ITALIAN BREAD MADE IN THE BREADMAKER

Today I decided to try to better my bread making skills and decided to work on my Italian bread. I made 3 loaves, (2 to share with neighbors and 1 for us). The bread turned out pretty good so I thought I would share my recipe. I would like to add pictures but at this time the "blogger" won't let me add the pictures, so I will add them when it will.

My Italian Bread Made In The Breadmaker - 1-13-2013

To make the Italian bread I place 3 cups of 100 -110 degree water, (120 degrees will kill the yeast), into the bread maker add I tsp of sugar and 1 TB of yeast, (sprinkled on top). I let it set to proof for 20 mins. It will grow and get bubbly. I then added 4 cups of all purpose flour and started the bread maker on the 'dough' cycle. I let it mix in the flour and then after it was well mixed, I unplugged the bread maker and let it sit, (with the lid closed), for 15 minutes. After the 15 mins. rest the voume had increased. I restarted the bread maket on 'dough' cycle as it had shut itself off during the 15 mins of rest. I added the 1 TB of salt and 3 1/2 - 4 additional cups of all purpose flour and started the bread maker to mix in the ingredients. I tested the dough and stopped adding flour when the dough was still sticky to the touch, but didn't stay on my fingers after pushing lightly against the dough. I let the breadmaker knead the bread from the start through the 'add' cycle and until it came to rest at the 'rise' part of the breadmaker program. I let it rise in the breadmaker until the 'dough cycle' had completed. Make sure that the bread dough has deflated at the end of the cycle. Let it rise again in the breadmaker, with the lid closed, until doubled again. (45 mins to 1 hr?). When it has risen the 2^nd time, punch it down and then cut the dough into 3 equal pieces. Shape each of these into Italian bread, or football shaped, loaves. Place these loaves on a heavy cooksheet that has been greased and sprinkled with corn meal, (where the loaves will go), or on parchment paper lined cookie sheet, (which I did), or onto parchment paper which will be lifted onto a baking stone which has heated up to temperature with the oven preheating to 450 degrees, (which is the baking temperature of this bread). I also made 2 slash marks across the bread at an angle width wise. Let the bread rise. If not yet preheating the oven, let the bread rise in the oven with the oven just barely turned on. This gives the bread a warm, but not hot temperature to rise. (100 -125 degrees?). When the bread has risen, (about an hour), turn the oven temp to 450 degrees and mist the bread with water. (I sprayed it with a mix of olive oil and water). Do this 3 times about 3 minutes apart, during the first ten mins. that the bead is in the oven. (This gives a more Italian type crust.) Also place a pan of water under the baking bread in the oven. This will also help with a more authentic crust. After the oven temp reaches 450 degrees, bake about 20 – 30 mins. I also butter the hot bread when it comes out of the oven which makes a softer crust. You could leave it and it would be a crisper crust. Using a pizza stone could also result in a crisper crust. If I were to use the pizza stone I would just use a piece of parchment paper and lift the bread dough onto the pizza stone to bake, or sprinkle the pizza stone with corn meal and let it all heat up together to the 450 degree oven temp.