Secret to Homemade Bread (with recipe for Italian Bread)

I bake a lot of bread, and I try to get my kids in the kitchen whenever possible. I recently had my 7 year old make a loaf of Italian Bread and I thought it would be fun to pass along some of the basic bread baking tips that I taught her. At the end of this post is a recipe for an Italian Bread. Crunchy outside, perfect moist crumb inside, a satisfying reward for all of your effort.

Bread Baking Tips
1. Check the expiration date of your yeast. Expired yeast won't activate and your bread won't rise. Buy a fresh bottle if you are unsure of your dates.

2. Your water has to be the perfect temperature (105 - 115F). If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast. If it is too cold, the yeast won't activate. The easiest way to test the water is to feel it. I run the tap over my hand and adjust the temperature until the water feels the same temperature as my hand. If you've ever warmed up a baby bottle, you know the right temperature.

3. Knead, knead, knead! Kneading the dough develops the glutens in the flour. You should knead for about 10 minutes. I always use my stand mixer with a dough hook for this job, but you can always do it by hand too. Your dough should pull together into a nice smooth ball that holds its shape. You'll know it's been kneaded long enough when you poke your finger in and the indentation fills back in quickly. If your dough hasn't been kneaded enough, your bread will come out dense and flat.

4. Let your dough rise in a warm (70 - 80F) place. I usually set my dough to rise on the stove when I have something else baking in the oven. Other times I let my oven warm up to the lowest setting, turn it off immediately, and then set my dough bowl in the oven.

5. Cover the top of your bowl with either a piece of plastic wrap or a cloth towel. If your bowl isn't covered, the exposed dough will start to dry out.

6. After your dough has risen to double its size, gently punch it down. You can knead a couple of times, but be careful not to over knead it. This step will remove some of the gas and redistribute it evenly, producing a finer grain. Let it rest for about 10 minutes after you punch it down. This will allow the glutens to relax and make shaping the loaf easier.

7. Try again! If your first loaf of bread didn't come out how you expected, don't give up! Baking bread from scratch can be intimidating, but it's actually quite easy. Fresh ingredients and practice will have you baking the perfect loaf every time.

Basic Italian Bread
Yield: 1 large loaf

INGREDIENTS
2 cups water, lukewarm
1/3 cup yeast
5 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 egg white, lightly beaten

DIRECTIONS
Place the water and yeast in the bowl of an electric mixer and allow the yeast to bloom for about 5 minutes. Using a dough hook attachment, add the flour and sugar to the water and mix on low speed until a dough starts to form. Drizzle the oil and salt into the dough and beat on medium speed for 8 to 10 minutes, or until a smooth, firm, elastic dough is formed.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and spray the dough with a thin coating of cooking spray. Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to proof in a warm, draft-free place for 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size. Remove the plastic wrap, punch down and flatten the rounded dough with the heel of your hand. Roll the dough up tightly, sealing the seam well after each roll. The dough should be elongated and oval-shaped, with tapered and rounded (not pointed) ends.

Preheat the oven lined with a pizza stone to 425 F. Alternately, an inverted baking sheet may be used in place of a pizza stone.

Place the dough on a baker's peel heavily dusted with semolina flour, or cornmeal, or alternately on an inverted baking sheet. Allow the dough to proof, loosely covered with a damp towel, for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size. Brush the dough with the egg white. Using a sharp knife, score 1/4-inch deep slashes across the top of the dough at a 45 degree angle.

Spray the dough generously with water from a water bottle and place in the oven on the baking stone. Immediately close the oven and bake for 3 minutes. Open the oven door and spray the dough again with the water bottle. Close the oven door and bake for an additional 3 minutes before spraying the dough for a third time (the spraying of the dough will ensure a crisp golden brown crust). Bake the dough for 45 minutes, or until a hollow thud is heard when the bread is whacked with the bowl of a wooden spoon. Allow the bread to cool slightly before serving.