Italian Bread - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
2 cups warm water (110 to 115 )
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Preparation

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the sugar, salt and 3 cups flour. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Stir in remaining flour to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down. Turn onto a floured surface; divide in half. Shape each portion into a loaf. Place each loaf seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. With a sharp knife, make four shallow slashes across top of each loaf.
Bake at 400\u00b0 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.