Serves: 8
Total Calories: 203

1 cup very warm water
1 tablespoon yeast
1 pinch sugar
3 3/4 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 450. In a cup of very warm water, add the yeast, a pinch of sugar and a tablespoon of flour. Stir and mix until the yeast is completely dissolved. Let the yeast mixture rest in a warm place for about 15 minutes, long enough to see the yeast proof (foam). Mix two or three tablespoons of salt with the remaining flour. Add olive oil to the yeast mixture. Work the yeast mixture with the salted flour, adding a little bit of very warm water if needed until you have soft dough. Knead vigorously for 10 minutes. Let it rest covered in a warm place for about two hours. Knead it again for a few minutes. Place the dough on a greased baking sheet or pan with a little corn meal on the bottom of the sheet or pan. Cover it and let it rest until it doubles in size. When the dough has doubled in size, place it in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 and bake for about another 25 minutes or until the outside of the loaf is a golden brown and crunchy. Tap it and it should sound hollow.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 8
Total Calories: 203
Calories from Fat: 15

More Recipes from the Cook'n Italian Cookbook:
Basic Polenta
Bread Dumplings
Bread Sticks
Cheese and Sage Biscuits
Common Bread
Dinner Rolls
Focaccia Bread
Garlic Bread
Garlic Cheese Toast
OW Bran Bread