To make 1 loaf of bread, Maria needs 1 3/4 cups of ingredients.
To find out how much she needs to make 2 1/2 loaves of bread, we can multiply the amount for 1 loaf by 2.5:
2.5 x 1 3/4 cups = 4 3/8 cups
Therefore, Maria needs 4 3/8 cups of ingredients to make 2 1/2 loaves of bread.