HOMEMADE ITALIAN BREAD

HOMEMADE ITALIAN BREAD

 

Note:  This recipe was made many times by my mother, Ann Fiorino, and is especially wonderful eaten right out of the oven with butter or olive oil and cheese.  It is also great served with her *Italian Beef Soup* recipe. Both recipes are included in my *Rosalie Serving Italian* cookbook, found on pages 50 and 97.

 

6 1/2 to 7 cups bread flour, or all-purpose

3 teaspons salt

 

2 tablespoons active dry yeast

2 1/4 cups warm water, not hot to touch, more if needed

 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 (14-inch) pizza stone

2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal

 

1 egg white

1 tablespoon water

sesame seeds

 

1. Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Place 6 1/2 cups flour and salt in large bowl and mix together. Put yeast in warm water and stir to dissolve, letting it foam up, about 8 minutes.  Make a well in the flour mixture and add a little of the yeast water with a small amount of flour, working together and setting to side of bowl.  Continue until all the flour and water have been used.  Bring all the dough together; Add more flour or water if needed in order to work the dough together.  Knead the dough 8 to 10 minutes until dough feels elastic. Pour olive over dough, turning to coat both sides. Place in bowl and put towel over dough; let rise in warm place, 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until doubled in size.

 

2. Punch dough down.  Let dough rise another 1 hour if time permits. After second rising, punch dough down and divide into three parts, shaping each part into loaves. Sprinkle cornmeal on stone and place loaves 2-inches apart.  Let rise to double in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

 

3. Beat the egg white, and 1 tablespoon water until foamy; brush over the top of each loaf and sprinkile with sesame seeds.  Make 2 to 3 cuts across the top of each loaf with a serated-edge knife.  Place bread in oven and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown.