The right bread can be the difference between a cheesesteak and a “genuine Philly style steak and cheese sandwich.”
Philadelphians understand that line. The rest of you might be scratching your heads wondering what I’m talking about. In a word: Amoroso’s. Okay, that’s not helping you yet, is it?
Okay, put it this way. When you’re in Italy, you wouldn’t describe a restaurant as “Italian”. Kind of obvious, right? Well, when you’re in Philly you wouldn’t ask for a “Philly style steak sandwich”. You’d ask for a cheesesteak. Unless you want people to look at you like you just stepped in a pile of dog poo.
And if you’re somewhere else? “Philly style” on the sign is a dead giveaway that it’s not. It’s either a cheesesteak or it’s not, no qualifiers needed.
All of which is a really long way of getting to the point: I miss Amoroso’s so bad. Since I can’t get it here, I’m going to make my own. I may not get it perfect on the first try, but I’ll keep tweaking it until it’s as close as I can get.
Ingredients
1 package (1/4 ounce, 2-1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1-1/4 cups warm water (105°-115°)
3 cups unbleached flour or all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
cornmeal for dusting
Directions
Dissolve the yeast in a quarter-cup of warm water. You should actually check the temperature of the water. Too cold and it won’t activate, too hot and you can kill the yeast.
Give the yeast a few minutes, until it starts bubbling, then mix it in with the rest of the warm water.
Add the flour, sugar and salt and stir.
Don’t add the oil until after you’ve worked the water and flour together. Otherwise the oil will coat the proteins and prevent gluten formation. Gluten lets the dough stretch when it rises, making it light and chewy instead of crumbling like cake.
After mixing the oil in, turn the dough out onto a clean, floured surface to knead.
Stretch the dough away from you, fold it back, turn a quarter turn and repeat. Once the dough is well incorporated, slap it on the surface a few times. This will encourage more gluten production leading to a lighter, airier bread.
When the dough is smooth and silky, continue kneading for another several minutes. You can work it with both hands and keep turning the dough, or just hit it from opposite angles with each hand.
Once the dough is thoroughly kneaded, place it in an oiled bowl. Toss the dough around so it is coated with oil all the way around.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap, pressed right up against the dough. This will prevent a skin from forming on the dough, allowing it to rise more.
Put the bowl someplace warm until the dough has doubled in size, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
Pre-heat the oven to 425°. If you have a pizza stone, put it on the bottom rack. Otherwise, place a baking sheet upside-down on the bottom rack.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and punch down to knock out most of the air out. Don’t go crazy and try to turn it into a pancake. Just give it a quick couple of hits.
Roll the dough out into a loaf shape and cut it in half. You can form the halves into loaves or, like I did here, divide each half into three smaller pieces.
Roll out the pieces of dough until they are about 6-9 inches long.
If you have a peel (the large wooden spatula you see in pizza shops) use that. If not, a wooden cutting board will work. Dust it with cornmeal so the dough doesn’t stick.
Cover the loaves with plastic and allow to rise for another 40 minutes. They should roughly double in width.
Cut each loaf down the middle with the sharpest blade you have. If you don’t have anything that is absolutely razor sharp, use a razor blade. You want to cut about a quarter-inch deep in a single quick stroke without sawing back-and-forth. This will prevent the bread from bursting open when it rises in the oven.
Transfer the loaves onto the baking stone. Leave room between loaves for them to rise some more.
If they don’t all fit on your stone, put the rest on an upside-down baking sheet.
Bake at 425° for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 400° and bake another 25-30 minutes. To check if they’re done, pick one loaf up and thump on the bottom with your thumb. If it has a hollow sound, it’s done.
If you want really crusty bread, great for dipping in olive oil or marinara sauce, place a pan of water in the bottom of the oven. The steam will keep a skin from forming too fast, giving the bread more time to rise. It will also make the crust crisper.
Don’t put the loaves near the top. The radiant heat from the top of the stove will brown the crust too much, too fast. Guess which ones in the picture below were on the baking sheet?
Serve immediately with butter, or with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping.
And that’s it.
Or … let them cool off and maybe use them for sandwiches. Maybe I’ll have something special comingng up next. You think? Maybe?
43 Comments
Mmmmm Amoroso’s…this bread looks fantastic! Now if only I could get some Cheez Whiz over here in southern Italy
This really looks good and I really want to try it. What are your thoughts on using a bread machine (just for making the dough)?
This looks so yummy-I can’t wait to try it. The videos were very informative!
Michelle, Whiz is an abomination. I don’t care what Pat’s does. Pat’s and Geno’s are for the tourists now. (Okay, that’s enough inside references for now.)
Amanda, I’ve never had a bread machine, or even used one. So all I can say is that kneading the dough is really fun. I don’t know why I’d try to avoid it.
Lizzybee, let me know how it comes out.
How can I not make this for Christmas. It’s going to go great with the roast I’m making.
I love homemade bread. I haven’t made any in a long time, I think I might just try this recipe tomorrow.
Amanda: I’ve known several people who love using bread machines to make dough and swear it gets great results. But I’m with our host here, I love kneading so don’t have any first hand experience.
Stephanie, I just found out we’re doing bread and dessert for Christmas dinner. So it looks like we’re both doing this.
Bob, now that I know what I’m doing, I’m going to let the girls help with the kneading next time. They’ll have a blast. (And if I can teach the 8-year-old to do bread on her own, mwaaaahahahahaha!)
Don’t go to Pat’s or Genos…Go to Jim’s on South Street. mmmmm worth the wait!
Nancy, you a native or just developed a preference on a visit?
Well, I’m doing the whole meal, so I get to pick what’s made. Sort of. My dad won’t eat his vegetables, my boys don’t like meat, my husband does do dessert, my sister eats everything, and my mom must have salt. On everything. I just have a picky family.
Hi Drew, Not a native Philadelphian, but my hubby is. He and his cousins used to go to Jims late at night for a Steak n Whiz and I’ve been there many times on visits to PA. Now that I’m vegetarian though…I’ll just have to remember the times…
Nancy, you can be a vegetarian and still eat a cheesesteak. You just … ummm … give me a minute, I’m still working on how to rationalize this one …
Well, Drew…they do make vegan scrapple (scrapple…ewww) so someone somewhere will probably come up with vegan cheesesteaks!
BTW: I have been making your sourdough bread – Yum! but have a question about it…do you ever add more yeast to the starter?
Nancy, vegan scrapple? That’s a contradiction in terms. Scrapple … scrap … vegan scrapple would be scrap … what?
As for the starter, no you shouldn’t need to add more yeast. If you keep the same starter going, you’re really nurturing a colony of yeast. That’s why the San Francisco bakeries are so protective of — and snobbish about — their bread. They’ve been maintaining the same starters for, in some cases, over a century. And the specific strain of yeast is what gives the distinctive taste.
Sheesh that bread look sooo good!
Vanessa, it is. But follow the recipe. I know you hate that. So do I, that’s why I avoided making bread for so long. But I’m growing to love the measuring spoons.
Drew, thanks for the recipe. I made it last night (2 large loaves) along with the pan of water in the oven, and it was FANTASTIC! I think I’m going to be baking a lot of bread in my future.
Anon, that’s exactly how I felt the first time I made a bread that came out how I wanted. And it doesn’t hurt that every time I make something now the girls rush the kitchen to get some while it’s still hot from the oven. Heck, I have to chase them out while it’s still baking because they follow the smell and don’t want to wait.
Hello! We have moved from New York to Louisiana. We love it! BUT! We can't find great italian Bread! ANY WHERE!! Guess I have to make it! My question is what is your thought with "Starter's" in Italian Bread? And Not handling so much as to alot? I'm looking for the Chewy Crusty bread!
The pan of water in the bottom is how you get the crustiness. For the chewiness, substitute bread flour (high gluten flour) for at least half the white flour. If you're feeling extravagant, use all bread flour.
For handling, you want to knead it to "windowpane" consistency. That means if you pull off a little piece of dough, you can stretch it thin enough to almost see through without it breaking.
I have made so many loaves of Italian bread, trying to capture that wonderful taste of a Philly roll, and this is the closest I have ever come. Thanks so much for the great recipe and directions! Do you know how they make kaiser rolls? My grandfather was a bread maker in Philly, but died before I ever got a chance to ask him how they get that perfect swirl on the top!
Michelle, glad you liked it! For the kaisers, I've seen a couple of different methods, but haven't actually tried one yet. I might give that a shot later this summer.
What are your thoughts on making this one day and baking the next? I'd really like to try this, but don't want to bake it after nine due to rising times. Or, is this a weekend bread? It does look delicious and I'm ready to tackle homeade bread!
Sara, the only time I've done that was my cinnamon buns. I'm sure it would work, but I'd be guessing at the timing of it.
I'd put it in the fridge — wrapped tightly in plastic wrap with a little oil on it so it doesn't stick — after shaping it but before the second rise. Take it out the next day and leave it someplace warm until doubled in size. I really have no guess how long that will take, but certainly longer than if you don't refrigerate it.
Oh my God! They came out great…..
I always make homemade bread I'm from Europe thats just what we do..hah but thanks Drew for this great recepie. Even my mom don't believe me that I made it …she said they look 2 pretty.
We never eat out…I cook breakfast, lunch and dinner so new recepies are always great.
I just love your website.
5 stars , great job.
Always good to hear success stories. Hmm, I've got a new bag of bread flour downstairs. I wonder what I'll make this weekend …
Just made these for the second time in the past two days : ) Everyone has loved it! I was so happy with the crunchiness of the crust.
