soft center bread

Easy, homemade classic Italian bread with a chewy crust and soft interior. Perfect for sandwiches, toast, breakfast bakes and more!

Italian Bread

(1 packet) Red Star active dry yeast*

sugar

water (about 110°F)

bread flour flour

olive oil

salt

In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, combine yeast, sugar and warm water. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes or until yeast is foamy.

Add 2 cups flour, olive oil and salt. Stir with a wooden spoon or with a dough hook on low speed until a shaggy dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand 10 minutes, adding just enough of the remaining flour until a soft, smooth and elastic dough forms; OR, increase dough hook speed to medium and knead dough in stand mixer 5 minutes, adding just enough of the remaining flour until a soft, smooth and elastic dough forms.

Shape dough into a ball; place in an oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise 1 hour until doubled.

Heat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, a silicone mat or lightly grease the surface with oil or cooking spray. On a lightly floured surface, punch down dough, then carefully shape into a batard/torpedo about 12 inches long. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Cover with a tea towel and let rise another 20 to 30 minutes until puffy.

Use a bread lame or serrated knife to make a few 1/4-inch deep slits in the surface of the loaf. Bake loaf 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing.

I didn't have sugar on hand so I used honey (1:1 substitute) and was worried it might not turn out well but it was absolutely delicious! Thank you for this easy and versatile recipe, its now my go to!

Bread cane out great!  I usually do follow recipe measurements but just happened to notice that one msg. As you said, probably good either way. Thanks for the great recipe &amp; quick reply. 

I know this is an old comment, but in case anyone has this question in the future, I substituted 1 cup of the flour with whole wheat and it turned out great! For my personal taste, I wouldn't use more than that, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't work.

Your bread recipe was amazing.. thank you . 

Just finished a slice for breakfast and was sending the link to a friend so I thought I would add a comment. No need to buy bread from the grocery ever again! This is a very forgiving recipe. I’ve made it a dozen times as written, a couple of times adding a little KAF white whole wheat flour, and a couple of times using a cup of  my 28 y/o sourdough starter discard as a  My latest twist is to sub out a little water w the yeast  for more olive oil in the dough.   Comes out perfect every time. I’m in Hawaii, so relearning how to bake bread here has been tough sometimes. It’s hotter and more humid. Using yeast helps (vs none for a sourdough), and I usually need more flour to combat the humidity.  Looking to try some of your other recipes! Wondering if you’ve ever thought of providing the measurements in grams? Many thanks! 

Oops. Using a cup of sourdough as a biga.....

I makes this bread every holiday.  My job during the holiday meals is to make 5 loafs.

Easiest Italian Bread recipe I've found!  Delicious!!!

This is my favorite Italian bread recipe! I keep the recipe handy at all times so that I can whip up a batch whenever I’m in the mood and send the link to people constantly because it’s so easy and delicious. Thank you!

Thank you for sharing this recipes!  I made it yesterday to have with our pasta dinner. The video really helped with getting the shape correct!

Since I found this recipe a month ago I have made approximately 12 loaves so far, for us, for friends and neighbours during this virus situation.  Passed it on to my sister too.  Nothing better than fresh bread every day.  I highly recommend this even to a newbie who has never made bread.  Just follow instructions.  Yummy

Came out perfect, gives me faith in bread making!

This is the BEST bread recipe I have tried thus far.  My kids loved it.  I even tried splitting it in half and putting some garlic butter on it and it was a hit as well.  Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.  IT WAS A HIT!!!!!!!!!!!!

So easy to do and yet so tasty!  Very authentic and earthy! Thanks Stephanie!

I made this bread and it was easy to make and tasted great. 

Delicious bread, near perfect texture.  Needed closer to 3 1/2 cups flour, though.

I make this bread weekly.  Sometimes I add spices to change it up.

My crust didn’t come out crispy.  The center was perfect.  I baked it for 25 minutes.  Should I go longer.  Mine wasn’t as golden brown as in your pictures.  I was afraid to go longer.

