Italian Bread (Bread Machine)

 

I decided to pop some flour, etc. into my bread machine before I went to church on Sunday morning so that I could have a fresh loaf of bread waiting for me when I got home. It had been a while since I had used my bread machine!  I thought it was about time I dusted it off and gave it a good work out!

This Italian Bread recipe is not one I had made before.  It uses simple ingredients, and I had everything in house to make it. It also goes really well with soup (its a great dunker) and so I thought it would go very well with a hot cup of soup after church.

It is a recipe I adapted from a book I have on my kindle entitled The Ultimate Bread Machine Cook Book by Tiffany Dahle.  Every recipe that I have baked from the book has been superior and so good that I am considering buying a hard copy of the book now.  I highly recommend.

This Italian Bread recipe was a great choice! It came out beautiful as you can see, with a lovely light tight texture and a moreishly crunchy crust!  I was well pleased with it!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE ITALIAN BREAD (BREAD MACHINE)

Simple ingredients, and a bread machine of course.  I have a Panasonic Automatic Bread Maker, Model #SDRD250.   I first learned about it from my friend Jo in the U.K.  She had one and recommended it.   I have been using this same model of bread machine for over 20 years now and am very pleased with it.

1 1/2-lb loaf:

• 3/4 cup (180ml) milk
• 3 TBS (45g) water
• 1 large egg
• 1 TBS (21g) butter cut into bits
• 3 cups (411g) bread flour
• 1 tsp (4g) sugar
• 1/2 tsp (3g) kosher salt
• 1 1/4 tsp (3.7g) yeast
• 1 1/4 tsp vital wheat gluten

2-pound loaf:

• 1 cup (240ml) milk
• 1/4 cup (60ml) water
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 TBS (21g) butter, cut into bits
• 4 cups (548g) bread flour
• 1 1/4 tsp (5g) sugar
• 3/4 tsp (4.5g) kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp (4.5g) yeast
• 1 1/4 tsp vital wheat gluten

 

I use salted butter as that is the only kind of butter I keep in the house. I only ever use unsalted butter if I think the salt will adversely affect a recipe and I haven't found one yet that it has really made a vital difference!

I use whole milk. It is the only milk I keep in the house also. Mine is also lactose free.

I do use bread flour, flour which is specifically milled to use in making bread. You can use regular flour if you wish, but if you do it is suggested that you also use some Vital Wheat Gluten to help boost the gluten in the flour.  You can buy this online, or you can buy it in the grocery store.  

I found it in my local store, and it was called Bread Booster.  Bear in mind, you will still need to use yeast as this product does not an is not intended to replace yeast.

 

HOW TO MAKE BREAD MACHINE ONION BREAD

Making bread in your bread machine is really quite easy to do. You must follow the directions as dictated by your own particular model however.  Some models want you to add the wet ingredients first and some require that you add the dry ingredients first.  Mine is a "dry ingredient first" machine.

You can also use the dough setting on your particular bread machine and then shape the bread manually, pop it into a regular loaf tin, let it rise and then bake it as you would any loaf of bread. This will give you a more conventional shaped loaf.  

Some people prefer this. I am not really bothered with the shape of my loaf.  For me it is all about taste and this is one great tasting loaf!

HINTS AND TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST BREAD IN A BREAD MACHINE

Really if you follow the directions on your particular bread machine your bread should work out perfectly, but there are a few things you can do that will give you an even better loaf of bread.

1. Measure by weight and not volume.  Weight is a much more precise way to measure. You can't go wrong.  I have a set of digital scales that I use. I just pop the bread pan onto them and measure away. My scales measure in grams, Kg, pounds and ounces, milliliters, etc. I started baking by weight when I lived in the UK and I would now never bake any other way.

2.  Bread machine loaves work best with bread flour.  Bread flour can also be labeled "Best for Bread" or "High Gluten flour."  

3. You can use regular flour, but if you do I recommend adding Vital Wheat Gluten to the recipe. This helps to boost the protein content of the bread.

4. Measure very carefully.  If you don't add enough flour, no matter the type of flour you use, the bread will collapse and often ends up uncooked in the center.  If you add too much flour, you will end up with a dense, hard heavy ball.

