Crusty Italian Bread

If you've been following the blog from its inception, you will know I love making bread. So far I've shared a Cinnamon Raisin Bread, a Maple Whole Wheat Bread and a French Bread. This past Christmas I got an Italian Loaf Pan. I really wasn't sure how to use it. The directions said use a solid, sturdy dough. The dough from the French Bread is really sticky so I didn't think it would be a good tester loaf. So I started exploring and I found this great recipe from Cook Like Your Grandmother. It wasn't easy to find either, it was tucked away on the 10th page of Google results.






































This bread is a little time intensive, but I've found if you decrease the rising times it still works out beautifully. I would recommend rising 1 hour for the first rise, 20 minutes for the second rise. This is a serious reduction of the original rising time. If you have the time, do the full 2 hours and 40 minutes of rising, but if you don't, don't be afraid to decrease the time.

After the first rise, take the entire ball of dough and roll it into a long loaf then cut it in half with a dough cutter and line on your Italian Loaf Pan. According to the original recipe, you can also bake the loaves on a pizza stone or on the back of a baking sheet, so don't worry if you don't have an Italian loaf pan, although it helps make a crusty bread.

The bread goes great with anything. Traditionally we have it with spaghetti on nights before long runs, but we've also had it with pasta and peas and most recently as a sandwich with Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage Sausages sauteed with peppers and onions. It's also great paired with a soup.

For more detailed instructions, check out Cook Like Your Grandmother's post. The author, Drew Kime, provides step-by-step instructions. 

Crusty Italian Bread Adapted from Cook Like Your Grandmother

Ingredients

• 2     1/4 tsp instant yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water   

• 1 cup warm water

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt

•  1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Combine yeast and 1/4 cup warm water in small bowl. Let sit 3 minutes or until small bubbles form and yeast dissolves.

Pour 1 cup warm water in large bowl. Add dissolved yeast. Combine.

Add flour, sugar and salt. Mix until combined.

Once combined, add olive oil.

Knead for five minutes. Transfer dough to oiled bowl. Let rise one hour.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Roll dough in long loaf. Cut in half. Place on Italian loaf pan. Let rise 20 minutes.

Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven to 400 degrees. Bake an additional 15 minutes. Cover loaves with aluminum foil. Continue to bake an additional 10 minutes.

French Bread + A Sandwich

For years now, I have been making French bread for my family's pasta nights. I don't remember how I came across the recipe, but I did save the website. The other night I had the revelation it would make a great sub. So the next day, I whipped up another batch and served it hot for a Tofurky sandwich making buffet. With the holidays, we can all get sucked into cookies, candies and casseroles. Although they all taste great, sometimes it good to have a lighter day in between. In the following, I will detail the bread and the sandwich.

The first step for the French bread is to mix warm water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Then mix hot water, oil and additional sugar in a large bowl. To the large bowl, add two cups flour and mix until combined. Once combined, add yeast mixture. It will become very wet. Add another cup of flour and mix until nearly combined. For a minute or so, knead the dough until it comes together. Set aside for one hour.

After dough has risen, transfer to baking sheet. Stretch the dough diagonally across the pan, as seen below. Let rise an additional 30 minutes.

Once risen, place in oven and bake for 20 minutes.

If you'd like to make a sandwich, cut the bread up in thirds. My loaf was about 15 inches long, so each sandwich was about 5 inches long. Not each was equal, some were thicker than others, but that's OK. Then slice each horizontally, but don't slice all the way through. Then pile in with your favorite toppings. I recommend Vegenaise, Tofurky Peppered Deli Slices, mixed greens and a little cheese.

French Bread Adapted from La Fuji Mama

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/4 tsp sugar

• 1 cup hot water
• 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 cup oil
• 2 tsp salt

• 3 cups all purpose flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix yeast, warm water and 1/4 tsp sugar in small bowl. Set aside.

Mix hot water, 1 1/2 tbsp sugar, oil and salt in large bowl. Add two cups all purpose flour and mix until dough forms. Add yeast mixture. (Mixture will be very wet.) Add one cup flour and mix until dough forms. Let rise for one hour.

Transfer to baking sheet and stretch into long baguette. Let rise for 30 minutes.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

French Bread Tofurky Sandwich - Makes one

Ingredients

• 1 5-inch sub
• 1 tbsp vegenaise
• 3 slices peppered Tofurky
• Handful mixed greens
• 2 slices cheese

Instructions

Slice 5-inch sub horizontally. Spread vegenaise on one half. Pile with Tofurky, cheese and mixed greens.