Homemade Yeast Bread

There is absolutely nothing like a warm piece of homemade bread on a cold, winter day. When couped up in the house during the winter months, making homemade bread has become one of my favorite recipes to bake! Bread making is a staple in the Italian traditions and is often made on a weekly basis. You will often see this in the old, rustic villages of many of the Southern regions. Because it uses such basic ingredients, it's very easy to make. No matter what the meal on the table is, Italians love their bread as an intricate part of the meal, used to soak up whatever juices or sauce is left on their plates. In Italy, NOTHING goes to waste. This bread is also great plain, dipped in olive oil or in the morning with butter and jam.


Recipe


Ingredients

2 1/2 cups warm water
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbs. yeast
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. honey

Instructions

1. In a stand mixer, add warm water, sugar, salt, and yeast. Let the yeast foam for about five minutes. Using a dough hook, start adding flour one cup at a time until the dough combines and forms a soft dough. At this point, depending on what kind of bread I'm making, I like to add either 1 tsp. of olive oil for a savory bread or 1 tsp. of honey for a sweeter bread. You can even add both for a delicious, complex flavor.

2. On a floured surface, knead the dough until smooth and elastic and form a ball. Add oil to a large bowl and coat the sides. Add the dough to the bowl and cover. Let rise until it has doubled, 1 - 1 1/2 hours.

3. Grease and flour 2 9x5 inch pans. Punch the dough to release the air. Lay the dough onto a flat surface and cut into two loaves. Roll each loaf up and place into the loaf pans. Let rise until it doubles for another 1 - 1 1/2 hours.

4. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown on the tops. Remove from the oven and let coll for 10 minutes before serving.


Makes 2 loaves.




   

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