Rustic Italian Bread
This Italian bread recipe takes some time to come together, but the hard crust and chewy bread are 100% worth it. Totally necessary with a bowl of pasta or a hearty soup!
There is absolutely no denying that I’m a big carbs girl.
Give me a good loaf of bread with creamy butter and I’ll call it a meal.
And nothing beats having a fresh slice of crusty Italian bread to soak up the extra sauce on your plate after a meal of spaghetti… it was always one of my favorite parts of Sunday dinner. I’m still making loaves of my favorite white bread every two to three weeks, but I wanted a legit, crusty loaf of Italian bread a few weeks ago and this one totally hit the spot!
I did make Italian bread ages ago and it’s a wonderful recipe, but I wanted to go full-on with an overnight sponge to really develop that traditional crumb and crust found in Italian bread.
I turned to one of my favorite resources – my old Baking Illustrated book – and sure enough, they had a great recipe for rustic Italian bread, so off I went!
Be forewarned that this recipe does take some planning, as you’ll need to start the day before you want to bake it, and on the day of baking, you’ll need to start things about 7 hours before it’ll be ready to eat.
My previous recipe (which I linked to above) can be on your table in a couple of hours, so if you need something quicker, definitely check that one out. However, if you have the time, this is a fantastic project to tackle!
This recipe makes one large loaf of Italian bread that has that characteristic shatteringly crisp crust, along with a chewy interior… The perfect bread for soaking up leftover sauce on your plate, or the last remnants of a hearty soup in your bowl.
Or, just grab your favorite creamy, salted butter and slather in on slice after slice and call it lunch. I certainly won’t judge you :)
Four years ago: Blueberry Jam
Rustic Italian Bread
Ingredients
For the Sponge:
- 2 cups (250 g) bread flour
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) instant yeast
- 1 cup (250 ml) water, at room temperature
For the Dough:
- 3 cups (375 g) bread flour
- 1 teaspoon instant yeast
- 1⅓ cups (333.33 ml) water, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Make the Sponge: Combine the flour, yeast and water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Knead at the lowest speed until a shaggy dough is formed, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature until it begins to bubble and rise, about 3 hours. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Make the Dough: Remove the sponge from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature while making the dough. Combine the flour, yeast and water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook; knead at the lowest speed until a rough dough is formed, about 3 minutes. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 20 minutes.
- Remove the plastic wrap, add the sponge and the salt, and knead at the lowest speed until the ingredients are incorporated and the dough is formed (the dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom), about 4 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to medium-low and continue to knead until the dough forms a more cohesive ball, about 1 minute. Transfer the dough to a large, greased bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a cool, draft-free place until slightly risen and puffy, about 1 hour.
- Remove the plastic wrap, slide a plastic bench scraper under one side of the dough, gently lift and fold a third of the dough toward the center. Repeat with the opposite side of the dough. Lastly, fold the dough in half, perpendicular to the first folds. The dough should be a rough square. Replace the plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 1 hour.
- Turn the dough, repeating step #4. Replace the plastic wrap and let dough rise for 1 hour.
- Shape the Dough: Liberally flour a work surface and gently scrape the dough from the bowl onto the work surface. Dust the dough and your hands liberally with flour and, using gently pressure, push the dough into a rough 8- to 10-inch square.
- Fold the top right corner diagonally to the middle. Fold the top left corner diagonally to the middle. Begin to gently roll the dough from top to bottom, continuing to roll until the dough forms a rough log. Roll the dough onto its seam and, sliding your hands under each end, transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment paper. Gently shape the dough into a 16-inch football shape by tucking the bottom edges underneath. Dust the loaf liberally with flour and cover loosely with plastic wrap; let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position, place a baking stone on the rack, and preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
- Bake the Bread: Using a single-edge razor or sharp knife, cut a slit ½-inch deep lengthwise along the top of the loaf, starting and stopping 1½ inches from the ends. Spray the loaf lightly with water. Slide the parchment sheet with the loaf onto a peel (or inverted rimmed baking sheet), then slide the parchment with the loaf onto the hot baking stone in the oven.
- Bake 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees F and rotate the loaf from front to back; continue to bake until deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf reads 210 degrees, 35 to 45 minutes longer. Transfer to a wire rack, discard the parchment, and cool the loaf to room temperature, about 2 hours.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This is my go-to bread recipe. Chewy on the outside and tender on the inside. Just delicious! It takes some time, but most of it is rising time. The hands-on time is not bad at all. I follow the recipe just as written and it turns out consistently great every time!
Could you give me an idea of weight or volume of the ‘sponge’? I already have a biga ready and wanted to use it to make your bread which looks amazing! Thanks!
Hi Michelle
This is a great recipe! Wondering if I can cut the dough in two to make 2 smaller loaves….one to give away? What are your thoughts ?
I have a bread machine. I’m also lazy. I’m definitely a lazy baker. That said, this recipe looked interesting so I decided to give it a try. I made the sponge (in the bread machine), then put it in a bowl and let it ferment over night, probably 12 hours or so. In the late morning, I added all of the dough ingredients to the bread machine in the order listed above and let the machine do all of the work. (I used regular flour, no bread flour on hand.) I had planned on taking the bread to a dinner with friends, which is only relevant on the issue of time. Okay, so the bread machine does its thing and I then put the dough into a bowl to rise. Thirty minutes later, I do the fold-in on itself thing, and let it rise again. Jumped in the shower, made an appetizer, then punched the bread down and folded it in for a second time. Put in bowl. Covered it. Realized there was no way I was going to have 2 hours to rise, bake and go. What to do? I put the dough in the refrigerator overnight. I took it out in the morning, shaped it, and let it come to room temperature and rise, then baked as outlined above. The bread was amazing. It is much more flavorful than the basic Italian bread I make with almost identical ingredients, but simple – no sponge, two rise times, etc. It is amazing to me how two breads with almost identical ingredients taste so different. The extra time and effort transforms this from a basic bread to one with a depth of flavor and a delightful consistency. I will definitely make this recipe my new “go to” recipe. In fact, I just made another sponge and am doubling the recipe so I can share. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
Delicious bread, very good recipe!
Hi! I’m really wanting to try out this recipe! What is the difference between refrigerating the sponge and the biga method?
Thanks!
Hi Linda, Good question! I haven’t tried this bread with a traditional biga.
I made this loaf over the weekend between doing odd jobs around the house. I took it to work to get reviews from everyone and it was a hit!
I didn’t spray it with water but instead threw a dozen ice cubes into the oven when I first put the dough on the pizza stone.
So delicious and almost no hand kneading 😁
Michelle,
We love rustic bread with soup (which I make about every 10 days.) Can this dough be split into two smaller loaves and frozen?
BTW, loved the recent blondies recipe! Sent most of them to work with the hubs today to get them out of the house. 🖒🖒
Hi Susan, I think that would work just fine! And so happy to hear the blondies were a hit! :)
Made it!
Awesome recipe and worth the time and love put into it.
I just made this loaf and I’m SO proud. Making a rustic, crusty loaf of bread was my New Years resolution and I did it. It’s delicious, has the perfect texture, and a nice chewy crust. Thank you!
HI Michelle,
I just LOVE your blog!! I would like to try the Rustic Italian Bread recipe but I don’t have any bread flour, would it be ok to use regular flour?
Thank you.
Hugs, Teresa
Hi Teresa, Using all-purpose flour will result in a crust that is not as thick and it will not rise quite as much. I would definitely recommend picking up some bread flour to keep in your pantry!
I made the bread in the weekend and it was great for my first try. I don‘t have a baking stone, just use a regular baking sheet. Thank you for the recipe.
Can I use this recipe for French bread?
Hi Fran, French bread is different than Italian bread, so I would recommend a specific French bread recipe. I have it on my list!
Thank you. I found it and will try it soon : )
I just made this loaf of bread. Oh my word! It was the best bread I’ve ever tasted. Superb recipe. Many steps, but not hard at all to make. It was worth the wait!
Love This Loaf!
Fantastic post .. As always!
What baking stone would you recommend…..?
Hi Ty, This is the one I’ve had for years (mine is black and seasoned now!):
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/pizza-baking-stone
Are there other options for a baking stone. I’d love to make this bread but I don’t have the baking stone.
Hi Bonne, You can turn a baking sheet upside down, line with parchment and bake on there. The bottom crust may just not be quite as crisp.
MIchelle, thanks for posting. I am retiring from the New York metro area and have yet to find good Italian bread in Southern California. Great weather, but so so bread. This will be a project once the weather cools down.
This looks delicious! Next time you make it …let me know ahead of time and I’ll come right over…..lol…just kidding! it does look good though…sigh
Your loaf looks like perfection! So, this is a recipe where bread flour is used (I am trying to get a handle on flours). And YES! to the Mancini’s bread. But there is great satisfaction in turning out an excellent loaf of bread made with your very own hands. And the smell of it baking in your own oven :))
What a beautiful loaf of bread. If I still lived in Pittsburgh and had access to Mancini’s bread, I probably wouldn’t be tempted to try this recipe, but I’m in Harrisburg, and we have no good Italian bread here, so once the weather cools down some, this is on my list. I am curious which brand of flour you use and the exact yeast that you use. Thanks for sharing this.
Hi Ed, I use King Arthur Flour bread flour and Red Star yeast. Enjoy!
The best breads always have few ingredients…and tons and tons of labor! :D
I love this bread from italia !! <3