What is more delicious than Italian bread? For Italians, holidays such as Christmas and Easter are very important. People go out and have picnics in the park with friends and family on Easter, for example. The weather in Italy around this time also invites you to get outside, so that’s perfect!
I find Italian cuisine really super delicious, just the smell of fresh basil makes my mouth water. So it is also no punishment to travel to this Mediterranean country and immerse yourself in this amazing food culture. One of the things I like so much there is the bread and pizza dough. In Naples, I truly ate the best pizza ever, but this Italian bread is a favorite.
Inspired by my various trips to Italy, we came up with this delicious bread. With sun-dried tomatoes, sea salt, basil and if you want fresh rosemary too. I don’t remember eating this bread specifically, but I’ve definitely seen it at bakeries.
When you have the opportunity to make this in Italy, it is an ideal lunch snack. Slice the Italian bread and include it in a bock & roll foodwrap. I always use these too and always take them with me when traveling so I don’t have to use plastic! They are super handy and you can wash them off and let them dry in no time. Ideal.
Italian bread is best warm with soup or a salad. And super easy to take to your parents’ or in-laws’ house for Christmas or other holidays.
Weather or no weather, this bread is a super combination with fresh homemade tomato soup.
Buon appetito! In case you still like pizza, make this vegan pizza too.
Italian bread with sundried tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1,3 kg flour for white bread
- 7 g instant yeast
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 100 g sun-dried tomatoes leaked
- 150 ml olive oil extra verge
- 900 ml lukewarm water
- 5 tbsp chopped fresh herbs such as basil and optional rosemary
Preparation
- Chop all the sun-dried tomatoes and add them to the chopped basil and rosemary.
- Now you are going to make the dough. This is really not as difficult as it seems.
- You do this as follows: sift the flour and salt into a bowl and add the yeast. Grab a large bowl. Put the flour in here and make a well. Then put in the well the water, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, herbs and oil. While whisking, stir in all the ingredients.
- Using your hands, mix and knead the mixture together until it becomes firm. Keep kneading until it is soft but not sticky. Is it (too) dry? Then add some more water.
- Put some flour on your work surface or a clean countertop. Put the dough mixture on top. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes. Ready? Then put it back into the large bowl and cover with foil. If you want, you may lightly grease those. Then let the bowl of dough rise in a warm place for 30 to 40 minutes. You know the dough is good when its volume has doubled.
- Now knead the dough smoothly. Cut it into 2 pieces. And make ovals of about 18 to 20 cm, whatever you like. Using a sharp knife, make a diamond pattern in each loaf. Then place the loaves on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Using a foil, cover the loaves again for about 20 minutes to continue rising. Again in a warm place.
- Heat the oven to 220 degrees. Wait for a while until the loaves are completely done rising. Before putting them into the hot oven, brush a little olive oil on the loaves with a brush. Add some rosemary and sea salt flakes on top as well. Delicious!
- Are you done with this? Then your creations can go in the oven! After about 25 minutes they are golden brown and can be taken out of the oven. Not sure if they’re quite ready yet? Then tap the bottom of the bread for a moment. It should sound hollow, if so, your Italian bread is ready. Let it cool for a moment and enjoy!