 

5.  I add Vital Wheat Gluten to all of my recipes for bread making in a bread machine. You can purchase it online.  It helps to yield a much better loaf, helping the loaf to rise higher with a nicer texture than without.  I buy mine on Amazon.

Vital wheat gluten is best stored in the refrigerator (for up to one year), but you can store it on the counter if you think you will use it up within two months (highly unlikely for the home baker.)

6. Yeast is a vital component in making yeasted breads! Duh. It can come in many forms. I recommend using yeast which is prepared specifically for use in the bread machine. I store my yeast in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator.

7. Salt is another important component in bread making. Do not however, let the salt touch the yeast.  Salt is important in bread making, not only as a flavor enhancer, but also in controlling the level of yeast fermentation.

8. Follow the recommendations when it comes to the order of adding ingredients to your machine. There are reasons why some machines put the dry ingredients first and the wet last.    Others might recommend putting in the wet first and the dry last. YOU NEED TO FOLLOW THE EXACT ORDER AS RECOMMENDED BY YOUR PARTICULAR MODEL!!

Most of the time when a recipe fails it is because the baker fails to follow the correct directions as per the machine they are using.

 

I think I have found a new favorite bread machine recipe. This bread is amazing. It is so light and squishy with a beautiful texture.  I could have eaten the whole thing without batting an eyelid. I had to restrain myself. I enjoyed the heel of it while it was not long out of the bread machine along with a cup of soup!

If you are looking for a great all-round loaf to start off your bread machine journey on, you could not go wrong with this one!

 

If you have a bread machine that you would like to dust off and use more often, you may also enjoy the following delicious options!

FRENCH SANDWICH PAIN AU LAIT- Golden brown on the outside with a beautiful tight texture.  When made conventionally, this is a slow rising bread which rises dramatically when baking.  Traditionally this type of bread would be baked in a lidded loaf pan to make perfectly square loaves. Baking this in the bread machine provides almost the same result.  It is a beautiful loaf and is perfect for sandwiches of any kind.

CHEDDAR CHEESE BREAD - This is my all-time favorite bread machine loaf of bread.  What you have here is a delicious, soft, beautiful textured loaf of Cheddar Cheese Bread.  I declare it even better than the one we had been buying at the local farm market.  Its fabulous! It has a beautiful cheesy flavor.

Yield: one loaf

Author: Marie Rayner

Italian Bread (Bread Machine)

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 4 HourTotal time: 4 H & 10 M

Light and simple, this is a beautiful bread that is great served on the side of soups, stews, etc. It also makes amazing toast!

Ingredients

1 1/2-lb loaf:

• 3/4 cup (180ml) milk
• 3 TBS (45g) water
• 1 large egg
• 1 TBS (21g) butter cut into bits
• 3 cups (411g) bread flour
• 1 tsp (4g) sugar
• 1/2 tsp (3g) kosher salt
• 1 1/4 tsp (3.7g) yeast
• 4 1/2 tsp vital wheat gluten

2-pound loaf:

• 1 cup (240ml) milk
• 1/4 cup (60ml) water
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 TBS (21g) butter, cut into bits
• 4 cups (548g) bread flour
• 1 1/4 tsp (5g) sugar
• 3/4 tsp (4.5g) kosher salt
• 1 1/2 tsp (4.5g) yeast
• 6 tsp vital wheat gluten

Instructions

1. Add the ingredients to your bread machine in the order suggested by your bread machine's manufacturer. (Mine has you put the dry ingredients first, followed by the wet.)
2. Choose the basic/white program setting according to your machine's options. Select the right setting for the loaf size and color. Press start.
3. Once the bread has finished baking, remove from the machine. Tip out onto a wire rack. Leave to cool for at least 10 minutes prior to slicing.

Notes

Serve fresh and warm, spread with butter alongside of any soup or stew for dunking.

Toast, spread with butter, a sprinkle of garlic salt and grated Parmesan cheese for a single serving of garlic bread.

Cut slices into four triangles, brush with a bit of olive oil and toast under the grill. Top with tomato bruschetta and serve.

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