Fantastic!  Easy!  Delicious!   Thank you?

Made this bread tonight and I can’t even begin to explain how amazing and perfect it came out!  This is my go to recipe from now on. I’m certain I’m going to have dreams about this bread tonight — that’s how good it is.  Thank you for this! 

This came out really well it was soft but hard on the outside and delicious on it's own

Followed instructions carefully. Dough never rose  i think the step 1 instructions are missing something.

So, yeah, I made this today and I totally get the pillow comments. It's super easy, my kid who is new to the kitchen did most of the muscle work, including shaping the torpedo.  I made one loaf to eat sliced with butter or with fresh mozzarella and basil. I made another for a recipe to make croutons for stuffing. It called for Italian bread and since I'm dead set on making Thanksgiving dinner from scratch.

This has become my go too Italian bread recipe.
Sometimes I add potato flakes and Asiago.
Wonderful!!
Bruce

Tres bon pain et facile a faire et merci pour votre recette...

Thanks for a great recipe!  Have been searching for a good Italian bread recipe and yours is so delicious and easy. Won a  A+ at family dinner party.

this is by far the best recipie i have ever made

My first bread ever, and it was delicious and simple to make.

Made this recipe today, waiting for bread to cool.  Dough was nice and elastic, but the dough did not rise as expected, somewhat "light"  Did follow rise times per recipe, in a warm environment, maybe should  have sat longer?  The yeast was activated but considering using a larger dose next time.  Rating a 4 instead of 5 to see if the problem was yeast or rise time.  As mentioned, dough came out nice and elastic, ingredient volumes were  instrumental and worked out fine.

Thank you for this recipe. We enjoyed it with Chicken Picatta.

That it is a small recipe, is perfect for us too.

This is the Italian bread I have been looking for.  It's quick, easy and comes out great every time.  I've made it into a loaf and into rolls.  I love it.  And I rarely leave a review!

Wonderfully easy and full of flavor! I added italian spices and oh my goodness... perfect!

I have been making bread for about a year now. I found your recipe and I got to admit this is the easiest recipe to follow and produces the best bread ever .My whole family is hooked on it ! thank you

Super yummy bread! The instructions are easy to follow and it turns out great every time! I’ve made it multiple times.

I found this recipe about 2 months ago.  WOW!  So easy, and the taste and texture is wonderful.  I did some add- ons  in a few of the breads.  One I added Italian seasonings and parmasen cheese.  Then I did a vegetable loaf, I just added a packet of Knorr vegetable soup and 1/4 cup of shredded carrot.  Both turned out so tasty!   Oh, I also made sub buns from this recipe!  I am literally using this recipe twice a week!

This bread was, by far,  the most delicious bread I have ever eaten!  The dough was very sticky after I turned it out onto the kitchen counter and I had to keep adding flour so I was worried about them being dry or not baking correctly. Once I finally got the dough all nice and velvety, it was a piece of cake.  I multiplied the quantities by 1.5 and made 2 torpedos. They looked like they came straight from a bakery and my goodness, they were almost melt in your mouth soft!  If I was served this bread at an Italian restaurant, I would return multiple times just for the bread! I was so proud of myself and I’m making more this weekend!

A little salty, but really good. I love the flavor of the olive oil

This bread passed the Italian grandparents test when I baked it today and delivered a loaf of it to my husband’s grandparents. I just started baking bread in November, and I’ve been trying to perfect that airy texture inside and the crisp, crusty outside, and this recipe achieved that. I did put a shallow pan of boiling water on the rack below the bread to help crisp up the crust. We are already halfway through the loaf! 

Excellent recipe. I. used instant yeast and my kitchenaid for kneading.
So easy and no messy kitchen!
_Can the recipe be doubled? If so, do I need to change proportion of ingredients? One loaf  not enough for my family who absolutely love it!

