Italian Bread II

A simple crusty Italian style loaf bread.

Step: 1

Add all ingredients except egg, 1 tablespoon water, sesame seeds, and cornmeal into your bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select the dough cycle.

Step: 2

Divide dough into 2 parts and form into loaves. Sprinkle cornmeal on greased baking sheet. Place loaves on pan seam side down. Brush top of loaves with water. Let rise til double, about 50 minutes.

Step: 3

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Step: 4

Brush loaves with egg wash. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Make 4 cuts about 1/4 inch deep across top of log. Place a pan of hot water in bottom of oven. Bake bread for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden. To make a nice crusty bread, bake bread in the afternoon and pop into oven again for 5 minutes before meal. Makes a very crusty bread! You would be surprised how much better it is if you heat it that last 5 minutes. Try it. I learned this in a bread machine class!

Per Serving: 147 calories; protein 4.1g; carbohydrates 25.9g; fat 2.8g; cholesterol 15.5mg; sodium 297.9mg.

The best flavour of the flour can make a real deal to your bread. Different makers do vary. Great taste or Canadian flours, which are bet higher in gluten, may give you a best rise than standard dough flours – especially if you’re making wholemeal dough , which doesn’t always rise as well as clear bread.

To made this in a dough , add all the ingredients to your breadmaker and follow the makers instructions.

A dough’s first rising can be make in the fridge overnight . This slows down the time it takes to rise to double its size, giving it a deeper flavour. It’s also a great timesaver , as you can work it night before , then finish it off the next day.