Homemade Italian Bread

[mitch5252]

..
One thing I have really missed living here in the South - GOOD BREAD.

I sure wish one or more of you was here - I'm trying a new way of making Italian bread and I, of course, will have to toss it in the trash.

To date, I haven't had much luck in duplicating the Chicago area Gonnella (sp?) bread...



Picture of finished loaf to follow.
This has been a 2-day process!
Darn well better be good.

..

[mitch5252]

..

Most flavorful bread I've ever made. Tasted just like the Italian bread of my youth.
However, it needed to be cooked slightly longer.



..

[monik7]

Looks yummy. Can almost smell it here. I love warm bread. So sad it's going to be tossed
Sandi

[VickieP]

I'd eat it.

[Bethers]

Looks delicious. So sad I almost eat no bread anymore. I'd take a piece (maybe cheat and take two).

(Btw, not eating bread isn't too hard for me - as, like you, I can't usually get bread that I want - with crusty outsides and warm soft insides - oh, I'm salivating now.)

[avalen]

certainly looks good, and I'm a bread lover, can't you just freeze it and save it for someone passing through, like me in about a year+

[mitch5252]

certainly looks good, and I'm a bread lover, can't you just freeze it and save it for someone passing through, like me in about a year+

..
Anyone passing through will get a fresh loaf if they want!
Ava, you eat lots of bread and stay so skinny?
I hate peeps like that...

Beth, based on your description of bread you like, you would have LOVED this. I guess taking the two days to make it is what developed the incredible flavor.

Next experiment is to cut the recipe in half cuz it was a helluva huge loaf!

..

[Deeann]

I saw your first picture and thought: "Oh, Mitch is making potato soup."

Then I started reading and saw that you were making bread.

"Ah, potato soup bread....."

No. It's Italian bread of some kind.

You're a very confusing cook, Mitch.

[mitch5252]

..
LOL - that first picture eventually turned into the second picture.
It was the wettest yeast dough I have ever worked with.
..

[gingerK]

Looks mighty like the Gonnella bread I'm used to, Mitch. You need some nice spaghetti to go with it and some wine, too!

[avalen]

now, before you throw it out, lets slice it lengthwise, slap some garlic butter on it and toast it mmmmmmm

[mitch5252]

now, before you throw it out, lets slice it lengthwise, slap some garlic butter on it and toast it mmmmmmm

If I did that, I would have eaten the entire loaf!
Now you've gone and made me hungry!

[snowball]

so are you going to post the recipe or did I just over look it?
looks yummy was thinking today that it's been forever since I've had homemade bread
sheila

[Azusateach]

I know it's not much (meaning it's just one loaf), but have you ever thought of sharing your baking gifts with a convalescent home, or some place like that? I remember when my mom was a hospice nurse. She'd let her little ol' patients have pretty much whatever they wanted, since it gave them pleasure to have things that others had said "no" to for so long (lots of them had been on restricted diets for one reason or another).

Just a thought ...

[VickieP]

Although that sounds like a good idea, I don't think they would be able to accept anything for the resident's consumption that was prepared in a location that didn't have a certificate from the Health Dept. The exception would be if you know a patient there, you gave it to them & they shared with their friends.