Italian Bread

The first time I made this it was nice texturally but very bland. I tried it again today and doubled both the sugar and the salt and it came out much better. My family loved it. I ended up using about 2 1/2 cups of flour in the end and found it needed more like an hour of rise time (though we are talking Illinois in the winter atm.) All in all a quick and delicious recipe. I will definitely make it again with the additional salt and sugar.

A great, easy recipe. Perfect. I let it rise a second time for 15 minutes and brushed with melted butter. One of the best bread recipes ever!

Used "00" flour from Naples. After punch down rise, I let rise another 15 on the baking stone. Bread came out super awesome.

Super simple, but great recipe!! My only change was I mixed it by hand and added a couple of spoonfuls of mixed seeds(hemp, chia & flax). I will be making this often!!

This is a really simple recipe. The only thing I changed was brushing the top with egg white before baking because I like a shinier top. I had doubts about baking it without a 2nd rise, but apparently the first minutes in the oven raise it up enough. I baked it about 19 minutes on 375, but I have a convection oven. It turned out golden brown, and the inside soft and light texture. Really perfect. It's so simple that I was surprised how great it turned out. I bake a lot of bread, but now that I have this recipe, I will bake more. This takes like half the time and effort. Great recipe!

First recipe for bread that I tried when I got back from Italy.  Right on.  Texture perfect.  I think our flour is different. . . I used King Arthur.  But oh. . . served with olive oil and a sprinkling of milled sea salt. . . delicious!  I do want to say that I went in for a second short rise for about 45 min. before I baked.  Thank you, thank you!

Wow. Easiest bread EVER. And utterly delicious. I made it with whole wheat flour and it was perfection.

 Hi made the bread once, was really good.I am planning to do a double recipe half to make another bread other to make pizza dough.Do I need to double the yeast also? seen some recipes that use 1 yeast bag for 4 cups of flower.Also read best to add olive oil only close to the end of kneading since the oil can break up the glutten and make it less elastic. Your thoughts?

The reason it was dense is because you overworked your dough. Late response i know but its more so for the people that come across this. You don't want to knead too much or you will increase the gluten action and it will be less airy more heavy.

Great Recipe! I think I ended up using just under 3 cups of flour, and instead of punching down the dough and letting it rise in the bowl again, I roll it out into a 12x9 rectangle and roll it up jelly roll style, pinch the ends and put it on the pan. THEN I let it rise another 10 minutes before going in the oven. It seems to come out a little less dense.

I have used this recipe for pizza dough twice. This is the best pizza dough recipe ever!!!!!!!!!! I have also made Italian bread with it twice. The first batch I made, was flat, and hard. Not sure where I went wrong with it. Tonight, I made another loaf of the Italian bread. It turned out perfect. I prepared it as recipe stated, and shaped it into a 12 inch loaf. I did top the loaf with olive oil to give the top of the crust a nice appearance. This time the bread was a winner. I ate half the loaf by myself. The crust was crunchy. The interior of the loaf was light, and airy. I will make this again!

This recipe was fantastic - quick & easy to prepare/bake. The only changes I made were to use AP flour instead of bread flour; to let it rise in the oven after turning the oven on & off and then leaving the oven light on (to try to ensure 85ish temp); and skipping the turning it out on a flour surface - it went from the bowl to the lightly greased baking sheet. This bread was loved by all 3 littles, hubby, and myself! A keeper for sure.

I wanted to add a homemade loaf of bread to some DIY pasta sauce gift baskets I'm making for Christmas. I'd never made bread before so I needed something easy for a beginner, tasty and quick enough to make 10 loaves over the course of a weekend. This recipe hit it out of the park! I just made the test batch and cannot wait to make it again. I think next time I'll add some rosemary to it. :)

This bread was fantastic. I used a bit more oil and sugar and brushed it with beaten eagg before bakng. Everyone should have this recipe!!!!

I know that all of the ratings rave about this bread but I am having difficulty with it. I followed the directions exactly but I don't know if I added enough flour? How much did everyone else add? The full 3 cups? The dough was coming off the side of the bowl and it doubled after the 30 minutes but when I punched it down pieces stuck right to my hand and then the dough was very flat and I think too mushy when I rolled it into a 12inch loaf. Any help would be appreciated:)

This is a GREAT recipe. I threw in a couple shakes of italian seasoning with the final 5 minute beat. The family loved it; reminded us of Macaroni Grill bread, but better because it was piping hot! PTK! ...great with oil/balsamic mixture.

I normally am not a bread maker, too much time, too messy. This was a breeze and it was delicious! I couldn't believe how much flavor it had. I made this to go with my homemade spaghetti and turkey meatballs and it went along with it perfectly. I'm really pleased. I'm going to have to make bread more often!

Excellent, easy and most delicious bread to make! This one is now my number one "go to" recipe for bread! Thank you so much for this no fail bread. Can be made in an hour...what more can you ask for! Makes a good toast too if you like a denser toast! Best part...no preservatives. Served with my homemade pasta and meatballs for dinner last night...the bread vanished! Just yummy! Great for family of two as it makes one loaf so it will not go stale. Give it a try! I also tried this recipe using canola oil, it makes a lighter bread. Delicious either way!

Best Italian bread ever!!!! The olive oil in the recipe gives it a wonderful flavor. Works great for pizza crust, focaccia or loaves. I always brush loaves with additional olive oil. Top focaccia with mozarella cheese. A Greek pizza loaded with spinach, garlic, fresh ground pepper and Italian cheese blends is out of this world using this crust.

Easiest bread recipe in the world. Was just about to put the mixer on eBay, but gave this a shot. Perfect first time! Will be making it again

This is the most wonderful and easiest recipe for bread....Love Love Love !!!! My husband loves it. This is a keeper!

This is the easiest bread recipe I've attempted and each time I bake a loaf, it comes out perfect. I'm so grateful to find a bread recipe that takes so little time and is always wonderful.

Easy & quick, foccacia was yummy, made as a loaf & exploded out the side...looked funny but tasted great. Even husband, not huge fan of bread loved it. Have made 3 times with Italian food. Skipped dried herbs and sprinkled with fresh rosemary.

It was the most delicious and easy bread I've ever made. The crust was crispy on the outside but the bread inside was nice and soft. I will definitely make this more often.

Everyone really liked this bread and I loved how quick and easy it was. This recipe is a keeper!

Have made this twice, once as the suggested focaccia and once as a loaf. It is a great and quick recipe that can easily be made during the week. You won't be disappointed!

First time making this bread...very easy!! and it's light and fluffy. Love it. will definatly be making this again. My favorite thing was the short rising time. Doesnt take all day to make fresh baked bread. I put olive oil on top and dried italian herbs with parmesan cheese. EXCELLENT! Great everyday or special occasion. Can't wait to dip in some oil or make some garlic bread with it too. yummy

I don't usually write reviews but I had to rate this bread. It is the easiest bread I've ever made and delicious too! I've made it three times in the last week and with a two year old and a six week old, that tells you how easy it is. Thanks for this recipe and I will be sharing it with everyone.

Delicious! Soft and fluffy! So easy to make and I was surprised by the short rise time.

excellent bread!