The Ultimate Homemade Bread by Nonna Pia!

Ingredients

• 8 cup all-purpose flour (approximate amount; plus more for dusting)
• 1 tbsp salt (added by eye; adjust to taste)
• 1 packet active dry yeast (approximately 2.25 tsp)
• 3 cup warm water (added gradually until dough consistency is reached)

Steps

1. 1

   Place the flour into a large mixing bowl or pot.

2. 2

   Add the salt to the flour by eye and mix slightly.

3. 3

   In a separate small area or directly in a well in the flour, add the yeast.

4. 4

   Pour warm water over the yeast to dissolve it, using your hands to break up any clumps.

5. 5

   Gradually add more warm water while mixing the flour by hand. If the dough becomes too wet, add a little more flour until the consistency is manageable.

6. 6

   Knead the dough thoroughly by hand in the pot or sink until it is smooth and well-combined.

7. 7

   Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place until it has significantly increased in size.

8. 8

   Dust a clean work surface with flour and turn the risen dough out onto it.

9. 9

   Divide the dough into four equal portions and shape them into loaves.

10. 10

    Let the shaped loaves rest for about 5 minutes to smooth out and settle before baking.

11. 11

    Preheat the oven (typically to 375°F/190°C for this style of bread) and bake the loaves for approximately 1.5 hours until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped.

12. 12

    Remove from the oven and let the fresh bread (pane fresco) cool slightly before slicing.

Notes

Nonna Pia emphasizes that she does not use exact measurements, preferring to cook 'by the eye.' The quantities provided are estimates based on the visual volume of dough produced (4 loaves). The long bake time of 1.5 hours suggests a lower oven temperature or very thick, dense loaves.

Nutrition per serving

• bread
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• Italian
• baking
• traditional
• vegetarian
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