in the bottom of the oven. The steam will keep a skin from forming too fast, giving the bread more time to rise. It will also make the crust crisper. Don't put the loaves near the top. The radiant heat from the top of the stove will brown the crust too much, too fast. Serve immediately with butter, or with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping.

CRUSTY ITALIAN BREAD

Steps:

• 1. Dissolve the yeast in a quarter-cup of warm water. You should actually check the temperature of the water. Too cold and it won't activate, too hot and you can kill the yeast.
• 2. Give the yeast a few minutes, until it starts bubbling, then mix it in with the rest of the warm water.
• 3. Add the flour, sugar and salt and stir.
• 4. Don't add the oil until after you've worked the water and flour together. Otherwise the oil will coat the proteins and prevent gluten formation. Gluten lets the dough stretch when it rises, making it light and chewy instead of crumbling like cake.
• 5. After mixing the oil in, turn the dough out onto a clean, floured surface to knead.
• 6. Stretch the dough away from you, fold it back, turn a quarter turn and repeat. Once the dough is well incorporated, slap it on the surface a few times. This will encourage more gluten production leading to a lighter, airier bread.
• 7. When the dough is smooth and silky, continue kneading for another several minutes. You can work it with both hands and keep turning the dough, or just hit it from opposite angles with each hand.
• 8. Once the dough is thoroughly kneaded, place it in an oiled bowl. Toss the dough around so it is coated with oil all the way around.
• 9. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, pressed right up against the dough. This will prevent a skin from forming on the dough, allowing it to rise more.
• 10. Put the bowl someplace warm until the dough has doubled in size, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
• 11. Pre-heat the oven to 425°. If you have a pizza stone, put it on the bottom rack. Otherwise, place a baking sheet upside-down on the bottom rack. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and punch down to knock out most of the air out. Don't go crazy and try to turn it into a pancake. Just give it a quick couple of hits.
• 12. Roll the dough out into a loaf shape and cut it in half. You can form the halves into loaves or, like I did here, divide each half into three smaller pieces.
• 13. Roll out the pieces of dough until they are about 6-9 inches long.
• 14. If you have a peel (the large wooden spatula you see in pizza shops) use that. If not, a wooden cutting board will work. Dust it with cornmeal so the dough doesn't stick.
• 15. Cover the loaves with plastic and allow to rise for another 40 minutes. They should roughly double in width.
• 16. Cut each loaf down the middle with the sharpest blade you have. If you don't have anything that is absolutely razor sharp, use a razor blade. You want to cut about a quarter-inch deep in a single quick stroke without sawing back-and-forth. This will prevent the bread from bursting open when it rises in the oven.
• 17. Transfer the loaves onto the baking stone. Leave room between loaves for them to rise some more. If they don't all fit on your stone, put the rest on an upside-down baking sheet.
• 18. Bake at 425° for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 400° and bake another 25-30 minutes. To check if they're done, pick one loaf up and thump on the bottom with your thumb. If it has a hollow sound, it's done. If you want really crusty bread, great for dipping in olive oil or marinara sauce, place a pan of water in the bottom of the oven. The steam will keep a skin from forming too fast, giving the bread more time to rise. It will also make the crust crisper. Don't put the loaves near the top. The radiant heat from the top of the stove will brown the crust too much, too fast. Serve immediately with butter, or with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping.

CRUSTY WHOLE WHEAT ITALIAN BREAD

Steps:

• ----ForBread Machine----.
• Add all ingredients except cornmeal to bread machine pan in the order recommended by your machine's manufacturer.
• Select dough cycle and start machine.
• ----ConventionalMethod----.
• In large bowl, dissolve yeast, brown sugar, and ginger in warm water.
• Let stand 5 minutes until yeast foams.
• Add salt and bread flour; beat well.
• Stir in whole wheat flour to make a stiff dough.
• Turn out onto lightly floured board and knead 10 minutes or until dough is springy, smooth and satiny.
• Wash bowl, grease it, and add dough to bowl; turn over to grease top.
• Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• ----Shapingand Baking----.
• Lightly oil or grease a 14x17" baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal; set aside.
• Punch down the dough.
• Divide in half and, on a lightly floured surface, shape into long loaves, rolling each piece first into a 5x12" rectangle, then rolling each up along the long side to make a long, narrow loaf.
• Pinch edges to seal, and taper ends.
• Place loaves, seam side down, on prepared baking sheet.
• Let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
• Make 4-5 slashes across each loaf with sharp knife or razor blade.
• Brush each loaf with water and sprinkle with whole wheat flour.
• Bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes, until loaves are browned and crisp.
• Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
• NOTE: I also use a spray bottle filled with water and spray the loaves and oven walls once or twice at 5-minute intervals at the beginning of baking.
• You could also make this into one large oblong loaf or a round loaf, but baking time would need to be increased.

CRUSTY ITALIAN GARLIC BREAD

Steps:

• In a medium size bowl add butter and allow butter to sit for a couple of hours to come to room temperature. You can also microwave until it is at room temperature as well, but do not allow butter to melt!
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Add the garlic and parsley to the butter and mix well.
• Rub the basil and oregano between the palms of your hands to release the flavor and throw in the bowl. Mix content of the bowl well.
• Remove about 1/3 of the Garlic Butter Spread to use later.
• Cut your bread in half the long way. Spread about 2/3 of the Garlic Butter Spread onto the halves of the bread. Place each half directly on your oven rack and bake for 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and allow bread to cool until you can handle the loaves.
• Turn oven to broil.
• Slice bread into thick slices (about 2" thick). Place bread on cookie sheet and spread with the extra Garlic Butter Spread.
• Place cookie sheet in oven and broil bread slices for 3 - 5 minutes, or until nicely browned to your taste. Make sure to watch VERY carefully so bread does not burn.
• Place a large clean kitchen towel in a bread basket and wrap the towel over the bread until served but no more than a couple of minutes or bread could get soggy!
• In my house, this serves about 3 or 4 because we eat this bread like CRAZY!

CRUSTY ITALIAN BREAD

Steps:

• Put hot water, salt and sugar into bottom of bread machine pan. Sprinkle flour on top of water. Make a well in the flour and fill with the yeast. Start dough cycle on machine.
• When dough cycle is complete, turn dough out onto a floured surface and kneed lightly. Shape into a round loaf and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or very lightly greased. (Do not use a dark non-stick pan- it will cause the bread to become too dark on the bottom).
• Mix together the cornstarch and water and brush onto the top of the bread. Using a shrap knife or razor slash an "X " onto the top of the loaf. You can sprinkle the top with sesame seeds if you like.
• On the LOWEST rack of the oven place an oven safe baking dish (such as a 9x13" pan) and fill 2/3 full with very hot water. Place baking sheet with bread on the MIDDLE rack. Turn the oven on to 400'. The bread will rise as the oven heats. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until bottom of loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

CRUSTY ITALIAN BREAD

Steps:

• 1. For the BIGA: Combine flour, yeast, and warm water in bowl until it forms a shaggy dough, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer biga to medium bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature until beginning to bubble and rise, about 3 hours. Refrigerate biga at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
• 2. When ready to make the dough remove BIGA from refrigerator and allow to come to room temp.
• 3. To make the DOUGH, combine flour, yeast, and water in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with dough hook. Knead the dough on lowest speed until rough dough is formed, about 3 minutes.
• 4. Turn the mixer off and, without removing the dough hook or bowl from the mixer, cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes. (This allows protein in the dough to relax, making for a stronger dough that can rise higher, with a better crust)
• 5. Remove the plastic wrap over the dough, and add the BIGA in peices to bowl. Continue to knead on the lowest speed until ingredients are incorporated (dough should clear the sides of the bowl but should stick to the very bottom), about 4 minutes.
• 6. Add salt and increase the speed of the mixer to the next setting. Knead for 2 minutes; add more bread flour if it is not forming a dough ball.
• 7. Transfer the dough to a large bowl (at least 3 times the size of the dough) and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot away from direct sunlight, until slightly risen and puffy, about 1 hour. I turn my microwave into a proofing box buy microwaving a large mug of water for 4 mins then place the dough with the mug in the microwave oven. I re-warm the water for each rise!!
• 8. Remove the plastic wrap and turn the dough by folding it in on itself iwth a bench scraper or silicone spatula. Do this from four sides DO NOT REMOVE dough from bowl! Replace the plastic wrap and let the dough rise 1 hour. Turn dough again, replace plastic wrap, and let dough rise 1 hour longer.
• 9. Dust the work surface liberally with flour. Hold the bowl with the dough at an angle over the floured surface. Gently scrape the dough out of the bowl and onto the work surface (the side of the dough that was against bowl should now be facing up).
• 10. If you want two smaller loaves, split the dough into two equal halves. Use a knife or bench scraper.
• 11. Dust the dough and your hands liberally with flour and, Strech the dough into a rough 8- to 10-inch rectangle using the back of your hand DO NOT ROLL. If you are making two loaves, shape each piece into a smaller rectangle.
• 12. Fold the top left and right corner to shape a point then roll like a jelly roll and transfer it to a large sheet parchment paper. Dust loaf liberally with flour and cover loosely with plastic wrap; let loaf rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• 13. Meanwhile, adjust the oven rack to the middle position, and place a baking stone on the rack. On the bottom of the oven place an empty baking pan or a cast iron skillet. Pre-heat the oven to 500F or the highest setting for your oven (mine is 550F). On stove using a tea kettle or sauce pan start to boil water so it is boiling when you are ready to put your bread in the oven.
• 14. Using a single-edged razor blade, or sharp chef's knife, cut a slit 1/2 inch deep lengthwise along top of loaf, starting and stopping about 1 1/2 inches from the ends. Lightly spray the loaf with water. Slide parchment sheet with loaf onto baker's peel or upside-down baking sheet, then slide parchment with loaf onto hot baking stone in oven. If you are not using a baking stone or tile, simply place the baking sheet in the oven. Now pour the boiling water into the pan at the bottom of your oven WARNING this will produce lots of steam becareful not to get a steam burn.
• 15. Bake for 10 minutes open oven and spray with more water close your oven. This steam will create a crispy crust!
• 16. Continue to bake until deep golden brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into center of loaf registers 210 degrees. For one large loaf this will be about 35 minutes longer. For two smaller loaves this will be closer to 30 minutes.
• 17. When the bread is done, transfer it to a wire rack and discard the parchment paper. Now the toughest part, cool the loaf to room temperature, about 2 hours. This will allow the flavor to develop.

