How to Make Italian Bread

"I feast on wine and bread and feasts they are",
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer.

The Italians were definitely fond of bread, a range that comprises over fifty types of bread speaks for itself. The bread holds an important place in the Italian cuisine, and almost no religious festival or ceremony is complete without a loaf. Although it is the pasta that is most associated with Italian food, bread is an equally important part of the diet. One of the primary reason as to why there are so many types of breads can be attributed to the variation each region added to it. Now that we know a little history about this country's bread, let's look into the process of making it.

Making Italian Bread from Scratch

Italian bread unlike other breads is a crusty yeast loaf prepared from dough made using water and is usually shorter and/or wider than other loaves, or at times it may be round or oval in shape. Before we try a couple of shapes, let's get the dough right, for it is integral to the fine art of baking bread.

Recipe for Dough

Ingredients:

• Active dry yeast, packet
• All-purpose flour, 4 cups
• Salt, 1 tsp
• Sugar, ½ tsp
• Cooking oil, 1 tbsp
• Cornmeal, ¼ tsp
• Water, 1¼ cup

Dissolve yeast in a quarter cup of water. The water should be lukewarm to ensure proper activation of yeast. Once the yeast begins to bubble, mix it in with the rest of the lukewarm water. In a large bowl, shift flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt together. Add in the yeast dissolved water, mix it thoroughly with the flour, and then pour the oil. Once you add the oil, turn the dough out onto a floured surface to knead. Knead dough by stretching, folding it back and forth a couple of times, until the dough feels and looks smooth. Well kneaded dough results in a more aerated bread. In a bowl large enough to accommodate the whole dough, add a few drops of oil, and turn the dough in it a couple of times to coat it well from all sides. Cover the dough with plastic wrapped tight enough to press it up against the dough. Rest the dough in a warm place for two to three hours, until the dough has doubled in size. With this the dough is ready to be rolled out and baked in the shapes and sizes you want.

Recipe for Loaves

Use the dough from the above recipe. Knead it once more before using, it, punch it down a couple of times. Roll the dough out into a loaf shape and cut it in half length wise. Take one cut dough piece, and roll it out in an elongated shape, don't make them too thin or too thick. Lay them all in a plate, careful not to overlap, and cover the whole plate with plastic and allow it to rise for another hour until shaped dough doubles in size. Remove the wrap and with one sharp cut, of about a quarter inch deep make a incision length wise. Bake loaves in batches at 425° F for 10-15 minutes, after which turn down the heat to 400° F and bake until done. The baked bread should sound hollow when thumped upon with a finger.

Experiment with more shapes and different types of flour and some cheese, perhaps, to add that extra flavor to your homemade Italian bread.