Are you ready to learn how to make homemade crusty Italian bread with a soft, airy inside and a golden, fragrant crust?
Imagine biting into a piece of bread that tastes just like the one you'd enjoy at a small bakery in Italy. With this recipe, you'll be able to create that same delicious bread right at home!
The best part? You only need few simple ingredients: flour, water, yeast, sugar and salt.
No fancy equipment is required—just a bowl to mix the dough and a little time for it to rise. I’ll walk you through how to shape the dough into loaves and bake it to perfection.
In just a few steps, you’ll have a loaf of bread that’s crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and filled with flavor.
It stays fresh for days and can even be frozen for later. It’s so good, you’ll feel like a professional baker every time you make it!
Ingredients
Prep Time: 15 min | Leavening Time: 4 Hours | Cook Time: 25 min | Servings: 10-12
- 300 g (2 ½ cups) of manitoba flour
- 200 g (1 ½ cups) of "00" flour + more for dusting
- 400 ml (1 ¾ cups) of water (room temperature)
- 7 g (2 ¼ teaspoons) of instant dry yeast
- 10 g (2 teaspoons) of granulated sugar
- 15 g (2 ½ teaspoons) of salt
NOTE ABOUT THE FLOUR: Along with "00" flour, I used manitoba flour because it’s perfect for making bread that needs to rise well. Manitoba flour has a high protein content and can absorb a lot of water (up to 90% of its weight), which helps create a crusty bread with a soft, airy crumb. If you can’t find manitoba flour, you can use 500 g (1.1 pound) of "type 1" flour instead.
Instructions
Step 1) - Choose a large bowl, as the dough will need space to triple in size while it rises. Mix both types of flour together in the same bowl. Then add the yeast and sugar (which helps activate the yeast).
Step 2) - Stir the ingredients with a fork (or a whisk if you prefer). Gradually add the room temperature water. Start with 370 ml (1 ½ cups), and if the dough seems too dry, you can add the remaining water little by little. The goal is to have a soft and slightly sticky dough. Finally add the salt and mix.
The Leavening
Step 3) - Lightly sprinkle a handful of flour over the top of the dough. Cover the bowl with cling film and place it in the oven (make sure the oven is off) to rise for about 3 hours. During this time, the dough should triple in volume.
Why rise the dough in the oven? Bread dough rises better in a warm, humid environment, ideally around 28°C (82°F). The oven, even when turned off, provides the perfect space for this. Tip: If your oven is too cold and you want to speed up the rising process, simply turn on the oven light to create a little warmth.
Step 4) - After rising, your dough should be soft and well-risen. Now, turn the dough out onto a floured work surface.
How to Fold Bread Dough
Step 5) - Don't worry if the dough feels soft or sticky. Dust your hands with flour to make it easier to handle. Fold the dough in a “wallet” style, from left to right, then again from right to left. Then, fold it from top to bottom, and bottom to top. This step helps strengthen the dough.
How to Shape Homemade Bread
Step 6) - Sprinkle a bit of flour on the surface of the dough. Lift it gently and flip it over so the smooth side is on top. Use a sharp, long knife to cut the dough into three equal-sized loaves.
Step 7) - Using floured hands, lift each loaf by its ends and place them on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Lightly dust the loaves with flour. Use your hands to shape the loaves, rounding the ends if necessary. You can also choose to make just two large loaves or several smaller ones if you prefer.
Let the loaves rise again by placing them in the oven (off and closed) for 1 hours, or until they double in size. The loaves may spread and touch each other during this second rise, but don't worry—you can separate them with a knife before baking.
How to Bake Bread
Step 8) - Preheat your oven to 250°C (482°F). Once it reaches the right temperature, place the baking sheet with the loaves on the lower rack of the oven, close to the base. Bake for about 12 minutes.
After 12 minutes, move the baking sheet to the center rack and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Finally, without opening the oven, lower the temperature to 230°C (446°F) and continue baking for another 5 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown.
Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool for about 5 minutes. Your homemade crusty Italian bread is ready to enjoy—crispy, fragrant, and just as delicious as the bread from a bakery!
