Italian · Breads & baking

Rustic Italian country loaf (Pane casereccio)

Name: Rustic Italian country loaf (Pane casereccio)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 4 h 30 min
Yield: 1 round loaf
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3 1/2 cups (420 grams) bread flour; 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast; 2 teaspoons fine sea salt; 1 1/2 cups (340 grams) lukewarm water; 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil; Flour or semolina, for dusting

A simple crusty round loaf with a chewy airy center for pasta, soup, bruschetta, or olive oil.

About 4 hr 30 minTotal

About 1 hrActive

$Cost

ModerateDifficulty

Makes 1 round loaf

Equipment

Use a hot sheet pan under an inverted oven-safe metal bowl for the covered phase.
Best value covered pot
Lodge Essential Enamel 6-Quart Dutch Oven · EC6D43
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Use a hot sheet pan under an inverted oven-safe metal bowl for the covered phase.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched capacity, lid fit, oven rating, heat retention, maneuverability, care, stable model identity, and usefulness outside bread baking. Kwilt has not baked with this pot.
Lodge Essential Enamel 6-Quart Dutch Oven · EC6D43: The six-quart capacity, heavy cast-iron body, and fitted lid create the enclosed high-heat environment used by these bread methods while remaining useful beyond baking. Trade-off: At more than thirteen pounds it is demanding to move when hot, and the enamel needs gentler utensils and hand washing.
Another workable path: Bake on a preheated heavy sheet pan under an inverted oven-safe metal bowl, keeping face and hands clear when removing the hot cover.
Sources
Lodge six-quart Essential Enamel specifications
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 1 round loaf

3 1/2 cups (420 grams) bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 1/2 cups (340 grams) lukewarm water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Flour or semolina, for dusting

Instructions

Whisk flour, yeast, and salt. Add water and olive oil and stir vigorously 2 minutes into a sticky shaggy dough with no dry flour. Cover and rest 30 minutes.
With damp hands, stretch each side over the center to make one fold set. Repeat twice at 30-minute intervals, then cover and rise 60 to 90 minutes until doubled, bubbly, and jiggly.
Turn onto a lightly floured surface, fold edges to the center, flip, and draw the dough toward you to create a taut round. Place seam-side down on floured parchment, cover, and proof 35 to 50 minutes until puffy.
Heat oven to 475°F with a inside for 40 minutes. Score the loaf 1/2 inch deep, lower it on parchment into the pot, cover, and bake 20 minutes. Uncover, reduce to 450°F, and bake 18 to 22 minutes more until 205–210°F.
Cool at least 90 minutes before slicing. The Italian phrase means household or homemade bread and does not identify one nationally fixed formula; this version is a practical country-style loaf, not a protected regional claim.

ItalyItalian household bread · not one protected regional formula

From the table

About this recipe

Pane casereccio means bread made at home or in a household style; it is a descriptive Italian category, not one national recipe. Treccani describes it as home-style bread often made with less-refined flour and shaped into large rounds or loaves, while Italian teaching materials likewise emphasize the large rounded form and substantial crust.

Because household breads differ across Italy, this recipe avoids attaching itself to a protected region or claiming one ancient formula. It is a practical contemporary country loaf made from bread flour, water, yeast, salt, and olive oil, with folds for strength and a covered pot for a thick crisp crust.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe