The goodness of simplicity: flour, water, salt, and a pinch of yeast. These are the ingredients needed to prepare this delicious rustic loaf bread. It’s soft inside and has a beautiful crispy crust. It’s perfect for making croutons and fabulous for sopping up sauces. Sure… the preparation is a bit lengthy since it requires several hours of rising, but the result will be worth it.
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- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 7 Hours 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for the Rustic Loaf Bread
I used dry yeast, but you can substitute it with fresh yeast. In that case, use 5g and dissolve it in warm water before adding it to the flour. If you want to speed up the rising time, you can increase the amount as desired.
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (12% protein)
- 1 1/8 cups water
- 1 tsp dry yeast
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
Tools
I prepared the dough for this rustic loaf bread with the stand mixer, but it can easily be done by hand as well.
- Stand Mixer
- 1 Bowl
- 2 Loaf Pans 10 x 4 inches
Preparation of the Rustic Loaf Bread
Put the flour and dry yeast into the stand mixer bowl and mix with a small hand whisk.
Then add the warm water and knead with the dough hook attachment until all the flour is perfectly absorbed.
At this point, add the salt and continue kneading.
You’ll get a rather soft dough; transfer it to a bowl, cover it, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
After these 30 minutes, do a first round of folds: with slightly dampened fingers, take one edge/side of the dough, stretch it outwards, and fold it back onto the dough itself. Repeat this operation for each edge of the dough (so three more folds). Cover and let rest at room temperature for another 30 minutes.
Then repeat the four folds, cover again, and let rise until it doubles in volume in a warm place away from drafts: the rising time depends greatly on the ambient temperature and can vary from 5 to 6 hours.
At this point, transfer the dough to a floured work surface, flatten it with your hands, then fold the bottom part towards the center, fold the two side parts towards the center, and finish by folding the top part over the entire loaf. I assure you it’s easier to do than to say. Seal all ends well to trap air inside and let rest for 30 minutes.
Then repeat the same procedure, that is, flatten the dough and redo the folds, sealing the loaf well.
Place it inside a previously lined with parchment paper and floured loaf pan and let it rise for another hour.
After this last rising, sift a little flour over the bread surface and make diagonal cuts, as shown in the photograph.
And finally bake the rustic bread in a preheated static oven at 464°F for 15 minutes covered with a second pan (if you don’t have a second pan of the same size, use a sheet of foil). Then remove the top pan and continue baking for another 15 minutes at the same temperature. Take it out of the oven and let it cool slightly before enjoying it. Enjoy! Paola.
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