Rustic Italian Crusty Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is rustic Italian bread called? ›

Ciabatta

The bread was inspired by French baguettes but with a more rustic, chewy texture and a thicker crust. This bread is made with a high-hydration dough that is fermented for a long time, which gives it a unique texture and flavour.

Use a pizza stone or cloche

So heat and steam are a key part of getting that crust of dreams. To help even more, pre-heat a pizza stone in the oven before starting to bake. Place the baking tray or tin directly onto the baking stone. This brings a hot surface into (almost) direct contact with the bread you're baking.

Although a little vague like artisan bread, the general consensus is that rustic bread is not shaped with a pan and it is only made with simple ingredients such as just flour, water, salt, and yeast (or starter). Rustic bread is usually baked at a higher temperature which results in a thicker crust.

Perhaps the most well-known and popular Italian bread, ciabatta is a slipper-shaped bread. It has a unique, almost plasticity, texture, which makes it possible to do practically anything with this bread.

Same basic ingredients, completely different breads! Tuscan bread not only lacks depth of flavor without salt, the crust also doesn't brown and the structure is much more delicate. There are many theories for why the Tuscans started making their bread this way.

The best way to brown and crisp your bread's bottom crust – as well as enhance its rise – is to bake it on a preheated pizza stone or baking steel. The stone or steel, super-hot from your oven's heat, delivers a jolt of that heat to the loaf, causing it to rise quickly.

Large crusty loaves can be stored unwrapped (to preserve their crispy crust) at room temperature for a day or so, cut side down on the counter. For optimum long-term storage (longer than a couple of days), wrap bread in single-day portions and freeze.

Once the bread has finished baking, it will still contain some moisture, however if sufficient moisture hasn't escaped the crumb during the bake time, it will move outwards to the crust as the bread cools. This can cause the crumb to collapse and also soften the crust, weighing it down and further creating collapse.

Friselle bread, at times referred to as freselle, frisedde, fresedde, frise, are made from durum wheat. Friselle are baked twice and usually have a rough side and smooth side. Friselle are found throughout all of Italy but especially popular in southern Italy (Apulia, Calabria, Campania, etc.).

What kind of bread do Sicilians eat? ›

Pane Siciliano is a traditional bread from Sicily made with durum wheat (semolina), sometimes a little olive oil (as I do in this recipe), and even sweeteners such as honey or barley malt syrup. The flavor is nutty, sweet, and with a buttery mouthfeel, thanks to the olive oil.

GOMITO DEL PANE (Go ME TOE del PAH nay) - the end. of the bread!

A “tight crumb” aka small holes in the interior of your bread can be the result of different factors: under-fermenting, over-fermenting, and a lack of gluten development.

noun. British. a large white loaf, baked in a tin, with slightly curved sides and top.

Nutrient Powerhouse: Artisanal breads often utilize whole grains and organic flours, rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. This is in stark contrast to refined white flour, stripped of much of its nutritional value. A Happy Gut: Sourdough bread is a natural source of beneficial bacteria (probiotics).

Pane casareccio | Pane toscano

It takes different names in different parts of Italy. In Rome it is called pane casareccio, which means “homey bread.” In other areas, it is known as pane toscano, “Tuscan bread.” Italians usually get a half loaf or a whole loaf from the bakery.

Focaccia is ½" to 1" thick with a light crust on the top and bottom. It's often described as "flatbread" or "Italian flat bread," but unlike the flat bread we're used to, it isn't flat at all, but thick and fluffy. The "flat" term in question simply refers to the pan in which it's baked compared to other breads.

The Pullman loaf, sometimes called the "sandwich loaf" or "pan bread", is a rectangular loaf of white bread baked in a long, narrow, lidded pan. The French term for this style of loaf is pain de mie, or, less commonly, pain anglais.