I'm making this bread for the second time and I am so pleased at how easy it was to do.  Your instructions are great and attaching the video really gave me the confidence I needed to follow through. I was surprised to find that homemade bread was more flavorful than store bought.  My family really enjoyed it, in fact,  it was consumed all in one day. That never happens with store bought Italian bread. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe with us.

This bread is so VERY VERY easy to make. I always have all the ingredients in hand. I use my kitchen aid to knead the dough. Makes it even easier. 
THX for the great recipe!!

Perfect.  I didn't add any extra flour while kneading in the mixer; every ingredient was spot on.  My teenagers commented on the first bite how much they loved this bread.  Thank you!

Had this at a friend’s house and it was outstanding!  Thank goodness he shared your recipe so I can make my own. Thank you for this.

Question please - the bread is fantastic.  ONE QUESTION:  Is there any way/technique to make the crust more "crusty"?  That's a personal desire to have it crunchy.   We have electric oven and I keep a pan of water in it.  Any suggestion?v.   Thanks

Mine didn't rise much
I make sourdough all the time 
Definitely a different process with dried yeast

Very easy recipe! Bread came out perfect and very yummy.

Easy to make, looked beautiful. My husband siad it looked like a professional made it. Taste was great too. Will definitely be making this again! Thanks for the recipe!

Had to double and make two loaves bc my teen boys and husband devoured done before dinner. Will def keep this one! Thank you for sharing!

I love this recipe!  But I want to adjust to make smaller loaves.  Any suggestions? 

On the 2X recipe, it states to add 2 cups of warm water (about 220°F) . This temperature killed my yeast and the bread did not rise, I thought that temperature was too high but went with what the recipe stated.  In addition, the 5 cup bread flour or all-purpose flour should be increased, 5 cups will leave it too moist, and more should be added until it forms a ball.  I realize there are a lot of variables with a bread recipe but these 2 factors will make all the difference in whether your bread will be even slightly successful especially with someone that is a first-time bread maker.

If you want more rustic style, I suggest mot punching down and doing the stretch and fold method at least 3 times during bulk fermentation :)

The best bread recipe!! I’m so thankful I stumbled upon this page. The bread is so soft and just perfect. I was using a different recipe and the bread (in my opinion) was too sweet. This one is just right! Thank you for sharing 

This recipe is easy (after making bread 1 or 2 times). As I'm new to bread making and wanted organic bread, after some thought,  making bread seemed a good option. And this recipe worked out great! Used organic ingredients and bread is a favorite for my house and grandchildren. I make a lot of soups and this bread is a winner.

Oh my.   Now I understand what pillowy soft bread is.  This bread is heaven.  Thank you for a great, easy recipe.  Good job.

Thanks for sharing, and for the Peter R tutorial!

I have made this recipe often. And love the bread it produces. I love I
Using bread flour and it definitely makes a difference. Thanks for a great recipe! I’ve tried several and this is by far the best.


My question is—can you successfully make one large loaf instead of two smaller ones? 

This is an excellent recipe I have made several times, a few times this week. If we are out of bread, this is my go to. 

Makes wonderful bread, I just doubled the recipe and hope it turns out! I’ll let you know??????

This has become my go-to recipe!! I wondered if it would turn out if cooked in a loaf pan? 

I love this so much! It's my go-to bread recipe. Thanks for sharing and explaining it so clearly.

An easy recipe for soft French bread from scratch! You can have freshly baked bread that is better than store bought with 4 ingredients in under 2 hours!

French Bread

water (warmed

instant yeast (1 packet (mine is rapid rise))

all-purpose flour bread

unsalted butter (cubed)

In a small bowl combine warm water and the instant yeast. Whisk or stir together with a fork, then let sit while you measure the remaining ingredients but no longer than 10 minutes.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine all-purpose flour, salt, and the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough is hydrated and all the ingredients have incorporated. It will only take a minute.

