| Italian Bread ~ After making your Italian bread consider stuffing it... Killer Stuffed Garlic Bread 5-5½ cups sifted all-purpose flour 1 package active dry yeast 2 cups warm water 1 tbsp salt 1. Soften yeast in ¼ cup warm water. Set aside. 2. Combine remaining water and salt in a large mixing bowl. Blend in 3 cups of flour. Stir softened yeast and add to flour mixture, mixing well. 3. Add about half the remaining flour to the yeast mixture and beat until very smooth. Mix in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Knead 5 to 8 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. 4. Shape dough into a smooth ball and place in a greased bowl, just large enough to allow to double. Turn dough to bring greased surface to the top. Cover bowl with wax paper and towel. Let stand in warm place (about 80º F until dough is doubled (1½ - 2 hours). 5. When dough has doubled in bulk, punch down with fist. Knead on a lightly floured surface about 2 minutes. Divide into 2 equal balls. Cover with towel and let stand 10 minutes. 6. Roll each ball into a 14x8-inch rectangle. Roll up lightly from wide side into a long, slender loaf. Pinch ends to seal. Place loaves on a lightly grease 15x10-inch baking sheet. Cover loosely with a towel and set aside in a warm place until doubled. 7. Bake at 425º F for 10 minutes. Turn oven to 350º F and bake for 1 hour or until golden brown. 2 loaves Note: To increase crustiness, place shallow pan on the bottom of the oven and fill with boiling water at the beginning of the baking time. |
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