Fabulous Crusty Italian Loaf

Cinizini's Note:

'Pane Crostoso'--The Best sandwich bread. Delicious and surprisingly easy to make; just like the crusty loaves that you would purchase at your favorite Italian bakery (in my opinion). Adapted from "Cucina di Calabria" a cookbook of Calabrian recipes by Mary Amabile Palmer. This is also great with pasta (for dipping in the sauce!) or the second day as bruschetta or crostini. For bread machine, simply use machine to mix the dough and bring it through its first rise, then follow instructions for shaping loaves. Variation for making rolls follows at end of recipe. Preparation time includes rise time.

• Total Time: 3 hrs 40 mins
• Prep Time: 3 hrs
• Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 2 loaves

• 1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast or 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
• 1 1/4 cups warm water (test as with a baby's bottle)
• 3 cups unbleached flour or 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• cornmeal
• 1 egg yolk

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast with a quarter cup of the lukewarm water. Pour yeast into a large bowl. Mix in flour, sugar, salt, and remaining lukewarm water and mix in until dough starts to form. If too sticky, add a bit more flour.
2. Turn out onto flat surface and knead for 6-8 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Put dough into an oiled bowl, turn to coat, cover with a thick towel, and let rise in a warm place, free from draft, until doubled in size, or about 1.5-2 hours.
3. For bread machine, just use to mix and do the first rising of the dough, then remove to shape into loaves and do second rise, following instructions below.
4. Preheat oven to 425°F.
5. Remove dough onto a floured surface. Punch down and shape into 2 oblong loaves about a foot long each. If you own a baking stone or unglazed ceramic tiles, dust lightly with cornmeal and put into preheated oven. Put loaves on a peel (large wooden spatula), also lightly dusted with cornmeal, or on a cookie sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and let rise again for 40 minutes. Loaves will about double in width.
6. In a small dish, add egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water. Slit tops of risen bread 3 or 4 times, making slits that are a quarter of an inch deep. With a brush, paint tops with egg wash. If on a peel, slide loaves onto stone or tile; otherwise put cookie sheet in oven.
7. Bake for 10 minutes at 425°F Then lower heat to 400F and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes, until golden and baked through. To check if it's done, thump the bottom of each loaf; if it sounds hollow, it's done.
8. Note: Although the original recipe has you bake it at a higher temperature for the first 10 minutes and then lower the temperature, I was able to bake it continuously at 400F for 40 minutes total and mine turned out perfectly. I am including both here so that you can decide, depending on your oven.
9. Don't wait to let it cool; eat it when it's hot! Delicious!
10. Tip: For crustier bread, put a shallow baking pan filled with boiling hot water on bottom shelf of oven.
11. Variation: To make rolls, preheat oven to 400°F After dough rises, remove to a floured surface. Punch down dough and shape into 12-14 rolls. Place on cookie sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Let rise for 20 minutes. Slit each roll once and paint tops with egg wash. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until golden and baked through.

Reviews

[keatinkp]

My husband is a connessouir of crusty Italian bread, having been raised in an Italian neighborhood with at least four Italian bakeries all vying for the title of "best bread" and even he said that this bread was "pretty good for homemade." I made it even easier by mixing and kneading in my Kitchen Aide stand mixer withthe dough hook (follow the directions that come with the mixer). dissolved the yeast in 1/4 cup warm water (105 degrees) and 1 tsp sugar to make sure it was good. The egg wash gave it a nice brown color, and the water in the oven helped make it very crusty. The loaves baked faster than the recommended time - 10 minutes at 425 and about 17 at 400.

[SmrJunior]

this really was SO easy and fast, i couldn't believe it. i ate the majority of one of the loaves (with some olive oil) shortly after it came out of the oven. it was wonderfully crusty on the outside and so soft and tender on the inside. yum! this was my first time using my baking stone (i just bought it the other day ) and i am definitely pleased with the results. however, i'm thinking i might need to buy a thermometer for my oven, as the loaves baked in about 25 minutes total (10 min at 425 and another 15 min at 400).

[angela9298]

Really good bread. I wish it turned out a little crustier (I did the pan of water in the bottom of the oven thing) and I think it needed a little more salt, but overall really tasty!