Ty, I was going to make this again last night, but the kids wanted Chinese. And bread doesn't seem the best accompaniment for fried rice. Now I'm really jonesing from some fresh yeasty goodness.
I can't wait. It's rising right now. I hope it turns out well. While mixing and kneading it, it was SO INCREDIBLY sticky.
Ahh, perfect. Amazing results on first try! But please, if you use a spray bottle and/or pan of water, please be very careful anytime you open the oven. Otherwise, you may find out like I did that steam burns. I was so excited to mist the sides of the oven that I had my hand with the bottle right there as I opened the oven.
Ooh, good point. I had my face right there last time I made bread. I wasn't close enough to get burned, but my glasses steamed up and stayed that way.
I (an Italian-american)am now living in Cocoa Beach,Florida after growing up in Philadelhia. Restaurant food here is dismal at best but the bread here is AWFUL. What they call "italian bread" is like a giant tan marshmallow. So, when I found your site I was thrilled! I will be making bread by hand for the first time. I have a bread machine and yes, it's a great toy to play with to make pizza dough, bagel dough and some specialty breads, but I need REAL italian bread! Can't wait to try this bread tomorrow. Now if only I could cook like "Dante and Luigi"!!!
Mary, don't expect Amoroso's on the first try. And use bread flour instead of all-purpose.
Philly native… Jim’s Steaks, 4th and South…. the best. Lose the Wiz though, never understood the point. Use Prov instead. Add fried onions for a little bit of heaven.
Now for the recipe… looks great. Gonna try as soon as I get into the kitchen.
Trying this out right now, thanks!
and Delasandros or Chubby’s on Henry avenue in Roxborough. God I miss them (in DC now).
Made this today and it was pretty good. Was a bit denser than I hoped for, but the wife and kids gobbled it up anyway. I suppose the density is in the type of flour and/or the skill at kneading? This was my first bread attempt and I used all purpose bleached, maybe I didnt knead it enough?
Steve, bread flour will help with the rise. As for kneading, it could be either too much or too little. You have to knead it enough to develop the gluten (stretch out the protein chains in the flour once they’ve been hydrated) but if you overdo it the bread can get tough.
One other thing to try is letting the second rise go longer. I have this bad habit of wanting the bread right now and don’t give it as long as I really should. You want the most rise you can get without getting flimsy and falling over on itself. It just takes practice to recognize what it should look like at each stage.
Well – I am on my third batch of bread now – Its been edible, but not looking as good as yours! Meanwhile,on my current attempt, my loaves deflated when I took the plastic wrap off to then put in the over. ( are you supposed to preheat the stone in the oven before putting the bread on? did I let them rise too long? )
BTW – I found out that the left over or bad loaves make great croutons! Hoping this batch tastes good even if deflated….. going to try the bread flour tomorrow!
Lee Ann, I’ve had far too many disappointments with deflating bread. The baking stone gives a slightly better crust, but I still have trouble moving the dough onto it without deflating. And don’t even get me started on slashing the top.
If yours went down just from pulling off the plastic, then yes, you let it rise a bit too much. A smaller rise that makes it into the oven intact beats a nice big rise that goes *poof* when you touch it. (You could also try a bit more oil on the plastic before you cover the dough.)
And by the way, your first time with bread flour you’re going to tell yourself, “Oh, so that’s how this is supposed to work.”
Today, I made bread that looks good and tastes good – taking it to Aunt Dorothys for spaghetti dinner. She is an awesome cook at the age 0f 90 and invites us often
As for the good bread today – I tried the bread flour, and watched the rising – I also used parchment paper for the loaves to rise and then slid paper and all onto the stone in the hot oven. (brushed on some garlic butter right after forming the loaves like in the garlic breadstick recipe)
Also, last night I made the asiago cheddar cheese rolls – to serve with baked chicken breasts and asparagus – I ate three rolls before dinner got on the table – family loved the bread , that is, what I didnt eat before they got a chance-
The parchment is a great idea. A friend of mine does that with her pizza, but it never occurred to me to do it for other bread. Seems obvious now that you’ve pointed it out.
And those cheese rolls are addictive, aren’t they?
I just finished making this and it came out kind of flat because I think I rolled it out too much. Other than that it was perfect. I used a lot of plastic for this so do you have an alternative to the plastic wrapping? Can’t you just leave it out?
Anqel, for the second rise yes, I’ve left it without the plastic wrap. If the first rise was good but the second rise wasn’t going anywhere, then you probably did roll it out too much. I try to handle it as little as possible after the first rise to get it into the final shape.
2 Trackbacks
[...] any more. So the first thing he decided to do is start making bread. I brought him over the recipe for crusty Italian bread and he went to [...]
[...] time unknown Italian breads have been one of the staple foods in Italy and as compared to any other European city bread baking [...]