This homemade Italian Puff Bread is made with only six simple ingredients. It's easy to bake and turns out with a crispy crust and a soft, airy inside. Whether you serve it for a meal or as an appetizer, its delightful aroma will fill your home.

Puffy Bread

Puff bread is a delightful and visually appealing bread, celebrated for its puffy exterior and soft, doughy texture inside. A few months ago, I had a serving of this puffy bread in an Italian restaurant and enjoyed it immensely. Inspired by that experience, I decided to make this puff bread recipe at home.

The dough is made simply with dry yeast, salt, olive oil, water, and pizza flour, much like how I make my homemade naan. What makes this puff bread so special and delicious is its long fermentation period at a low temperature, often lasting 12 hours. During this slow rise, the dough develops its flavors and transforms into a stretchy, elastic texture that is just delightful.

Once the dough has proofed, it’s shaped into rounds, flattened, and then baked at a very high temperature. This quick baking process causes the bread to puff up dramatically, giving it a light, airy, yet doughy interior and a crispy crust that’s simply irresistible!

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Simple and authentic: This homemade Italian puff bread recipe is authentic in its flavors and tastes, using just six basic ingredients that you can easily find at grocery stores. It’s straightforward to prepare at home and ensures a delightful final result.
• Make ahead of time: You can make the dough ahead of time and bake it fresh before serving. The dough can be refrigerated for up to 48 hours, offering flexibility in your preparations.
• Crowd pleaser: It’s a versatile recipe that can be enjoyed as an appetizer, a side dish, or a delicious snack, making it a sure hit with everyone at home.

Sidenote: This puffy bread is ideal for savoring alongside your favorite dishes. Whether you’re dipping it into the rich sauces of Creamy Garlic Butter Chicken, or alongside Asian dishes such as Coconut Chili Shrimp and Chicken Tikka Masala, its fluffy texture and absorbent nature perfectly complement the flavors. It’s a versatile addition to any meal, ensuring every bite is a delightful experience of taste and texture.

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Puffy Bread Ingredients

This easy puff bread recipe yields a crispy outer crust and fluffy, airy bread in the center with just a few ingredients.

• Active dry yeast: Add active dry yeast to the dough to help the bread rise properly and achieve a soft and fluffy texture when baked. You may use either active dry yeast or instant yeast for this recipe. When using active dry yeast, make sure to dissolve it in the water before adding it to the dry ingredients. For instant yeast, you can directly add it to the flour when combining the ingredients.
• Olive oil: It’s an essential ingredient for Italian cuisine. It adds a rich flavor to the bread and keeps it moist once baked.
• Warm water: Dissolve the active dry yeast in the warm water, then mix it into the flour to create a soft dough. Make sure the water temperature is warm enough to touch. Do not use hot boiling water, which will kill the yeast.
• 00 flour or pizza flour: 00 flour is a finely milled Italian flour used for making pasta, pizza dough, and some breads. It has a smooth texture and low gluten content, which makes the dough soft and elastic.
• Semolina: A coarse flour made from durum wheat. Sprinkle it over the dough before baking to add a crunchy exterior.

Shopping Guide: You can buy 00 flour in the USA at grocery stores with a good selection of international foods, specialty Italian markets such as Eataly, online retailers like Amazon, Walmart.com, and specialty food stores.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.

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How To Make Italian Puff Bread

The best Italian puff bread takes only 10 times for active preparation.

First, dissolve the active dry yeast in warm water and mix well with salt and olive oil. Combine the wet and dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Knead the dough with a stand mixer until it forms a smooth dough. Next, cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 12 hours to allow it to rise.

When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to its highest temperature (about 320°C/608°F). Remove the dough from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Gently shape each portion into a large disc about 5 mm thick and sprinkle semolina on top. Transfer the dough discs to a baking sheet and place them in the oven. Bake for approximately 3 minutes or until they puff up and turn golden brown.

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Baking Tips

For the best result, please follow my tips below:

1. The bread dough achieves an elastic texture during a slow fermentation process under low temperature for at least 12 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to its highest temperature to ensure the dough rises sufficiently while baking. For the best results, using a pizza oven is recommended.
3. Serve the Italian puff bread immediately with a drizzle of olive oil on top and a sprinkle of salt for the ultimate taste experience.
4. You can double the ingredients to make a larger portion.
5. 00 flour or pizza flour is ideal for this recipe; using all-purpose flour or bread flour may not yield the same result.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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What To Serve With Italian Puff Bread

Serve this puff bread with Zucchini Dip. I love serving this bread with authentic Italian dishes, just like the ones I enjoyed in Italy.

I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.

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Other Recipes You Might Like

• Pita Bread
• Foccacia Bread
• Garlic Naan