Rustic Italian Crusty Bread Recipe Video
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Easy and quick artisan Italian rustic crusty bread at home, no knead, no machine, no dutch oven, with only 2 hour rise time. Made by hand with active dry instant yeast, flour and water then baked on a hot pizza stone.
Artisan Italian Crusty Bread Recipe
I made us the perfect bread for soups, stews, bruschetta and to use for sandwiches / panini all week long.
A spin on my Italian pizza dough recipe, except here i use warm water to make the bread. Just mix together flour, salt and instant yeast then let rise for 2 hours. Only 2 hours for perfect homemade bread you guys!
Then you bake it on a preheated pizza stone (<–amazon), for a peasant style loaf that crackles in your hands like a dream, yet still soft on the inside. Perfect for dipping or to dunk into a hot bowl of vegetable soup.
- A good homemade bread will have a soft, fluffy center with big holes and a crust that crackles in your hand with even a gentle squeeze. It’s very important to not overwork the dough if you are looking for airy holes in your bread like the ones in the photo above.
- Avoid the temptation to add more flour, simply dump the dough out of the bowl you mixed it in and shape into a loaf. No Kneading Allowed!
- I swear there’s nothing like the magic of a pizza stone, however you could also bake it inside a cast iron skillet or dutch oven if you really wanted to.
How to Serve and Eat Crusty Bread
- dip in olive oil with red chili flakes and fresh herbs.
- alongside Pasta e Ceci, Zuppa Toscana, Roasted Pepper Tomato Soup + Frutti di Mare.
- make the ultimate Tomato Bruschetta!
- enjoy with Oven Roasted Tomatoes + vegan mozzarella.
- tear a crusty corner like nobody’s watching while still a little warm and spread a little butter on it.
- add 2 tablespoons of rosemary to the dough, 1/3 cup of sliced black olives or sprinkle the top with poppy seeds before baking.
What makes the bread crusty?
The secret is a bowl of water steaming under the pizza stone while the bread is baking. The steam makes a crusty loaf!
How to Store
Allow the loaf to cool off completely on a cooling rack on its side. Place it in a plastic bag and store on the kitchen counter at room temperature for a couple of days. I would not recommend freezing this kind of bread, instead if you find yourself with a stale chunk simply do as the Italian do: make a big pot of Ribollita or this Tuscan Pappa al Pomodoro soup.
Rustic Crusty Italian Bread Recipe Video
Rustic Italian Crusty Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3.25 cups all purpose flour + more for dusting
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1.5 cups warm water
- 2 tsp instant yeast (or active dry yeast)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl or your kitchen aid mixer add the flour, salt and yeast. Use a spatula or the paddle attachment and mix to combine well.3.25 cups all purpose flour, 2 tsp instant yeast, 1 tsp sea salt
- Pour in the warm water and keep mixing until everything is incorporated and a soft dough has formed. It will still stick to the bottom of the bowl and that is OK.1.5 cups warm water
- Cover the bowl with some plastic wrap loosely and a tea towel. Allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours until doubled in size.
- Sprinkle some flour on your kitchen counter and dump the bread dough on it. Flour your hands to help it out of the bowl as it will be sticky. Don't panic, this is normal.
- With floured hands fold the dough onto itself forming it into a round ball. Do not knead it, do not handle it anymore than you need to. Use a sharp knife and lightly carve an X in the top of the loaf or just make a few cuts across.
- Place the bread dough on top of a lightly floured pizza peel, cardboard or parchment paper and allow it to rest while your oven is heating up.
- Preheat your oven to 450”F with a pizza stone inside for about 45 minutes before baking the bread. Fill an oven proof bowl with 2 inches of water and place it on the bottom rack. This will create the steam that will cause the crust to become crispy as it bakes.
- Once your oven is hot sprinkle the pizza stone with some semolina flour or corn meal and carefully slide the bread loaf on top. Bake the bread for about 30 to 45 minutes until golden brown all over and cooked through.
- Transfer the bread to a cooling rack and allow to cool off completely before slicing into it. You can also let it cool inside the oven with the door slightly open.
Dutch Oven Method
- Instead of a pizza stone preheat your oven with a dutch oven inside. Once hot, carefully place the bread loaf inside the dutch oven ideally using parchment paper for easy transfer. Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid and bake another 5 minutes until golden brown on top. Remove the bread from the dutch oven and transfer to a cooling rack or it won't stay crispy.
Original Large Loaf Recipe:
- Ingredients: 1 package instant dry yeast (1/4 oz)6.25 cups all purpose flour + more for dusting2 tsp sea salt3 cups warm water.
- Instructions: Follow the above instructions and bake at 450"F for 45 minutes.
Video
Notes
- Adaptation Jan. 2021 - because some people were having trouble working with a large loaf, I adapted the recipe to make a smaller loaf that is easier to handle and that will cook evenly even without a pizza stone. Those of you more experienced bakers with a pizza stone or a bread/ pizza oven feel free to double the recipe and make a huge rustic loaf out of this.
- Water dish - make sure you don't forget to add the dish with water in the oven to create steam If you are after an extra crusty loaf!
- Parchment paper - If using parchment paper make sure to check the box for the max temperature it can safely be used in.
- Keep it Crusty - make sure to allow your loaf to cool off completely on a high cooling rack so the moisture can escape through the bottom while the crust stays crispy. Alternatively allow the loaf to cool off on a rack inside the oven with door slightly open. (remove from dutch oven and discard parchment paper first).
Nutrition
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My husband loves a good Italian bread and I love a good rustic loaf. After digging and digging to find just the right recipe I stumbled into this one and thought I would try it. It turned out perfectly. I used my bread cloche and it turned out absolutely perfect. It just came out of the oven and it is everything I can do to keep my paws off of it until it cools completely. I have never made a bread that is so easy and so perfect in my life. I am used to 12 hour rise (sour dough) and traditional white bread that is a double rise). I was skeptical that this was going to raise in the short time and maintain its shape. It did both effortlessly. I am going to be looking at other recipes (garlic bread sticks is next on the list).
Can I add herbs such as dried rosemary or oregano to better while blending?
yes of course, a couple of tablespoons of fresh rosemary is super delicious! Enjoy! ~ Florentina
This bread was so easy to make and is amazing. I baked it in my cast iron Dutch oven. I wish I could attach a photo.
I am so happy you loved the bread and turned out so beautifully for you ~ Florentina Xo’s
Easy and delicious! The initial mixing is easy with the kitchenaid, and I barely touch the loaf except to shape it. The water underneath the pan delivers a nice crust! Have mage this twic.e already and have been asked for the recipe!
Hello Florentina
I have 2 questions for you
1) can I use unbleached all purpose flour for this recipe?
2) I haven’t got a second rack in my oven to place the pan of water. If I use a dutch oven instead of the pizza stone will I get the same results? If not do you have any suggestions?
I want to make garlic bread out of this loaf to serve with lasagna.
Yes you can use unbleached all purpose flour and if using the dutch oven method you won’t need the bowl of water underneath as the lid will trap the steam inside and yield that crispy crust. Enjoy!
Nice recipe for same-day bread. I did knead it awhile in the kitchenaid and had it rise a second time in a boule for about 45 minutes while the oven and stone were heating up. I splurged on a proofing box a couple years ago and that ensured fast rising times.
I made this today 50/50 AP/Bread because I didn’t have enough All Purpose. I did the second rise in a parchment paper lined bowl because I was using a Dutch Oven that is the perfect size for a 500 gram sourdough. I didn’t get the open crumb but it tastes excellent.
Thanks
Just made this today and am eating a warm slice with butter as I am typing this. It took very little effort to make and it’s so good! Thank you for this recipe!
can you use bread flour?
sure you can!
So good and so easy! I’ll be keeping this recipe. Thank you!
I just did this but made it *fall* with pumpkin spice and cinnamon! Is the nutrition for the whole loaf? Thank you!
Made the bread just like back when I was a kid! Had it with mussels marinara and white wine it was soft on the inside and pleasantly crunchy on the outside! Making another loaf right now!
Thanks
Donato
This is my 2nd time making this. Not hard to do. I use the Dutch oven method. It has a nice crumb, flavor.
I would suggest the author place about second rise up in the recipe not in comment section. Today ovens preheat in little as 10 minutes. You do need the second rise for a good light texture. Shape your dough place on parchment paper. I sprinkle my paper with semolina flour then place the dough round on it. Place in a bowl parchment and all for second rise to keep shape. Once hour up. Gently lift to transfer in my case the preheated dutch oven. Fabulous bread recipe! Please tweak the instructions up in recipe instructions. (For second rise).
The pizza stone will def take more than 10 minutes to heat up properly
This is a very tasty bread. We’ve made it a few times and always enjoyed it.
Our problem is it does not rise that much in the Dutch Oven and doesn’t remain crispy.
What size Dutch Oven are y’all using or does it make a difference? We’re using a 7 qt. Tramontina.
The cooked bread rises to about 3 inches in the center down to about 1.5 inch around the edge of the bread.
See the above about the second rise. Makes a big difference
Tasty results. However, I cooked it in a Dutch Oven, and it didn’t stay crisp while cooling. Crispiness probably needs a stone and steam.
It didn’t rise as well as I would have liked during cooking, not sure why. Perhaps using bread fluor had something to do with that.
In any case it is very tasty.
This is an excellent recipe! Very easy to follow, thank you very much for sharing.
I’ve made it numerous times either with the Dutch oven method or with a steam bath underneath a cast-iron skillet as I do not have a pizza stone.
I’ve also made the large loaf as well as the small loaf. The only tweak I’ve done is increased the salt a half teaspoon for the small loaf & a full teaspoon for the large loaf. Just our personal preference.
My only issue is I always have a nice crusty bread when it first comes out of the oven, after the proper cooldown, whether it’s in the oven or out on a raised cooling rack. For whatever reason the outside does not stay crisp. I’m not sure if it’s because of my home, I live in Florida and it is very humid where I am. Otherwise, really a fabulous recipe.
PS makes great toast and bruschetta
Absolutely amazing! Never buying Italian bread again. The only change I made is I used semolina flower on my pizza peel instead of regular flour to help it slide off easier onto the pizza stone. This recipe is definitely a keeper! Thank you.
This is my go to Italian bread recipe! It’s so quick, easy, and best of all, DELICIOUS!!! Today I’m trying it in a loaf pan to use as a sandwich bread! Great recipe!
Bread was good but too dense. I see in the comments, people referring to a second rise yet your recipe calls for a 2-3 hr rise period only. Did I miss something
Hi Sue, after shaping the loaf you need to let it rest for the gluten strands to bounce back while your oven is heating up, which should be at least 45 minutes to 1 hour. Technically you can call it a second rise. For best results place your loaf onto of parchment paper inside a bowl so it keeps its shape and make sit easy for you to transfer without over-handling the dough. This is very helpful if you haven’t mastered handling wet dough yet and it’s also very easy regardless. Let me know how it goes ~ Florentina Xo’s
Do you still use a water dish if you use a Dutch oven?
Hi Jenn, you do not need the water dish if baking in the Dutch oven because the lid will help trap the steam inside and yield the crusty bread. Enjoy ~ Florentina Xo’s
I’ve made this several times. I love it. Can this bread be frozen. I like to make several loaves at time.