Homemade Italian Bread

Have you ever made homemade bread?I have and I've been making homemade bread for years and it's not hard! I've even made it without my Kitchen Aid Mixer! But a few years ago the Colonel gave me a Kitchen Aid mixer for Mother's Day and it's wonderful. If you don't have a mixer with a dough hook, don't let that stop you from trying this recipe for homemade Italian bread.

After your yeast has risen, combine it with the flour and salt into a big bowl and begin to mix everything together with a wooden spoon or a regular mixer. Then transfer the dough to the counter and start the kneading process of pulling the dough ball towards you and pushing it away adding more flour until the dough is no longer sticky.After 5 to 10 minutes of hand kneading, the dough will become really soft and smooth and YOU'RE done!

Ingredients:

1 cup Warm Water

1 Tablespoon Honey

1 envelope Active Dry Yeast (2 ¼ Teaspoons)

1 teaspoon Salt

3 cups Bread Flour (I use regular flour and the bread comes out fine)

Combine the yeast with the warm water (105 - 110 degrees) and add the honey.

Let this sit for about 5 to 10 minutes.

You want to make sure your yeast is alive.

Happy, alive yeast.

Add the yeast to your mixing bowl.

Add the salt.

Begin adding the flour, in ¼ cup intervals.

Once the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl set a timer for 5 minutes and walk away. Let the mixer knead the dough for you.

Perfectly kneaded dough.

Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about one hour.

Now the fun begins by shaping the dough! You can divide the dough in half and twist each half.

Or you can do my favorite way and divide the dough in half, twist each half and then place both halves into a greased bundt pan.

Either way you decide, let the dough rise again until it is doubled in size.

I like to brush my bread dough with melted butter before baking. Bake your Italian bread in a preheated 385 oven for about 20 minutes or until it is golden brown.

Homemade Italian Bread on a cutting board from Walking on Sunshine.

Doesn't that look delicious?

Homemade Italian Bread sliced on a cutting board from Walking on Sunshine.

Hasselback Chicken Stuffed with Mozzarella, Basil and Tomatoes

Homemade Tomato Sauce with Meatballs - perfect for the homemade bread recipe!

About Lois

Originally from Queens, NY, Lois is the voice behind Walking on Sunshine Recipes, where she shares easy, family-friendly meals made with simple ingredients. She believes dinner doesn’t have to be complicated to be delicious and offers practical recipes, monthly meal plans, and free printables to help busy families cook with less stress and more joy. When she’s not in the kitchen, Lois enjoys time with her family, gardening and sharing inspiration from her home in rural Pennsylvania.

Comments

Sharon says

February 10, 2012 at 7:23 pm

Oh that does look yummy and I love the smell bread baking in the kitchen.
I do not make home made bread as I have trouble with making anything with yeast.Not sure what I do wrong but it never raises.
Hugs

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Carol @ Always Thyme to Cook says

February 10, 2012 at 7:11 pm

Great looking bread, I bet your house smells so good. I would love to have a slice or two of that, nice and warm, slathered with butter.

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Christine says

February 10, 2012 at 6:49 pm

Delicious bread, Lois - you are such a wonderful cook and all round genius in the kitchen!
Thanks for the comment today re saving blogs to my list and guess what I tried to remove some blogs and it won't do that either!!! AAARRRGGGHHH!
Best wishes
Christine

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April says

February 10, 2012 at 6:28 pm

I saw that you had posted this recipe on Pinterest and I snagged it real quick! I love bread!

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Christine says

February 10, 2012 at 6:00 pm

I think you should publish your own cookbook. You'd give Ree Drumond (Pioneer Woman) a run for her money!

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Marti says

February 10, 2012 at 5:05 pm

I used to make this bread all the time, it was cheaper than buying a loaf, and it tasted so good.

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Jill says

February 10, 2012 at 4:35 pm

Wow. I am drooling!

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Paula says

February 10, 2012 at 4:34 pm

Oh my goodness~ I am so trying this! Thanks for the recipe, Lois!

Reply
My Journey With Candida says

February 10, 2012 at 3:57 pm

The Hubs loves homemade bread. I haven't made it in a long time because I don't eat it any longer and a loaf usually ends up going to waste. Hubs is trying to cut down so I just don't make it.

Your bread looks wonderful. I always loved it hot out of the oven with butter dripping all over it.

Reply
Cranberry Morning says

February 10, 2012 at 3:33 pm

That does look delicious! I've also been making homemade bread for years, but boy did it save on the wrists when I got my KitchenAid with the dough hook!

Reply

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Homemade Italian Bread

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