Italian Bread (Bread Machine)

4 C flour
1 T light brown sugar
1 1/3 C warm water
1 1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t olive oil
1 pkg active dry yeast

1 egg
1 T water

Place flour, brown sugar, warm water, salt, olive oil and yeast in the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle and press Start.

When done, deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Form dough into two loaves. Place loaves seam side down on the pan you will bake it on. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix together egg and 1 T of water. Brush the risen loaves with the egg mixture. Make a single long, quick cut down the center of the loaves with a sharp knife.

Bake for 30-35 minutes.

My Tips:

• I usually only make one loaf with this recipe, rather than two.
• Instead of making a plain loaf, I separate the dough into two parts and make a long rope-type shape with each part. Then I twist them together. This makes it look neat when it's done.
• We usually eat this by slicing the bread into garlic bread-size pieces. We mix butter and garlic (the kind that comes in a glass jar). We butter one side of each piece, put the loaf back together, and heat it in the oven.