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This is the BEST homemade crusty Italian bread recipe made with just 5 simple ingredients. Crusty on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside, this simple bread recipe is great to make ahead.
A loaf of Italian crusty bread is one of the best side dishes for a homemade Sunday dinner. It's great for mopping up sauce or savory juices from a dish and is simple to make at home.
With a few ingredients, you can make your own bread the day before, making dinner time easy and delicious!
Whether you are serving frutti di mare, steak pizzaiola, or penne alla vodka, this homemade Italian bread is something you are going to fall in love with!
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🥖 Ingredient notes
- Flour - Bread flour is a type of flour with a higher protein content that helps develop gluten in the bread. Find it in the baking aisle at the grocery store or all purpose flour will work as a substitute if needed. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure the bread flour as it will provide the most accurate measurement. 20 ounces is approximately 4 cups, so I recommend starting with 3 ½ cups of flour and then adding more as necessary so the dough doesn't get too dry.
- Yeast - Active dry yeast needs to be activated by adding it to warm water and letting it start to foam. You can substitute instant yeast and just mix everything together. Instant yeast will also make the bread rise faster.
- Water - The water needs to be warm, approximately 110˚. Hot water will kill the yeast and cold water won't activate it. A kitchen thermometer or infrared thermometer will help you make sure your water is at the right temperature. You can also feel the temperature of the water on the inside of your wrist. It should feel like warm bath water.
- Salt - Fine sea salt adds flavor and is easy to get an accurate measurement. If you don't have sea salt, use kosher salt but go a little bit lighter on the measurement. Iodized salt can sometimes affect the flavor of the bread, so I don't recommend using it.
- Oil - Extra virgin olive oil also adds a nice depth of flavor to the bread. Regular olive oil will also work as a substitute. Read more about different types of olive oil so you can make sure you have the perfect taste for your bread.
📋 Substitutions and variations
- Stand Mixer - This easy homemade bread recipe can be mixed and kneaded in the bowl of a stand mixer. Use a dough hook attachment to mix the yeast mixture with the remaining ingredients on low speed. Once the dough comes together, increase the speed and knead until smooth and elastic. This will be a bit quicker and easier than doing it by hand.
- No Overnight Ferment - In a hurry, you can skip the step where the bread dough sits in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours. The overnight ferment helps develop flavor and texture in the bread, but it will still be delicious without it.
- Shapes - Instead of shaping the dough into two baguettes, shape the dough into two rounds or one larger oval shape.
🥣 Step by step instructions
First, combine yeast with the warm water in a large bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes until it starts to foam. Add the flour, along with the olive oil and salt, and mix everything into rough dough using a wooden spoon.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5-7 minutes into smooth dough. You can add a little flour if needed if the dough is too sticky.
Place the dough in a clean greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a warm place and let it sit for 1-2 hours until the bread dough has doubled in size. If time allows, move the bowl to the refrigerator and let it continue to rise for 12-24 hours.
Punch down the dough and divide it into two equal pieces. Roll each of them out into a large rectangle that is about 1-2 inches thick. Roll the dough up, starting on the longest side, then pinch the ends to form baguette-shaped loaves.
Place the loaf seam side down onto a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal or lined with parchment paper. Cover lightly with a tea towel and let it rise for 45-60 minutes at room temperature until they have doubled in size again.
Preheat oven to 450˚ with a large cast iron skillet on the lower rack of the oven. When the dough is done rising, remove the towel and use a knife to slice a 1-inch cut down most of the way down the top of each loaf.
Place the sheet pan with the dough on the center rack of the oven above the cast iron skillet. Pour enough water into the skillet so it comes up about halfway and then close the oven door.
Bake the bread for 18-20 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Remove the bread from the oven and transfer the loaves to a cooling rack. Let them cool for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
If you ever don't recognize a tool or skill that is mentioned, be sure to look it up in our Glossary of Cooking Terms and Definitions for more information.
⭐ Expert tips
- Let the yeast mixture sit for about 5 minutes before adding the other ingredients. This helps jump-start the yeast so the bread rises well.
- Be careful not to add too much flour to the dough. It shouldn't stick to your hands but should be tacky to the touch. Start with 3 ½ cups and then add a little bit at a time during kneading as necessary.
- Kneading the bread is very important to develop a soft, chewy texture. The dough should be soft and elastic when it's done kneading. If you stick your finger into the bread it should bounce back. You should also be able to stretch the dough a bit without it tearing. If it tears easily, then it needs more time kneading. About 5-7 minutes works well and will yield the appropriate texture.
- If you decide to do the overnight ferment, take the dough out about 30 minutes before you are ready to shape it. It helps it warm up a bit so it's easier to roll and shape the loaves.
- Make sure to score the bread loaves after shaping them. This creates weak spots for the bread to expand so you don't have any seams that burst or other cracks in the bread.
