This classic Italian bread recipe is soft and tender on the inside with a chewy crust on the outside. Homemade bread doesn’t get much better — or simpler — than this!
(NOTE: This post was originally published in 2014 (!). We’ve since then updated it with new photos, but it’s the same recipe you know and love.)
Table of Contents
How to Make Italian Bread from Scratch
Sometimes I wish I had one of those potions from Alice in Wonderland so I can make myself small enough to lay on a slice of this Italian bread like a pillow. A heavenly soft, carbolicious pillow.
But seriously, how wonderful would that be? Because not only are you totally comfy-cozy, you also have a snack right there to munch on as needed. And then when you want to eat the bread as a sandwich or make it into a yummy baked French toast or strata or something, you can take the potion that makes you big again. It’s perfect.
Aaaaaand I’ve lost you. But homemade, soft-on-the-inside-crusty-on-the-outside classic Italian bread, remember? Yes, let’s focus more on that.
Watch How to Make Homemade Italian Bread
Ingredients You’ll Need
I am fairly certain that whenever I went to my grandma and grandpa’s house as a kid, my snack diet consisted of snap peas from the garden, kohlrabi stalks (no, really, so good) and sliced Italian bread from the bakery plain or with my grandmother’s plum jam on it (that is truly one of the best things about life ever, and I hope I can get the recipe one day to share it with you). So when Red Star Yeast asked me to make a loaf of Italian bread using their yeast, I was happy to take it on because nostalgia. And homemade bread. It was a no-brainer.
I was a little nervous that my recipe wouldn’t taste quite the same as what I remembered eating as a youth — that soft, aforementioned pillowy center with a perfectly chewy, flaky crust — but my friends, this recipe is just that and it is a glorious thing. It really doesn’t take much time, effort or ingredients to get there, either. Just a little:
- Flour (bread flour or all-purpose flour works for this recipe!)
- Yeast (Active dry yeast or instant yeast — see Recipe Notes for conversions!)
- Water
- Olive oil
- And a little know-how on shaping it into a batard/torpedo loaf (which I show in the video above!)
And just like that, you’re well on your way to homemade bread blissdom.
How to Enjoy Italian Bread
So in conclusion, I’ll be making a loaf of this bread on the regular this fall and the Season That Shall Not Be Named. And it will be taking any and all of the following forms: Sandwich, strata, bread pudding, French toast, baked French toast casserole, croutons, grilled cheese, toast. Surely I am missing more options, but that’s just for starters.
Of course, just eating slice after slice plain (as I may or may not have done once this loaf was cool enough to cut into) is going to happen a lot, too.
If this crisp-cool weather (or in my great state of Minnesota, the weird summer-after-fall weather we’ll be having) has got you bit by the baking bug as it has me, then put this easy homemade Italian bread on your list. You can thank me for it later, with a sandwich. For dessert, keep the Italian thing going with this olive oil cake, ricotta blueberry cake or an Italian panna cotta!
More Delicious Bread Recipes
- rosemary-garlic no-knead bread
- no knead ciabatta bread
- classic brioche loaf bread
- cinnamon raisin sourdough bread
- whole wheat bread
- potato bread
- nostalgic banana bread
Italian Bread
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast, 1 packet
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 ½ cups bread flour , or all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, combine yeast, sugar and warm water (about 110°F)
- Let stand 5 to 10 minutes or until yeast is foamy.
- Add 2 cups flour, olive oil and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon or with a dough hook on low speed until a shaggy dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand 10 minutes, adding just enough of the remaining flour until a soft, smooth and elastic dough forms; OR, increase dough hook speed to medium and knead dough in stand mixer 5 minutes, adding just enough of the remaining flour until a soft, smooth and elastic dough forms.
- Shape dough into a ball; place in an oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise 1 hour until doubled.
- Heat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, a silicone mat or lightly grease the surface with oil or cooking spray. On a lightly floured surface, punch down dough, then carefully shape into a batard/torpedo about 12 inches long. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Cover with a tea towel and let rise another 20 to 30 minutes until puffy.
- Use bread lame, razor blade or serrated knife to make a few 1/4-inch deep slits in the surface of the loaf. Bake loaf 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing.
Video
Notes
- Yield: 1 large loaf
- *If you only have instant yeast on hand, use 1 3/4 teaspoons of instant yeast in place of the active dry yeast.
- Use the highest quality olive oil you have on hand, if possible.
- How to store homemade Italian bread: Leave unsliced bread uncovered (or covered with a tea towel) at room temperature 1-2 days. If sliced, store bread cut side-down on a cutting board at room temperature 1-2 days. Beyond 2 days, store bread in a paper or plastic bag, sealed, at room temperature another 1-2 days. You can also freeze homemade Italian bread in a sealed plastic bag for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!Disclosure: I received compensation from Red Star Yeast for recipe development purposes. All opinions are my own.
Best bread I’ve ever made! Will always use this recipe now
Hi Anna! This makes my whole day. Thank you for baking with us, and I’m glad it’s your new go-to! ~gvd team
Just eating slices from my first loaf. It is delicious. I followed you recipe excately and it worked like a charm. My bread is light and fluffy. This will be my go to recipe. Something so warm about making bread. Thank you so much
Hi Sandy! I’m so happy to hear your first loaf turned out light and fluffy, that totally makes our day. There is something really warm and comforting about making bread, and this recipe was made to be exactly that. Thank you for baking with us and for the kind words! ~gvd team
Ms. Wise,
We just had this bread with our dinner. It is delicious.
My dough was pretty wet after. I ended up having to use the full 2.5 cups and a bit more.
Thank you for the recipe.
Hi Emerald! I’m so glad you enjoyed the bread, thank you for coming back to share! It sounds like you did exactly the right thing by adding a bit more flour. Te total amount can vary a little depending on humidity and how you measure. Thanks for baking with us! ~gvd team
Great basic Italian Bread recipe. It was easy and came out delicious. It was light and soft. I used my mixer to do most of the kneading. I can’t wait to make it again.
Hi D! So happy to hear that. Thanks for coming back to let us know, it always makes our day! ~gvd team
Nice and easy
Hi Jeyn! So glad you thought so, that’s one of the things we love about this one. Thanks for baking with us! ~gvd team
I’ve doubled this recipe a few times. Today I added garlic powder and when it has risen the first time I’m going to add chopped pepperoni. I think it will be great.
Hi Sue! That sounds amazing, garlic and pepperoni are such a fun variation. Thanks for sharing and happy baking! ~gvd team
First time baking bread… sadly the final product has a sour taste. Since I’m a novice bread baker, I’m not sure where I went wrong. Any help?
Hi JM! That slight sour taste can happen for a few reasons, especially when baking bread for the first time. Sometimes it comes from the yeast working a little longer than intended, or from water that’s too hot. It can also happen if the dough proofed too long before baking. If you used active dry yeast, be sure your water is around 110°F, warm but not hot, and that the dough only doubles in size before baking (not more). Thanks for baking with us! ~gvd team
Sounds awesome I am going to try to make it
Hi Roy! So glad you’re going to give it a try, happy baking! ~gvd team
Do you ever add any extras to the bread, like garlic or parmesana cheese
Hi Elisa! This recipe is super adaptable! You can absolutely knead in a little minced garlic or a handful of shredded Parmesan after the first rise, or brush the baked loaf with olive oil and sprinkle on garlic salt and cheese for a toasty finish. I love doing that when I’m serving it alongside pasta or soup. Happy baking! ~gvd team
I did what the recipe said to do but the dough was like batter and I had to add so much flour, when I was kneading the dough it was sticking to my hands, it ended up having an after taste and it was so dents and ended up looking like it was raw what am I doing wrong
Hi Steph, Hmm this isn’t really even a sticky dough. I would look to your measurements. Did you use a dry ingredient cup to measure your water? Liquid measuring cups are actually different! That is more likely than miss-measuring flour. This is why I always use a kitchen scale and use the gram measurements for consistency. Don’t give up! ~Lindsey