Warm Italian bread from the oven is nothing short of good old fashioned comfort food!
Servings: 32 slices (2 loaves)
Calories: 106cal
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast 2 packets
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 cups hot water hot to the touch, not boiling
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 5–6 cups all-purpose flour add more if needed to get to a pliable dough
- 1 large egg white for brushing on loaves
Instructions
- Dissolve yeast, 1/2 cup warm water, and 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar in a small bowl.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine 2 cups hot water, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, the salt, and the oil. Add 3 cups of flour to the mixture in this large bowl/mixer and mix well. Stir in yeast mixture.
- Add 2 – 3 cups more flour and mix until well blended. (At this point your dough will still be quite sticky). Leave in bowl, cover with a towel and let rise for 1 hour. (If using a mixer, remove the bowl from the mixer and cover. Otherwise your paddle attachment or dough hook will get covered in dough when it rises). NO KNEADING IS REQUIRED.
- After the rise, if the dough is too sticky to handle, add more flour until its workable. For some people this can be up to a cup or more! Just don’t dry out the dough. Add by quarter cupfuls until its workable.
- Divide dough into 2 (or 3 if you want smaller loaves) pieces. Roll out each piece on a floured surface into the length desired then roll up lengthwise like a jelly roll. If it’s still too sticky, add more flour until it’s workable but not dry.
- Put on a greased cookie sheet, sealed side down, and tuck the ends under. Slash the top diagonally across the top every couple of inches with a sharp knife.
- Cover and let loaves rise 30 more minutes.
- While loaves are rising, preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Whisk the egg white and brush over the top of loaves.
- Bake for 25 – 30 minutes.
Nutrition: Serving: 1slice | Calories: 106cal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 219mg | Potassium: 23mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 1mg
