Description
This Italian Sandwich Bread recipe is a simple, basic, and foolproof loaf perfect for everyday use. It produces a fluffy, soft bread with a beautiful sesame seed crust that looks fancy but is incredibly easy to make. Ideal for beginners, this recipe guarantees a delicious homemade Italian sandwich bread with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting)
- 2 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (plus extra for greasing)
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water (for egg wash)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients: In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the flour, yeast, sugar, water, salt, and olive oil. If the dough looks too dry, add a bit more water. If it is too sticky and doesn’t come off the bowl, add a little more flour.
- Knead the dough: Knead the dough on a floured surface for 8-10 minutes until smooth and stretchy. Alternatively, use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook on low speed for 5-10 minutes. The dough should be very smooth and stretchy and can be stretched thin without tearing.
- First rise: Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
- Shape into a loaf: Turn the dough onto the counter and stretch it into a rectangle about 9 by 18 inches. Fold the corners in and roll it into a log. Pinch all seams closed and place the dough into a greased loaf pan.
- Second rise: Let the dough rise again in the loaf pan for 1 hour, until it rises at least 1 inch above the top of the pan.
- Preheat oven and prepare topping: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) with the rack in the center. Mix the egg with 1 tablespoon water, brush this egg wash over the loaf, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Bake the bread: Bake the dough for about 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when tapped.
- Cool before slicing: Remove bread from the oven, take it out of the pan, and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing for best texture.
Notes
- Ensure the water used for the dough is warm but not hot to activate the yeast properly.
- For a softer crust, you can brush the loaf with melted butter immediately after baking.
- Leftover bread can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
- Feel free to add herbs like rosemary or oregano to the dough for extra flavor.
- If using active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, dissolve it in warm water with sugar before adding to flour.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 60g)
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 250mg
- Fat: 3.5g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
Keywords: Italian sandwich bread, homemade bread, sesame seed bread, easy bread recipe, yeast bread, soft bread loaf
