Need a quick and easy bread recipe? This basic Italian bread recipe requires just 6 simple ingredients and it’s so delicious!

We love to eat Italian food around here and honestly, no bread goes better with red sauce than the crunchy on the outside – chewy in the middle Italian bread that we all know and love. So, of course we’ve gotta have a good basic Italian bread recipe, right?!

Yes, of course!

Italian bread is a great addition to your favorite comfort foods, like Spaghetti & Sausage Meatballs or Homemade Lasagna.

Plus, it makes the perfect crust for Meatball Subs or Homemade French Bread Pizza, too!

There are so many different ways you can enjoy this yummy bread, so use your imagination!

Here’s a few more ideas to get you started…

• French Bread Pizza Burgers: Just 4 Ingredients!
• Spaghetti and Spicy Meat Sauce Recipe
• Cheese Ravioli Lasagna AKA Cheater Lasagna
• Quick and Easy Baked Ravioli Alfredo Recipe
• Chicken Bacon Meatball Subs Recipe

Here’s the recipe…

Supplies/Equipment Required:

• Small bowl
• Large mixing bowl and electric mixer or Stand mixer with bowl
• Rolling pin
• 2 Large baking sheets
• Pastry brush

Continue to Content

Yield: 4 loaves

Basic Italian Bread Recipe

Print

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups warm water, approx. 110 degrees Fahrenheit
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 teaspoons yeast
• 6 cups unbleached flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

1. Pour water, sugar and yeast into a small bowl. Stir to combine. Set aside.
2. Combine flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.
3. Pour yeast mixture into the flour. Add olive oil. Mix using an electric mixer, with a dough hook, on low speed for about 5 minutes.
4. Cover and allow bread dough to rise for 30 to 40 minutes or until it doubles in size.
5. Sprinkle counter with a light dusting of flour. Roll dough onto the floured work space and knead for 2 to 3 minutes. Shape dough into 4 loaves, approximately 10 inches long x 3 inches wide.
6. Place bread dough onto 2 large baking sheets. Allow bread tor rise for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
8. Combine egg white and water in a small bowl. Use a pastry brush to gently, apply egg wash to the top of each loaf of bread.
9. Place bread into the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Serve warm with Spaghetti & Spicy Meat Sauce or Homemade Lasagna! I hope you’ve enjoyed learning how to make this basic Italian bread recipe. It’s the best one I’ve found yet!

Enjoy!

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Vanessa Hamlin

Vanessa Hamlin is the owner and founder of Food Life Design and VLHamlinDesign. With her passion for frugal living and homesteading, Vanessa loves to write about easy recipes, making money, gardening, home remedies and everything else that a good life entails! When she’s not writing for Food Life Design or creating products for VLHamlinDesign, you’ll find Vanessa reading, drawing, gardening, cooking or spending time with her family.