Traditional Italian Bread

By
Elizabeth Yetter
Elizabeth Yetter
Bread expert Elizabeth Yetter has been baking bread for more than 20 years, bringing her Pennsylvania Dutch Country experiences to life through recipes.
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Updated on 12/21/22
Traditional Italian bread

The Spruce 

Prep: 60 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Rising Time: 50 mins
Total: 2 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 24 servings
Yield: 2 loaves
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
124 Calories
2g Fat
21g Carbs
4g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories 124
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 1g 3%
Cholesterol 9mg 3%
Sodium 113mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 21g 8%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 6mg 0%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 36mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Traditional Italian bread is moist, has a thin, crisp crust, and works well with any meal. If you haven't tried baking fresh Italian bread yet, this simple recipe will get you started.

At breakfast, this bread is perfect for scooping up the egg yolk on your plate. Pair it in the Italian way with fruit compote and a dark coffee with a splash of milk to start your day or serve with lunch or dinner alongside pasta or soups. It also works well in a hoagie or even as a pizza-bread base.

When sliced thin, use it to make little French toasts, or as the base of hors d'oeuvres topped with either membrillo paste and Manchego cheese, or ricotta, honey, and pumpkin seeds.

The end product is two nice-sized loaves for the week.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast

  • 1 3/4 cups warm water (95 F to 110 F)

  • 1 tablespoon butter, or margarine, softened

  • 5 cups bread flour, or high-gluten flour

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 large egg white

  • 1 tablespoon cold water

  • Cornmeal, for sprinkling on the baking sheet, optional

Steps to Make It

Making the Dough

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for Italian bread dough
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  2. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, salt, yeast, and warm water.

    stir together the sugar, salt, yeast, and warm water
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  3. Stir in the softened butter or margarine, whichever using.

    Stir in butter
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  4. Sift in one cup of flour at a time until you have a dough that can be easily kneaded by hand without sticking to your hands.

    Mix in flour
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  5. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 minutes, adding more flour if necessary, until the dough is soft and not sticky.

    Turn the dough on a lightly floured surface
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  6. Lightly grease a medium-sized bowl with olive oil and flip dough over so that the top is also greased.

    Place dough in bowl
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  7. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or wrap paper and let rise for 30 minutes in a warm, draft-free place.

Proofing a Second Time

  1. Grease a large baking sheet and sprinkle it with coarse cornmeal, if desired.

    Grease a baking sheet
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  2. Remove the dough from the bowl, place onto a lightly floured table, and divide into two equal parts.

    Divide dough into two parts
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  3. Roll each dough half into an approximately 15 x 9-inch rectangle.

    Two rectangles of dough
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  4. Roll the dough tightly along the 15-inch side, pinch the seams, and taper the ends of each loaf with your hands at a 45-degree angle.

    Tightly roll dough
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  5. Place the loaves on the prepared baking sheet and cover. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 20 minutes.

Baking the Bread

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Make 3 deep diagonal slashes on each loaf.

    Score the bread
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  2. Bake the bread for 20 minutes.

  3. Lightly beat the egg white and cold water in a small bowl to create an egg wash. This step is key for a traditional Italian bread.

    Lightly beat eggs
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  4. Remove the loaves from the oven and brush with the egg wash.

    Remove loaves from oven, brush with egg wash
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  5. Return the loaves to the oven for another 5 minutes.

    Baked loaves
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  6. Serve bread warm or cold and enjoy.

Italian Bread Basics

You may have had Italian bread before, but it's important to know what characteristics you can expect it to have:

  • The inside is moist, thick, and very absorbent, perfect for soaking up soup, sauces, and oils.
  • Italian bread tends to be an elongated oval shape, not too thin and not too thick. 
  • Unlike French bread, which tends to be sweet, Italian bread often has a savory taste that adds to its versatility.
  • Italian bread dough is typically wetter than other doughs because it uses more liquid (water or milk) and fat (butter or olive oil).
  • Despite its savory flavor, many Italian bread recipes do use sugar.
  • Traditionally, Italian bread is baked on a stone to give it that signature thin crisp crust, golden brown in color.
  • Italian breads baked in wood ovens have a smokier flavor.

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