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.
Making this bread for the second time today. It’s a gorgeous loaf of bread, perfect for mopping up soup! The leftovers are good toasted (if you have leftovers). This time, I’m experimenting a bit. Brushed the loaves with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt. One loaf as a batard, one round and baking in a cast iron pan. Smells good so far!
Anna — I’m so glad to hear it turned out well; thank you! And I think you could use instant yeast, though I’ve never tried it before.
Hello I’m back to say the bread turned out excellent.. It was quick to make and a very straight forward recipe. Stephanie couldn’t have wrote the recipe any better or easier if she tried… Mine looks the same as the picture. I also liked this recipe because it makes one loaf of bread and that’s what I was looking for. It tastes and presents well, its fantastic.
I do have one question for Stephanie and that is can I make this with quick rise instant yeast? Thanks again for sharing this great recipe. Anna
Anna — I hope the bread turns out well for you! And thanks so much for those tips — I’ll have to try the cookie sheet one next time!
I am in the process of making this recipe now and am on the first rise. Will let you know how it turns out in a few hours.
Most Italian breads I’ve found are similar in make up some even adding a tbsp of light brown sugar. Also, I measured the flour based on Robin Hood’s Canadian flour conversion scale. Their cup weights 123 Grams so I used more flour while kneading the dough for this recipe then usual. I’m still thinking about that. Perhaps I best measure the flour based on American cup to grams..
As far as tips go I bake everything especially bread on two inverted cookie sheets (one inside of the other), this prevents burned the bottom of the loaf. I do this when I make bread in baking pans or muffin tins as well and it works perfectly. In other words, no more dark brown bottoms on French bread, white bread or muffins.
I have made this bread several times now! It’s always delicious, soft and so easy. This is a keeper for my family meals!
Andrea — I’m sorry to hear that (although “hose me off,” lol ;)). The ratio of flour to liquid can be a tricky thing and varies so widely depending on flour brands, environment, etc., so always go by “feel” with the dough more than by the exact amount of ingredients. Thanks for your comment!
I had some issues once putting it on my counter to kneed it. It was so wet it was a mess. I think adding the whole 2 1/2 cups of flour in with the water and yeast would work best next time. For me at least. My fiancé almost had to hose me off haha
Have made this twice the past 10 days. First time I had the same problem as you, Andrea. Seemed way too wet after kneading even though I did add the entire 2 1/2 cups flour; should have added more flour then, but I didn’t. And though it looked good after the first rise, it was still wet and sticky, very hard to handle. Fixed it by flouring heavily, the board when shaping the loaf. My second try I gradually added more flour while kneading, a total of 2 3/4 cups + 2 TBSP. Perfect! Soft and satiny, easy to handle. Brushed the loaf with some olive oil and sprinkled with sesame seeds. Looked so pretty! Great recipe, my go to for fast, easy, yummy Italian bread.
I have never made bread before and this was the perfect recipe to attempt! I added a bit of thyme and only had walnut oil on hand! Thanks for the simple instructions!
@fernwehfoodie
Oooh if you liked thyme you would like the loaf I made where I basically pulled herbs out of my rear for it – whatever sounded good in italian bread or sub rolls is what it ended up with, and it was AH-MAZING!! Wonderful mini sandwiches, toasted up and buttered with yolky fried eggs, garlic bread, and toasted or not, spread heavily with Irish butter (or any butter lol)
I have made herb Italian with this recipe, and also a loaf-pan herb bread with different recipe (not much different really, just larger amount of dough). I used tablespoons and eyeballing for the big regular loaf, and teaspoons to tablespoons for this bread. As always, whatever you like. I like strong, herb-y flavor myself.
Try basil, thyme, herbs de Provence (don’t scoff – it was great), Italian herb mix, garlic powder (meh) or onion powder (oh yeah!), dill, any herbs you love. I went crazy I admit, I used a little bit of all, except dill, as it was included in an herb mix I threw in. It was the most delicious, savory, flavorful Italian bread ever. Hell I was tearing off pieces and just eating them out of hand with no toppings. It is here at lightly toasted in oven then served like bruschetta, with flavored oils for dipping, and stuff you like such as sundried tomatoes and peppers, olives, shredded Parmesan, anchovies, for putting on each piece.