YOU MUST ALSO TRY:
- How to Make Tomato Focaccia
- How to Make Homemade Italian Bread Crumbs
- Panzanella Salad | Classic Tuscan Bread Salad
- Pappa al Pomodoro Recipe | Tuscan Tomato Bread Soup
- authentic Italian pizza dough recipe
- Quick Pizza Dough Recipe
- Taralli Recipe
Storage
- Paper bag + plastic bag: to keep the bread fresh and crispy for 2-3 days, you can put it first in a paper food bag, then in a plastic bag. The humidity that the bread releases is absorbed by the paper bag and the plastic bag will limit its exposure to the air, preventing it from becoming hard.
- White, soft and damp cloth: Wrap the bread in a white cloth, close all sides well and keep it in an open bread container, away from heat sources: the product remains crunchy and does not lose its original characteristics.
- Freezer: If you realize you've made too much bread, your best bet is to freeze it. So store it in plastic bags suitable for food, close well and freeze. When you decide to eat it, it's enough to take it out of the freezer a few hours ahead of time and let it thaw at room temperature without a bag. DO NOT defrost in the microwave.
Tips
What is the Best Flour to Make Bread?
- Type 1 and Type 2 Flour: These flours contain more bran and wheat germ, making them rich in nutrients. They have a high protein content (12%), especially proteins like gliadin and glutenin, which form gluten. They are perfect for making bread, pizza, and focaccia. When buying, check that the protein content is at least 12%.
- White Whole Wheat Flour: This flour is also great for homemade bread because it’s rich in natural fibers and has a high protein content (12%).
- Manitoba Flour: This special flour can absorb up to 90% of liquid and is often used to strengthen weaker flours like "00". It’s rich in protein and is commonly used for making bread because it helps create a soft, airy crumb.
- "00" Flour: While "00" flour is often considered the best, it actually lacks the gluten strength needed for bread to rise properly. It’s made from the innermost part of the wheat, which means it has fewer fibers, vitamins, and minerals. It’s low in protein (about 9%), so it’s not ideal for long-rising dough like bread when used alone.
Recipe Card
Homemade Crusty Italian Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 300 g manitoba flour - 2 ½ cups
- 200 g "00" flour - 1 ½ cups + more for dusting
- 400 ml water - 1 ¾ cups (room temperature)
- 7 g instant dry yeast - 2 ¼ teaspoons
- 10 g granulated sugar - 2 teaspoons
- 15 g salt - 2 ½ teaspoons
Instructions
The Dough
- Choose a large bowl, as the dough will need space to triple in size while it rises. Mix both types of flour together in the same bowl. Then add the yeast and sugar (which helps activate the yeast).
- Stir the ingredients with a fork (or a whisk if you prefer). Gradually add the room temperature water and mix. Start with 370 ml (1 ½ cups), and if the dough seems too dry, you can add the remaining water little by little.
- Finally add the salt and mix. The goal is to have a soft and slightly sticky dough.
The Leavening
- Lightly sprinkle a handful of flour over the top of the dough. Cover the bowl with cling film and place it in the oven (make sure the oven is off) to rise for about 3 hours. During this time, the dough should triple in volume.
- After rising, your dough should be soft and well-risen. Now, turn the dough out onto a floured work surface.
The Folds
- Don't worry if the dough feels soft or sticky. Dust your hands with flour to make it easier to handle. Fold the dough in a “wallet” style, from left to right, then again from right to left. Then, fold it from top to bottom, and bottom to top. This step helps strengthen the dough.
The Shape
- Sprinkle a bit of flour on the surface of the dough. Lift it gently and flip it over so the smooth side is on top. Use a sharp, long knife to cut the dough into three equal-sized loaves.
- Using floured hands, lift each loaf by its ends and place them on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Lightly dust the loaves with flour. Use your hands to shape the loaves, rounding the ends if necessary. You can also choose to make just two large loaves or several smaller ones if you prefer.
- Let the loaves rise again by placing them in the oven (off and closed) for 1 hours, or until they double in size. The loaves may spread and touch each other during this second rise, but don't worry—you can separate them with a knife before baking.
The Baking
- Preheat your oven to 250°C (482°F). Once it reaches the right temperature, place the baking sheet with the loaves on the lower rack of the oven, close to the base. Bake for about 12 minutes.
- After 12 minutes, move the baking sheet to the center rack and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Finally, without opening the oven, lower the temperature to 230°C (446°F) and continue baking for another 5 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown.
- Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool for about 5 minutes. Your homemade crusty Italian bread is ready to enjoy—crispy, fragrant, and just as delicious as the bread from a bakery!
Gabriella says
I substituted the manitoba flour for eikorn flour, and the bread came out delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
Lisa Betty says
I am an experienced bread maker and this is really a great recipe! Bravo!
Charles says
This bread recipe is amazing! The bread turns out perfectly golden and crisp on the outside, with a soft and airy interior. Can't wait to make it again!
Diane Nelson says
Wonderful bread! It was a huge hit with family! I served it with Italian Wedding Soup and it was perfect. I would only say that when you print out the recipe, it leaves off the sentence about when to add the salt, so you need to watch for that. And to me, it didn't seem to have enough salt, so maybe if you can add it when the flour is dry it might mix in more? I'm making this bread again today (it is THAT good!) and thinking of adding some rosemary - do you think this will work?
T Santa says
Thank you Diane for noting that the salt was eliminated from the "printed" recipe instructions. I haven't made it yet, but, in going over the steps I noticed it right away and thought to add all the dry ingredients together first without having to try and "mix" in salt after the water was added. Thanks for the catch!
T Santa says
I commented that I would mix all the dry ingredients together since the salt was missing from the printed recipe. I WAS WRONG. The sugar and the salt cannot touch each other. That is why the sugar is mixed in first and the salt last. This is explained in the Pizza Dough Recipe. Whew! I averted a disaster!
Lori Dowil says
Great bread recipe! Do you have a recipe for pizza dough?
Barbara says
Hi Lori
Here you can find our pizza dough recipe!
Micki C says
Hi there!
I want to give this a try - looks delish! The closest to any of the flour types mentioned that I can find locally is Pillsbury Bread Flour, 12% protein. Can I use this for the full volume of flour needed in this recipe? Thanks for your help!
Barbara says
Hi Micki!
Sure try it! Then let us know how it is your bread! 😀
Charlie says
What I want to know is if Farina D’America Manitoba flour
is good for making crusty home made Italian bread.
Barbara says
Farina D’America Manitoba is perfect Charlie! Go ahead and make a great Italian bread!
SIDNEY BINKS says
question...i am trying to find a receipe close to my Italian grandmothers....i remember that there was definately NO sugar...can i skip the sugar? the rest sounds similar. She used to raise the dough twice and beat it down twice and then raise it a final time in the bread pan....this ended in a loaf that was very airy. My grandfather made his own and only beat it once because he liked his bread less airy....wondering what your opinion is on the beating it down and on the sugar...
Barbara says
Hello Sidney,
So as for sugar, nowadays it is often used together with yeast to make bread and pizza dough. The main function of sugar in dough is to provide nourishment to the yeast so that its metabolism receives the energy necessary to allow a dough to increase its volume. Making it simply: sugar activates yeast.
Having said that, I too remember that my grandmother didn't use sugar to make bread. And I also remember that she kneaded the bread dough at least 2 or 3 times and that she made it rise up to 12 hours.
Today, I would say fortunately, we can take advantage of different and special flours to make bread dough, but also pizza (the doughs are similar). With manitoba flour, for example, you have a more airy dough that lives up in a short time. With the help of sugar, the process is even faster. In a few hours you can eat homemade bread without making a lot of effort or waiting many hours. Then if you use the oven trick, letting the bread dough rise covered in the oven when is off, the times are even shorter.
So, what about, welcome to modern times? 😉
In the end, you can skip sugar and use flour "1" or "2" if you prefer, which were more or less what my grandmother used (at that time the flours were not as refined as they are nowadays). Have patience because the rising times will probably be longer; proceed following the doses of this recipe. Let me know the result!