Italian Bread - no bread machine required

By Co-author@smallstepsandlittleseeds

Do you love the smell of freshly baked bread? Well, you can have it at your own home too! Here's a simple recipe for Italian Bread. It's soft inside, and has a light crust outside. You don't need a fancy bread making machine for this... it's fairly easy to prepare the dough and bake this bread.

In a small bowl, add active dry yeast into 1 cup of water and set aside for about 10 minutes. 

In a big mixing bowl, add bread flour, sugar, and fine sea salt. Gently mix them with a spatula. Add yeast mixture into the bowl and gently mix the ingredients together. 

Keep 2 small bowls beside you. One with 1/2 cup of water, and the other with 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of water. 

Add in a little bit of flour and water to your big mixing bowl. Using your hands now (ensure that your hands have been thoroughly cleaned), begin to fold in some flour and water a little bit at a time, and gently  knead the dough until the dough isn't very sticky. 

Note:  Your  dough is at the right  texture when you are able to pass the dough between both your hands easily  (no dough  residue on your fingers) and the dough should feel a little bouncy. The entire process to mix and prepare the dough only takes around 10 minutes.

Shape the dough into a ball and leave it to proof (in the same big bowl you used earlier) for 30 minutes. Cover the bowl with a clean, damp cloth. The dough should rise to about  double its initial size. 

Repeat this proofing process again - Uncover, re-shape the dough back into a ball, cover with a clean and damp cloth, let the dough proof for another 30 minutes.

Half way through the process of waiting for the second proofing, you can preheat your oven at 375°F and line a tray with parchment paper. 

Once the second proofing is done, shape your dough to look like an elongated loaf. Brush some extra virgin olive oil over the dough,  gently score the top, and sprinkle dried Italian herbs (or fresh Italian herbs - leaves finely chopped) and fine sea salt. 

Bake for 30 minutes.  
 
Happy trying, and remember to have fun in the kitchen!

Ingredients:

(A)

  • 1 cup of water
  • 2 and 1/4 teaspoons of active dry yeast
 (B)
  • 3 cups of unbleached bread flour
  • 2 teaspoons of sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt
 (C)
  • 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of unbleached bread flour
  • 1/2 cup of water
  • 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of dried Italian herbs (or fresh Italian herbs - leaves chopped)
  • 1/4 teaspoon of fine sea salt (optional)

Popular posts from this blog

Bread Pudding

By
Image
This is a simple bread pudding recipe tha t uses ingredients that are mostly already available at home for breakfast or simple cak e baking . I t 's really quick to pr epare too . 10 min utes tops to prep and slot in the oven!   This recipe serves around 8 -10 portions.   Begin by tearing bread slices into smaller pieces (about 1/4 their size) and set asid e. In a big mixing bowl, add eggs, pure maple syrup , ground cinnamon, and p ure vanilla extract. With a spatula or hand whi s k, lightly mix the ingredients together . Add in the bread pieces and mix them well to coat t he bread pieces with the egg mixture .  In a non -stick pan, melt butter together with heavy cream using low heat. Stir, and pour o ver coated br ead pieces. Mix all ingredients together.  Pour the bread mixture into a loaf pan , and sprinkle some raisin s and slivered almonds. B ake in a pre-heated oven at 350 ° F for approximately 50 minutes. The bread pudding should have a light crusty
Read more

Glutinous Rice Balls in Ginger Soup (Tang Yuan)

By
Image
Glutinous Rice Balls in Ging er Soup or better know n as 'Tang Yu a n' in Asia is one o f my favorite desserts. This dessert is synonymous with 'Dongzhi' or Winter Solstice Festival.   The re a various version s of Tang Yu a n. This dessert is made with glu tinous rice flour and can be brightly colored or stuffed with various fillings such as black sesame , peanut s , and red bean . My version here is a simplified one without coloring or filling.   In a mixing bowl, place 1/2 cup of glutinous rice flour and 1/4 cup of water . Gently mix the flour and add additional water (1/2 teaspoon at a time) until you can form a dough -like texture. Please note that you may have some water left over , and that's ok. If you find that you r dough is still too sticky , add a little more flour .    Once done, drizzle 1/4 teaspoon of olive oil and knead the dough agai n.   Pinch out small portions of the dough and form them into balls. 1/2 a cup of flour
Read more

Raspberry Cheesecake (no-bake dessert)

By Co-author@smallstepsandlittleseeds
Image
A s imple ch eesecake recipe that's perfect for parties and pot-luck . No ba king required! In a bowl, beat cream cheese and lemon juice. Add in heavy cream, and sugar and beat well. I only add 2 tables poons of sugar as the fruit filling and crust are already sweet.  Next, fold in raspberry filling with a spatula. I use 'Lucky Leaf Premium Red Raspberry without high-fructose corn syrup' . Pour ou t mixture evenly into the crust. Spread topping, and ch ill overnight. Slice, serve, and enjoy !     H app y trying, and reme mber to have fun in the kitchen! Ingredients: 9 inch graham pie crust  8 ounces of cream c heese 2 teaspoons of lemon juice 1 and 1/2 cup of heavy cream 2 tablespoons of sugar 1/4 cup of raspberry fruit filling 1/4 cu p of raspberry fruit filling as top p ing  
Read more

Asian Fusion: Spicy Potato Dip (Aloo Masala)

By
Image
A deli cious spicy dip that we make at home for Indian flat breads and sometimes even served as a side with Quinoa.       Heat olive oil in a pan, and add sliced red on ions, cloves, star anise , and caraway seeds.  St ir fry until fragrant on high heat.  Add in d iced large Russet potatoes and stir fry for a few mi nutes. Next, add chil i p owder, garam masala, curry powder and water. Mix all ingredients well together , cover the pan , and le ave the ingredients to cook on medium heat.  *Y ou do not need to head to a special ty store to obtain these ingredients. Before I fo und a n In dian specialty store nea rby, I used spices and cur ry powder that I bought from a local gorcery mart . They taste just as good ! The only difference will be the pricing. If you are going to make dishes that require these spicing often, then you'll find that purchasing them from a speciality store more cost effi cient . After 20 minutes, add coconut c ream , wh ole milk, and crushed
Read more

Moist Chocolate Cake

By
Image
Who doesn't love the comfort of chocolate cake ?  E specially one that is moist and stays moist even a few days after it is baked.  You can choose to top it up with your favorite icing or just have it as it is. We, love it just the way it is ! You don't need fancy baking equipment . I bake d this just with basic hand utensils . First ly, combine all the dry ingredients toge ther. Ensure to sieve flour, cocoa powder (w e use natural, unsweete ned cocoa - 100% cacao) , baking powder, and baking soda. Mix well. Next, add eggs, olive oil, and milk into the dry mixture . Mix well. Add in vanilla extract and mix again. Add 1 cup of hot water into the mixture, mix well and pour into a prepared baking pan . You will notice the bat ter become thin. I use a non-stick 9 "x9" pan and line it with foil. The foil helps me with easy clean up . Bake at 350 ° F in a pre-heated o ven for 35 to 45 minutes or once toot hpick test is done and it comes o
Read more

Asian Fusion: Kung Pao Chicken

By
Image
Craving for something spicy? I sure was! So I decided to prepare one of my favorite Asian dishes - Kung Pao Chicken.  There's no need to head to a specialty store to get the ingredients needed for this recipe. I managed to get all that I need to prepare my version of Kung Pao Chicken from a local Walmart store :) Heat sesame oil in a pan. Add in onions, chilli de árbol, and cashew nuts. Stir fry until cashew nuts turn light golden brown.   Add in chicken pieces, cover pan and cook on high heat for 5 minutes. Add in water, sauce mixture, and ginger slices. Stir well. Cover and let the ingredients cook for another 15 minutes on medium heat. Add ground black pepper, stir, and dish out. Serve with rice or any cooked grains of your choice e.g. quinoa, couscous, etc. Enjoy!  Happy trying, and remember to have fun in the kitchen! Ingredients: (A) 4 pieces of chicken thighs cut into small pieces 2 tablespoons of sesame oil  1/4 of a white oni
Read more

Sexy Shrimp Linguine

By Co-author@smallstepsandlittleseeds
Image
For a rav e dinner review wit h family and friends, try this simple and delicious pasta dish ! This recipe serves 4 portions . P repare 1 lb of linguine according to the instructions of your pre ferr ed brand. Ensure i t is coo ked al dente and se t aside .  The spotlight of this dish is the shrimp. So, I like to use extra large shrimp for this recipe. Have it peeled and deveined, but leave the tail on.  In a bowl, add shrimp, W orcestershire sauce, ground black pepper, dried basil, ground turmeric , ground ginger, and Chinese five spice blend . Mix the ingredients well to coat each shrimp piece.  Heat unsalted butter in a pan, add chopped garlic a n d shrimp. I love how fragrant it gets! Garlic an d butter.. .   yu u mmm ! Be careful not to overcook the shrimp , y ou don't want the star of the dish to   have a rubbe ry bite and look sad .   A little t ip: Their translucent body will turn opaque and have a lovely pinkish hue. Their t
Read more

Rollie Pollie Oaty - No Bake Chewy Oatmeal Balls

By Co-author@smallstepsandlittleseeds
Image
With thanksgiving day just around the corner, I thought of making a simple dessert that didn't require baking. Something simple, yet delicious that we could bring over to our friend's place for a little gathering. I thought something chocolaty will be a safe bet. I went through our pantry items to see what I could put together to make a decent dessert. I decided to use oats, cocoa powder, condensed milk, cashew nuts, and some maple syrup for flavoring. Yup, just five ingredients and no baking required! (you'll require a refrigerator to set the mixture though). I used unsweetened cocoa powder to give it a nice and mild chocolate taste when mixed in with the sweetened condensed milk. Just use a fork to mix the cocoa powder into the condensed milk until it is smooth without any clumps of cocoa. Once the mixture is smooth, add in oats and cashew nuts (alternating them, few scoops at a time). I used quick cook oats and added them in dry. The ca
Read more

Asian Fusion - Braised Mushrooms and Water Chestnuts with Broccoli

By
Image
We love hav ing broccoli with our meals . Here's a simple vegetable dish you can have with any cooked grains of your choi ce.   Heat extra virgin olive oil in a pa n , a dd in chopped garlic, and stir fry . Next, add in sliced baby bellas , c hopped water chestnuts (you can use fresh or canned ones) , stir frying sauce , and water. Stir all the ingredients well and braise until mushroo m slices are tender.   When the mushrooms and water chestnut are just about done, add in broccoli flo rets and give them a quick stir fry. Avoid overcooking broccoli as they'll lose important nutrients that they come power packed with.  Add some pepper to taste, turn off heat , and dish out your Braised Mushrooms and Water Chestnuts with Broccoli . You're done!  You can drizzle some oys ter s auce over them if you like . Serve while hot.  H app y trying, and reme mber to have fun in the kitchen! Ingredients: 1/2 a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil 3
Read more