Italian Bread (homemade, but you can purchase from a store and slice)
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 pkg. active dry yeast
about 5 cups flour
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 3/4 cups warm water
extra butter for brushing on
mix 2 cups of flour with all dry ingredients in your mixing bowl (including the yeast). I use my compact Bosch with a bread hook, but you can also use a hand-held mixer. Turn the water from your faucet on to hot and let run until it’s hottest temperature. Measure out 1 3/4 cup water and pour into the dry ingredients while the mixer is running, add the tablespoon of margarine or butter (softened). Let mix for about 2 min. Add 1/2 cup more flour and mix for 2 more minutes. Add more flour about 1/2 cup at a time until thick and pulls away from the side of the bowl (about a TOTAL of 5 cups). Dough should be still a little sticky. If you add too much flour, the bread will be too dense. Let the dough hook do it’s work for about 10 min. If you don’t have a dough hook, you will need to knead the dough for ten minutes by hand. Divide dough in half and roll out to a rectangle. Using more flour if needed. Roll the long side up tightly to make a loaf. Pinch the ends and tuck the ends under. Spray a jelly roll pan (cookie sheet) with non stick cooking spray and transfer the loaf to the pan. Repeat with the second ball of dough. Let rise while the oven preheats to 400 degrees. Baste the dough with olive oil, put in oven and bake for about 20 min, or until just turning brown. Right as you remove from oven, brush with butter, or do what I do, hold the butter stick and rub all over loaf. Let cool for a few minutes and then slice.
Garlic Mixture
3 tablespoons margarine or butter
2 teaspoons chopped garlic from a jar (or fresh garlic, it just doesn’t have as much of a concentrated taste)
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt or powder
Brush on one side of bread and lay face up on sheet. Turn your broiler on to HI. Place directly under broiler and let broil for about 3 min, but WATCH CLOSELY SO IT DOESN’T BURN! I check every minute to see how it’s doing, sometimes you need to rotate.
Enjoy!
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