Increase the mixer to medium speed for 4-5 minutes, or until a soft, strong, elastic dough forms that you can pull a rough window pane. This isn’t the perfectly smooth window pane of a brioche dough, rather it is a clear window with some visible veining and striations.

Add the pieces of butter to the mixer bowl and reduce the speed to low. Mix on low speed until all the butter has worked into the dough. If kneading by hand, I do recommend using room temperature butter but it isn’t essential and I used cold butter cut into tiny cubes when incorporating with my stand mixer.

Use a bowl scraper or a stiff silicone spatula to scrape the dough out into a lightly oiled medium bowl, turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and proof at room temperature 45-60 minutes. The dough should have doubled.

Turn the dough out onto a very lightly dusted work surface and divide into two equal pieces. They will each weigh about 485g if you choose to be precise.

Preshape one piece of dough into a round (boule) by flipping it over and folding each of the four sides towards the center. Flip back over (seam-side-down) and gently shape it into a round by pulling it towards you with both hands. Rotate a quarter turn and repeat until you have a round dough ball that sits up on your work surface. Try not to over tighten at this stage, shape just enough to form that tight ball then set aside. Repeat with the second piece of dough.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow to bench rest 15-20 minutes. This is longer than most bench rests because it needs that time to relax.

Flip the dough back over and take the side furthest from you, pick it up, give it a little shake to stretch slightly and then place it back on the bench folding the stretched side down to the center. Rotate the dough 180 degrees and repeat by folding the other side down towards the center.

Shape a traditional bâtard by shaping as you would a log for sandwich bread or another bread baked in a loaf pan but tapering and sealing both ends so it is pointed at each end and fatter in the center. Perform 2 sets of thumb folds by wrapping the dough around the thumb of the left hand and sealing the edge with the heel of the right hand. Start this motion towards the right side (keeping it tighter at the end) and gradually move left, rolling and sealing as you go.  The first thumb fold will not fully close the dough log. Perform 1 more thumb fold to fully create a tapered log shape.

Line a sheet pan with a piece of parchment paper and place the shaped pieces of dough seam-side down on the diagonal at each end of the baking sheet. I used a flat (not rimmed) baking sheet to give myself a little more room for expansion. Cover loosely with plastic wrap (you can spray it with non-stick cooking spray as cheap insurance) and allow to proof in a warm spot for 30-45 minutes or until the dough has visibly doubled and is light and airy to the touch.

While the dough is final proofing, preheat the oven to 375°F conventional (no fan).

Right before baking, gently remove the plastic wrap and score each loaf using a razor blade, bread lame, or very sharp knife. I score the dough similar to a baguette by making 3 slashes on the diagonal. The ends of each slash should overlap but be spaced about an inch apart. Unlike sourdough bread or baguettes, I score this French bread perpendicularly to the dough and not on an angle. All of these steps together allow the dough to expand evenly. Try to get each cut as close to ½ inch deep as possible. Too shallow and the dough will have a difficult time expanding the way you want it to.

Bake in a preheated oven for 28-30 minutes to an internal temperature of 205°F. Remove the loaf from the oven and slide onto a wire rack to cool at least 15 minutes before slicing with a serrated knife.

I didn't think I could get great bread in under 2 hours but wow this bread has a great crust and is excellent fresh out of the oven! This easy bread is definitely something I'll make again for cheese boards and sandwiches.

I was a little intimidated by the shaping instructions but just followed them step by step and it actually worked. The crust was golden and crisp, and the crumb stayed soft even the next day. ofc I had a piece plain right after it cooled, but I wanted to prolong enjoying it so I froze the rest for future breakfast toasts with eggs.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/mpE2AUV5.mp4

Top 2 soft center bread recipes from across the web

The most viewed soft center bread recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Italian Bread

French Bread

Top 2 soft center bread recipes from across the web

The most viewed soft center bread recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Italian Bread

French Bread

The most viewed soft center bread recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine