Italian Bread
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Two Great Italian Bread Recipes

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is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight..."
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Italian Bread
Bon Appetit September 1980

 Glaze:
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt

Bread:
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F.)
2 tablespoons oil [we use olive oil]
2 large garlic cloves, halved
2 cups bread flour (10 ounces)
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (5 ounces)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon minced fresh basil leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried, crumbled
Cornmeal

For glaze: Insert steel knife in food processor and mix egg with salt 2 seconds; remove and set aside. Do not clean work bowl.
For bread: Oil a large mixing bowl and set aside. Combine yeast and sugar with warm water in small bowl and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil in small skillet over low heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not brown, about 8 minutes. In food processor fitted with steel knife combine flours, salt, basil and garlic-oil mixture and mix 5 seconds. Add yeast mixture through feed tube with machine running and continue mixing until dough is uniformly moist and elastic, about 40 seconds. Transfer to oiled bowl, turning to coat all surfaces. Cover bowl with damp towel. Let stand in warm draft-free area (an oven preheated to lowest setting 2 minutes and then turned off works well; cushion bottom of bowl with pot holder) until dough has doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Grease or oil double French bread pans or baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal.  Punch dough down and divide in half. Roll 1 half out on lightly floured surface into an 8-by-10-inch-rectangle. Roll up lengthwise (as for jelly roll), pinching ends and seam tightly.  Repeat with remaining half of dough. Place seam side down in pans or on baking sheet. Cover with damp towel and set stand in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.  About 15 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Slash tops of loaves with steel knife of food processor and brush with glaze, being careful not to drip glaze onto pan. Bake until loaves sound hollow when tapped n bottom, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove loaves from pans and let cool on wire rack. Reheat just before serving.

Monti's Roman Bread
Monti's La Casa Vieja - Tempe, AZ
Bon Appetit October 1980

1 1/2 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees F.)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cake compressed yeast
4 cups (or more) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon coarse salt
Dried rosemary

Combine water and sugar in large mixing bowl. Crumble yeast over, then stir well. Let mixture stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 cups flour, blending well. Add another 2 cups flour, onion and 2 teaspoons salt. Transfer dough to well-floured board and knead until smooth, about 20 minutes, adding more flour as necessary to prevent sticking.  Place dough in well-oiled owl, turning to coat all surfaces. Cover with towel and let rise in warm draft-free area until doubled, about 1 hour.
Turn dough out onto oiled baking sheet. Shape into round loaf 1 inch thick. Let dough rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Brush top of loaf lightly with oil. Sprinkle with coarse salt and rosemary. Bake until top is very lightly browned, 20 to 20 minutes. Serve warm.
 

Featured Archive Recipes:
chefmike's Basil Bread
Cheese-Filled Torta
Pane alla Contadina (Peasant Bread)
Pane al Pesto
 

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