Is there really anything better than homemade bread? Better than Italian bread? I grew up with fresh bread right out of the oven. On Sunday morning, my dad would head over to DePalma’s in Philadelphia. He’d buy a dozen rolls, crusty on the outside, warm and doughy on the inside. When I moved to Maryland, my parents would load up on fresh bread, soft pretzels and tomato pie whenever they visited us.

Now you can make your own delicious Italian bread – Kenny style! Kenny breaks it down, so it’s simple to follow. And if you’re gluten free, he has a recipe for that too! He uses instant yeast because you can add to your dry ingredients and it’s faster acting. For the gluten-free option, it’s mixed in a bowl rather than mixed and kneaded on a board as regular bread is.

Italian Bread

Ingredients:

5 cups bread flour

2 cups water (130 degree)

2 1/4 tsp dry active instant yeast (it’s faster!)

2 1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 tsp olive oil

Directions:

Add dry ingredients to bowl and mix. Pour onto board.

Make a hole in mixture. Add water and oil. Mix. Watch the video for more details on mixing. Continue kneading with hands. Rub oil on a clean bowl. When mixed, place dough in bowl, cover and let rise.

When it has doubled in size, flour board and roll out dough. Create a loaf shape. Cover with plastic wrap and paper towels and let rise 30 minutes.

Make a slit about 1/2″ wide. Kenny demonstrates a design on his bread in his video.

Heat oven to 425 degrees and bake bread for about 40-45 minutes. Remove when golden.

Gluten Free Bread

Ingredients:

4 cups gluten-free baking flour

4 tsp xanthan gum

2 cups 130 degree water

2 tsp salt

2 1/4 tsp dry active instant yeast

2 eggs

2 tsp olive oil

2 tsp honey

1 tsp cider vinegar (helps activate yeast)

Directions:

Whisk eggs in large bowl. Add all liquid ingredients – oil, honey, cider vinegar. Mix well.

Add 2 cups of water. Mix. Add dry ingredients – xanthan gum, salt, yeast. Mix.

Add flour a little at a time and mix with spatula. As it begins to have a dough consistency, begin to knead with hands in the bowl.

Prepare to let it rise: take a piece of parchment paper and rub it with oil. Place parchment paper in a clean bowl, add dough and cover. Place in warm spot 1.5 – 2 hours and let rise.

When doubled in size, remove parchment paper with dough in it and place on surface. In his video, Kenny demonstrates how to roll dough into desired shape. Cover with plastic wrap and paper towels and let rise another 30 minutes.

Make two slits on dough. Moisten with water.

Heat oven to 425 degrees and bake bread for about 40-45 minutes. Remove when finished.

Remember to keep separate surfaces for gluten-free bread and regular bread. Wash hands in between handling to avoid cross-contamination.

Kenny has lots more to share during the video so tune in here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAazdTvOdVY

Did that make your mouth water? I’m ready to roll out my own dough!

Comment below if you’ve tried this recipe, what you think of it or tell us what your own recipe is. We are thrilled to hear from you!

Angela DiCicco, The Italian Grandmama

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