My Gram’s Homemade Italian Bread
I recently got my hands on my Grandma Bert’s cookbook. If she was cooking, it will always be the best italian food I’ve ever had. She spent hours cooking, and she was in that kitchen till it was spotless. She was a perfectionist when it came to food, and I’ve always admired that about her. Now- whenever me and husband is looking to try a new recipe, it’s usually an old italian dish from this cookbook. This bread recipe we recently stumbled on and I have to say- it is one of the best things I’ve ever learned to make. Making bread takes time to master, but once you do, it’s perfection everytime. Fluffy homemade bread pairs well with everything and for any occasion.
Ingredients
5lb bread flour, 1pkg rapid rise yeast, 1 tsp sugar, 7 cups warm water, flaky sea salt
Directions
Sprinkle yeast & sugar in 4 cups of warm water. Pour 5 lb bag of flour in large pot. When yeast bubbles (about 5 min) add to flour with 3 additional cups of water, mixing in flour with a kneading motion. After completely kneaded into dough, rub entire dough with 1-2 tbsp EVOO. Set in a warm place to rise, covered for 2 hours till doubled in size.
Put flour on hands and carefully remove enough dough to create a loaf, and place remainder of dough in the fridge (I like to save this dough, and make throughout the month) Shape into round loaf, cover, and let rise a second time.
Preheat oven to 400 F, place baking sheet in oven while its preheating (this will add a nice golden crisp) Remove sheet from oven, place dough on sheet, and sprinkle sea salt. Bake bread till golden brown.
Baking tip- The amount of time it cooks depends on the size of the dough. I like to put it in for 15 min and check. To check, I slice directly in the middle and take a peak. If still doughy, place back in oven and check every 5-10 minutes.
Pro-tips
The bread gets better and better the longer it sits. I love to leaving it in the fridge fully covered, and making it throughout the month!
The best thing to bake on is a marble slab. It will bake to a perfect golden brown with a full crispy crust just like an old fashioned stone oven.
Feel free to top our dough with any fresh herbs or seasonings that you like. I love topping it with a chunky salt, fresh rosemary, and chopped garlic.
