Mama D’s Italian Bread

1. Add yeast and warm water in a large deep bowl to dissolve.
2. Add 3 cups of all purpose flour, sugar and salt in the same bowl and whisk for 3 minutes with an electric beater.
3. Stir in rest of the remaining flour in the yeast mix and stir to make soft dough.
4. Transfer the dough into a floured surface and knead it some more to make it soft, approximately for 6 -8 minutes.
5. Grease a bowl lightly with oil and place the dough into it. Turn it all around so all sides are properly greased. Cover and leave it for at least 1 hour to rise.
6. Remove the dough from the bowl, knead some more on a floured surface and divide it into two. Stuff the two divided dough into two greased loaf pans, cover and let it rest for 30 minutes, until it has doubled in size.
7. Meanwhile preheat the oven at 400°
8. Make slashes on top of each loaf of dough and place the loaf pans in the oven. Let them bake for 20-25 minutes or until they are golden brown.
9. Transfer to a cooling rack and then serve.

Trivia:

• Everywhere in the world, Italian breads are often served before an Italian meal for an authentic experience. In truth, Italians only munch on these breads after the meal to dip into the leftover sauces and save it from getting wasted.
• Italians have different kinds of breads for different occasions. On Christmas it is Il Panettone. On Easter, it is bread-cake baked in the shape of a dove.

According to Italian superstition, it is bad luck to place a bread loaf upside down on the table. In middle ages, people on death rows used to have their breads served that way.