Every time I make pasta, I serve it with home-baked Italian Bread and dipping oil! Sometimes with a salad, sometimes not - but always with this
It's truly a family favorite!
Ingredients
For Bread
1 Tbsp or 1 Pkg. Active Yeast
1 Tsp. Sugar
1 Cup Warm Water (105 - 115 Degrees)
1/4 Olive Oil (plus extra for greasing bowl)
3/4 Cup Warm Water
1 Tbsp. Salt
5 to 6 Cups Bread Flour
For Dipping Oil
1 to 2 Tsp. Italian Seasoning
1/4 to 1/2 Tsp. Garlic Salt
1/8 to 1/4 Tsp. Crushed Red Pepper
1 to 2 Tbsp. Grated Parmesian Cheese
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
Making The Bread
Get your 1 cup of warm water. I always check mine with the thermometer - because if it's too hot, you kill the yeast - too cold and the yeast won't activate (then all the rest of this is for naught).
Pour yeast, sugar, and 1 cup of warm water into a warmed bowl for your mixer (to warm your bowl, just run it under hot water and dry it).
Mix on low speed while you gather your other ingredients (for 2 to 3 minutes).
Add 1/4 cup flour and mix on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes to proof your yeast. Be sure that it is nice and bubbly.
Add 1/4 cup olive oil and 1 cup of flour. Mix.
Continue mixing, adding the 3/4 cup of warm water and 3 additional cups of flour. Use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl.
Mix on medium speed for 5 to 6 minutes. Your dough will be sticky at this point, and stuck to your dough hook in a ball.
Spread out approximately one cup of flour to knead your dough. Grease your bowl with about a tablespoon of olive oil, and remove the dough from your dough hook with the oil on your hands (remember - it's sticky).
Knead the dough for approximately 5 to 7 minutes, kneading in the one cup of flour. Add flour as necessary just until the dough no longer sticks to your kneading surface.
Place the dough upside down in the bowl first to grease the top, then rotate it.
Cover with a warm, moist towel for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the dough has approximately doubled in size.
Cut the dough in half, and shape into 2 round loaves.
Do not cover this time, just spread a bit of olive oil over the top of each loaf so it doesn't dry out. And, cut an "X" on top of each loaf. Allow to rise for 1 to 2 hours, until about doubled in size.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Slice and serve. Makes 2 - 9" Round Loaves.
Making The Dipping Oil
Place all dry ingredients on plate.
Add olive oil, and mix.
Note: These are approximate measurements (I'm not the measuring kind - if you know what I mean) but, just play with it. If you like it more salty and garlic"y" - add more garlic salt! If you're a spicy one, add a bit more crushed red pepper! Play with it until you find a mix you like!
Serve with pasta for dinner
- or you can do what Studly and I usually do!
Bake the bread before you cook dinner, open a bottle of vino, put on some nice music,
and snack on it as an appetizer while the two of you cook dinner! Because
"Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all!" - Harriet Van Horne
And, I'll just add that cooking, love and vino - well - they go together splendidly!
Enjoy!
TTFN,
Kelly
