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Homemade Italian Bread Recipe

Deliciously seasoned and baked to a golden crust, this Italian bread recipe is the ultimate homestyle bread making recipe.

Homemade Italian bread on a silver plate.

Easy Italian Bread Recipe

The aroma of freshly baked goods while walking near the bakery section at the grocery store draws me in everytime. I can’t help but peruse the aisles considering what delectable items to bring home. And while baking at home requires a much greater effort, it produces the same draw and appeal. Nothing beats the aroma of baking bread in the oven at home.

sliced italian bread pieces

This Italian loaf of bread is worth the time and effort it takes to make at home. With it’s seasoned golden crust and soft center, it’s the perfect pairing to a soup dish such as this cabbage soup and roasted pumpkin soup or simply for making sandwiches.

Ingredients Needed:

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  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, or more as needed
  • 3 Tablespoons white sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon instant yeast
  • 3/4 cup warm water
  • 2 1/2 Tablespoons butter, softened at room temperature, plus more for brushing
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning

Cooking Tip: add additional Italian seasoning to the dough for even more flavor.

Close up of sliced homemade Italian bread.

Best Italian Bread Recipe:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, white sugar, salt and instant yeast.

Combining flour, sugar, salt and yeast into a bowl.

Stir well to combine dry ingredients and then make a well in the centre.

Pour the warm water into the well and add the butter and egg.

Stir well to combine and form a soft dough. We prefer to use our KitchenAid stand mixer with the dough attachment and mix dough for 10-12 minutes.

Siring the ingredients to form a ball of dough.

Remove dough from bowl and knead the dough by hand until it appears elastic and forms a soft well ball that pulls away from the sides of the bowl, adding up to one cup more flour as needed.

**This is a stickier dough so it will not form the same cohesive ball as a harder, proofed dough. Avoid the temptation to add more than 3 cups of flour.

Ball of dough.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm area of your kitchen to rise for 2 hours.

Grease or line a cookie tray with parchment paper.

Once risen, punch down the dough and form the dough into a log. Place on the prepared cookie sheet.

Forming the dough into a log shape and putting it on a baking sheet.

Place the plastic wrap and kitchen towel back over the dough and allow to rise again for 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Brush the risen dough with melted butter and sprinkle with Italian seasoning.

Adding melted butter and Italian seasoning to the top of the formed dough.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown on top and cooked through.

Finished Italian bread on a baking sheet.

Brush with additional butter while still warm.

Brushing the Italian bread with butter.

Serve and enjoy!

Other Delicious Bread Recipes

Homemade Italian Bread Recipe

Jane and Sonja
An Italian bread recipe that is deliciously seasoned and baked to a golden crust.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Resting Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Italian
Servings 12 slices
Calories 116 kcal

Equipment

  • Stand mixer

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour or more as needed
  • 3 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon instant yeast
  • 3/4 cup warm water
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons butter softened at room temperature, plus more for brushing
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, combine the flour, white sugar, salt and instant yeast.
  • Stir well to combine dry ingredients and then make a well in the centre.
  • Pour the warm water into the well and add the butter and egg.
  • Stir well to combine and form a soft dough.
  • Knead the dough by hand until it appears elastic and forms a soft well ball that pulls away from the sides of the bowl, adding up to one cup more flour as needed.
  • Cover the dough with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm area of your kitchen to rise for 2 hours.
  • Grease or line a cookie tray with parchment paper.
  • Once risen, punch down the dough and form the dough into a log. Place on the prepared cookie sheet.
  • Place the plastic wrap and kitchen towel back over the dough and allow to rise again for 1 1/2 hours.
  • Preheat oven to 375F.
  • Brush the risen dough with melted butter and sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown on top and cooked through.
  • Brush with additional butter while still warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 116kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 3gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 124mgPotassium: 37mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 100IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg
Keyword bread
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Close up of sliced homemade Italian bread with text overlay.
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