- The skillet of water under the bread in the oven creates steam. Steam in the oven helps create the perfect crust for the bread. You can omit this, however, the crust will not be as hard on the outside.
- Don't overbake the bread. The crust should be golden brown and it should sound hollow when you knock on the top of the bread.
- Letting the bread cool on a cooling rack will make sure the moisture from the bread has room to escape and doesn't condensate and soften the crust.
⏲️ Make ahead and storage instructions
This homemade crusty Italian bread is perfect to make ahead of time. I start the dough in the morning the day before and let it sit in the refrigerator for the full 24 hours.
It can be made up to 2 days ahead of time and can sit at room temperature uncovered for 1-2 days. Once you cut the bread, it's best to keep it in a ziptop bag or wrapped in plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out.
🥖 More bread recipes
If you loved this homemade crusty Italian bread recipe, check out these other bread recipes that I know you will love too!
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
- Traditional Italian Easter Bread Recipe
- Homemade Honey Wheat Bread
- Banana Bread with Greek Yogurt
- Braided Italian Pesto Bread
Recipe
Homemade Crusty Italian Bread
Video
Ingredients
- 12 ounces warm water, approximately 110˚ F
- 1 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 20 ounces bread flour, approximately 4 cups
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- cornmeal, for dusting the baking sheet
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the warm water and yeast. Stir to combine and let sit for 5 minutes until the yeast starts to foam.
- Add the bread flour, salt and olive oil and stir to form a rough dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead and 5-7 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Lightly grease a large clean bowl with extra olive oil and add the dough. Turn it over in the bowl so it's covered with the oil and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Place in a warm spot to rise 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
- Move the covered bowl to the refrigerator for 12-24 hours to get the best flavor and texture to the bread.
- Take the dough out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Punch down the dough and split into two equal pieces.
- Roll each piece of dough out into a large rectangle that is about 1-2 inches thick. Starting on the long side, roll the dough up and then pinch the ends into a point to form a baguette shape.
- Place the two baguettes on a sheet pan that has been sprinkled with a little bit of cornmeal or lined with parchment paper.
- Cover the loafs lightly with a tea towel and let them rise in a warm place for 45-60 minutes until doubled in size.
- When the dough is almost done rising, preheat the oven to 450˚ with a large cast iron skillet on the bottom rack of the oven.
- After the dough is done rising, remove the towel and use a sharp knife to run a 1 inch slit down the top of each loaf.
- Add the sheet pan with the loafs to the middle rack and then add enough water to the cast iron skillet below so it's filled about halfway.
- Immediately close the oven door and bake the bread for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. The bread should also have a hollow sound when you knock on the top of it.
- Transfer the bread to a cooling rack to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Be careful not to add too much flour to the dough. It shouldn't stick to your hands but should be tacky to the touch.
- Kneading the bread is important and should be done till it's soft & elastic. The dough should spring back when a finger is stuck in it. It also should stretch easily and not rip.
- Make sure to score the bread after shaping them. This creates weak spots for the bread to expand so you don't have any seams that burst or other cracks in the bread.
- The skillet of water under the bread in the oven creates steam. Steam in the oven helps create the perfect crust for the bread. You can omit this, however, the crust will not be as hard on the outside.
Substitutions and Variations
- Stand Mixer - The bread can be mixed together and kneaded in a stand mixer. Mix the yeast mixture with the other ingredients on low until the dough comes together. Increase speed to medium and mix and knead until smooth and elastic.
- No Overnight Ferment - Letting the dough sit in the refrigerator for 12-24 hours develops the best flavor and texture to the bread. In a hurry, this step can be skipped. Follow the instructions for shaping, the second rising, and baking the bread as directed.
- Shapes - Instead of shaping the dough into two baguettes, shape the dough into two rounds or one larger oval shape.
Amy
Delicious bread and a hot with my boys. Said it was the best bread they’ve tasted!
Will definitely make again. Followed the recipe precisely.
Amanda Scarlati
So glad your family enjoyed it! Thank you for trying the recipe!
Sonja F.
I tried this recipe yesterday and was very happy with the results! This bread has a good crust and dense texture, typical of authentic Italian bakeries. This recipe is definitely going in my recipe box!
Amanda Scarlati
Thank you Sonja, I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Kristin
I have made this recipe multiple times and it has the best flavor and texture! Such an easy and delicious bread!
Amanda Scarlati
Thanks Kristin! I'm so glad you enjoy it!
TINA
Where's the sugar to activate the dry yeast? My first try without sugar didn't work. Had to use sugar. But you don't state this. How did you get 5* for not stating the obvious?
Amanda
Hey Tina, Thanks for your comment. You don't need sugar to activate yeast. It helps to jump start the process and make sure your yeast is alive, but isn't necessary. If your bread didn't work, it's possible that your yeast is going bad or you didn't give it time to rise. I, as well as others, have made this recipe many times without sugar and it has turned out just fine.