Crusty Philadelphia Italian Bread, easy homemade recipe and great for Cheese Steak Sandwiches, cutting into slices and using in dips..fantastic party food too!
The smell of homemade bread in your kitchen is a wonderful thing!
The texture of this Italian bread is similar to a French baguette and an Italian Ciabatta, it's crusty on the outside and on the inside, there are air holes, in amongst the bread.
The recipe itself is very easy to make. You can do all of it by hand, and if you're not sure how, you can watch our handy videos on how to knead rise and shape dough by hand. Otherwise, you can use an electric mixer with a dough hook attachment.
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This bread can be made in any shape you like. We've shaped them into portion-sized baguette shapes to make sandwiches. You could make rolls, or pop in a loaf pan or a round cake pan and make a whole bread loaf.
if you're cooking for a crowd, you could make up a couple of batches of this bread in one go and then divide the dough into single-sized portions and make mini baguette-sized rolls, or small round rolls. Serve with soup, slice into finger-sized pieces and add with a lovely dip, make sandwiches or sub rolls with whatever fillings you enjoy, the list is endless!
This delicious recipe has been generously shared by one of our Lovefoodie supporters, Frances Carbone Hibberd.
Here, Frances has made Philadelphia Italian Bread, and they sure look delicious! Frances says this: "These breads are great for sub sandwiches or cheesesteak sandwiches or just for dipping in marinara sauce or olive oil. They are a crusty bread and easy to make. I have made these by hand, only using a mixer at the beginning".
They're great for cutting into small slices and serving at parties etc.
Prep Time
Approx 1 ½ hours (includes rise)
Cook Time
30 minutes approx
Yield
4
Ingredients
1 package active dry yeast (2 ½ teaspoons)
1 & ¼ cup of water (105-115 °)
3 cups of bread flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
Cornmeal
Instructions
1. Combine yeast and water and allow to rest for 10 minutes until the yeast starts bubbling and giving off a yeasty smell.
2. In a large bowl add the flour, salt, and sugar then make a well in the middle. Pour half yeast and use an electric mixer with the dough hook attachment and mix pouring yeast in a little at a time.
3. When yeast and flour are mixed together, add olive oil and keep mixing till the dough is not sticking on the sides.
4. Pour the dough on a floured surface and knead the dough for ten minutes or until it's smooth and silky adding more flour if needed.
5. Place dough in an oiled bowl and coat all around the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until dough has doubled for 45 minutes to an hour or more. ( I usually preheat the oven on warm for five minutes then put the bowl in over away from drafts).
6. Punch dough down, roll into the desired shape, cover with plastic again until it has doubled in volume.
7. If you have a pizza stone use that if not, the back of a cookie tray works fine, sprinkle with cornmeal and put rolls on top.
8. Preheat oven 425 F, then turn down to 400 F.
9. Place a bowl of water on the bottom of the oven and place rolls on the lower rack and bake for 29-30 minutes.
The bread is ready when it makes a hollow sound when you thump on the bottom with your thumb.
Recipe Card
Philadelphia Italian Bread
Crusty Philadelphia Italian Bread, easy homemade recipe and great for Cheese Steak Sandwiches, cutting into slices and using in dips..fantastic party food too!
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoons package active dry yeast, 2 ½
- 1 ¼ cup of water, 105-115 °
- 3 cups of bread flour
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Cornmeal
Instructions
- Combine yeast and water and allow to rest for 10 minutes until the yeast starts bubbling and giving off a yeasty smell.
- In a large bowl add the flour, salt , and sugar make a well in middle pour half yeast and use electric mixer with the wiggley attachment and mix pouring yeast in a little at a time.
- When yeast and flour is mixed together, add olive oil and keep mixing til the dough is not sticking on the sides.
- Pour dough on a floured surface and knead dough for ten minutes or until its smooth and silky adding more flour if needed.
- Place dough in a oiled bowl and coat all around the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until dough has doubled for 45 minutes to a hour or more. ( I usually preheat the oven on warm for five minutes then put the bowl in over away from drafts).
- Punch dough down , roll into desired shape, cover with plastic again until it has doubled in volume.
- If you have a pizza stone use that if not, the back of a cookie tray works fine, sprinkle with cornmeal and put rolls on top.
- Preheat oven 425 F, then turn down to 400 F.
- Place a bowl of water on the bottom of oven and place rolls on lower rack and bake 29-30 minutes.
- The bread is ready when it makes a hollow sound when you thump on the bottom with your thumb.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 523Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 545mgCarbohydrates: 100gFiber: 5gSugar: 3gProtein: 15g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate
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Barb D
says:1 14 cup of water. Is that 1/4 cup of water? Thank you for posting this! I miss DePalmas Bread!!!
Lovefoodies
says:Hi Barb, thanks for writing in. The amount of water is 1 & 1/4 cups. I’ve corrected the typo now. My apologies!
Kaci
says:I miss DePalma’s bread too! Craig and Decauter st, frankford!!!!
Omair
says:Hey just wanted to when to do you mix the cornmeal in the dough??
KarenB
says:Hi Mary! What is the “wriggly ” attachment on the mixer? Is that the bread hook? Lol.
Lovefoodies
says:Haha! Hi Karen, yes, that would be the dough hook!!