Best homemade Italian Bread recipe you will ever make. Fill it with homemade meatballs for meatball subs. Or serve it along side your favorite recipes.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer dissolve the yeast in the warm water.
Add the sugar, salt and 3 cups of the flour to the bowl and beat with a handheld mixer or the paddle blade of the stand mixer for 3 minutes.
Stir in remaining flour one cup at a time to form soft dough.
Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.
Place the bread dough into a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch the dough down and turn onto a floured surface; divide the dough in half.
Shape each half of the bread dough into a loaf. Place each loaf seam down on a greased baking sheet.
Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. With a sharp knife make about 4 slashes across the top of each loaf.
Bake in a 350 F. degree preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove the baked bread loaves from the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool.