Sweet Italian Bread

Today I decided to make a nice, kind of sweet Italian Bread to go with the pork and sauerkraut I made for dinner.  I also made one loaf into cinnamon bread for desert!


Sweet Italian Bread
1-1/2 cups water (at temp recommended by manufacturer)
3 TB olive oil
3 TB sugar
2 tsp salt
3 TB dry milk (you can substitute milk but reduce water likewise)
4 cups bread flour
1 packet of active dry yeast (about 2-1/2 tsp)


Put the above ingredients in your bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Set for dough cycle, this makes a two pound loaf.  I made three smaller loaves instead.

• Remove dough from bread machine and shape into loaves of your choice (on a well floured surface).
• Cover and let rise for 40-45 minutes
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Slash the loaves a couple of times with a sharp knife, then brush with melted butter or olive oil.
• Bake loaves for 20-25 minutes until they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom, cool and enjoy!

For cinnamon bread, roll out on a floured surface, try to keep the length close to the length of your bread pan. Roll to less than 1/2" thick.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, roll up and place seam side down in a greased and floured bread pan.  Let rise for 40-45 minutes, then bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.

The glaze is 2 cups of powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp of vanilla and a little milk.  Add milk a little at a time until it forms a thick paste, I made mine a little too thin and it ran.  You want it to be like cake frosting so you can spread it and it does not run.