CRUSTY WHOLE WHEAT ITALIAN BREAD FROM FOOD.COM

Steps:

• 1 ----ForBread Machine----. 2 Add all ingredients except cornmeal to bread machine pan in the order recommended by your machine's manufacturer. 3 Select dough cycle and start machine. 4 ----ConventionalMethod----. 5 In large bowl, dissolve yeast, brown sugar, and ginger in warm water. 6 Let stand 5 minutes until yeast foams. 7 Add salt and bread flour; beat well. 8 Stir in whole wheat flour to make a stiff dough. 9 Turn out onto lightly floured board and knead 10 minutes or until dough is springy, smooth and satiny. 10 Wash bowl, grease it, and add dough to bowl; turn over to grease top. 11 Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. 12 ----Shapingand Baking----. 13 Lightly oil or grease a 14x17" baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal; set aside. 14 Punch down the dough. 15 Divide in half and, on a lightly floured surface, shape into long loaves, rolling each piece first into a 5x12" rectangle, then rolling each up along the long side to make a long, narrow loaf. 16 Pinch edges to seal, and taper ends. 17 Place loaves, seam side down, on prepared baking sheet. 18 Let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. 19 Make 4-5 slashes across each loaf with sharp knife or razor blade. 20 Brush each loaf with water and sprinkle with whole wheat flour. 21 Bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes, until loaves are browned and crisp. 22 Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. 23 NOTE: I also use a spray bottle filled with water and spray the loaves and oven walls once or twice at 5-minute intervals at the beginning of baking. 24 You could also make this into one large oblong loaf or a round loaf, but baking time would need to be increased

CRUSTY HERBED ITALIAN BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the olive oil with water, yeast and salt. Let it sit for five minutes. Mix the herbs and sugar into the flour.
• Stir in the flour mixture until the dough is stiff enough to knead. Add the flour a little bit at a time. Three cups flour is an approximate amount, your exact amount may vary. slightly
• Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic-just a few minutes.
• Place dough in a greased bowl; cover and let rise until the dough has doubled. (about 45 minutes)
• Form the dough into an oval free-form style loaf and place on greased baking sheet. (Dust baking sheet with flour first if desired and make slits in the top of the loaf for a nice finish when done.) Place immediately in a 375º F oven. Do not preheat the oven, the bread will rise some more as your oven heats up. Bake for 30-40 minutes.
• Note: if you use fresh herbs, triple the amounts shown in the ingredient list

CRUSTY ITALIAN BREAD

Steps:

• Heat 1 cup water over low heat until temperature reaches 120°F to 130°F. Mix 2 cups flour, yeast, sugar and salt in bowl. Stir in heated water to form soft dough. Stir in about 1 cup flour until dough begins to lose its stickiness, 2 minutes.
• Knead dough on floured surface until smooth and elastic, 5 to 8 minutes; add more flour to prevent sticking, if necessary. Shape dough into ball. Place in oiled bowl; turn to oil top. Cover; let rise in warm place until double in size, about 1 hour.
• Grease large baking sheet; sprinkle with cornmeal. Punch down dough. Flatten into 10-inch circle. Roll up tightly into an oblong. Pinch to seal. Taper ends by rolling back and forth. (The finished loaf should be about 12 inches long.) Place loaf on baking sheet, seam side down. Cover; let rise in warm place until double in size, about 30 to 40 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly beat egg and remaining 2 tablespoons water in small bowl. Uncover loaf. Make several 3-inch-long diagonal slashes in top of loaf. Brush egg mixture evenly over loaf. Bake until loaf sounds hollow when tapped, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from baking sheet. Cool completely on wire rack.