Tuscan Bread Recipe: How to Bake Tuscan-Style Bread
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Sep 28, 2024 • 3 min read
You can use homemade Tuscan bread to make sandwiches, serve it alongside classic Italian fare like lasagna, ribollita, and panzanella, or enjoy it fresh out of the oven dipped in olive oil.
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What Is Tuscan Bread?
Tuscan bread, also known as pane Toscano, is a crusty, oval-shaped white Italian bread. One key characteristic of the bread, which comes from the Tuscany region of Italy, is salt-free dough. The lack of salt allows the yeast to proof more effectively. With its fluffy interior and chewy exterior, Tuscan bread is the ideal vehicle for sandwiches and sopping up soups and sauces. You can bake Tuscan bread in three different forms: round bozza, long filone, or flat ciabatta.
Tuscan Bread vs. Sourdough Bread: What’s the Difference?
Tuscan and sourdough bread are both crusty breads with different leavening methods.
- 1. Leaveners: To make Tuscan bread, bakers use a yeast mixture called biga to create a fluffy, light crumb. Biga is made with flour, water, and active dry yeast, combined the night before baking. Sourdough bread doesn’t require yeast; instead, it rises using a sourdough starter mixture.
- 2. Time: Biga ferments overnight, while sourdough starter ferments over the course of several weeks or even years. Biga relies on added dry yeast to develop much more quickly, while sourdough starter relies on the slower fermentation of natural yeast from the atmosphere.
- 3. Flavor: Sourdough starter develops a much deeper, richer flavor than biga. Sourdough bread also contains salt, and traditional Tuscan bread is saltless.
Round Bozza Tuscan Bread Recipe
makes
1 10-inch round loafprep time
30 mintotal time
1 hr 10 mincook time
40 minIngredients
Note: The total time does not include 11½ hours of inactive time.
- 1
In a large bowl, whisk together yeast and water. Cover and set aside to bloom for 5 minutes.
- 2
Add 1½ cups flour and stir with a wooden spoon until evenly combined. Cover and set aside in a warm place to rise, at least 8 hours or overnight.
- 3
Transfer the fermented biga to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment. Add 3 cups of flour and knead until a smooth, soft dough forms, about 5 minutes.
- 4
With the motor running on medium, stream in the olive oil. Knead until fully incorporated and the dough is shiny, 8–10 minutes.
- 5
With the motor running, add remaining flour a little at a time until fully incorporated.
- 6
Transfer the dough to an oil-coated mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. Set aside in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
- 7
Dust a rimmed baking sheet with cornmeal.
- 8
Punch down the proofed dough. Shape the dough into a round loaf, pulling sides and tucking underneath as needed. Set dough on the prepared baking sheet, sprinkle lightly with flour, and cover with a kitchen towel. Set aside in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1½ hours.
- 9
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit with racks in the middle and bottom positions. Place an ovenproof baking dish on the bottom rack. (If you want to use a baking stone, preheat it on the middle rack and transfer the bread in the next step).
- 10
Place the baking sheet with bread on the middle oven rack and immediately add 2 cups of water to the preheated baking dish.
- 11
Bake bread until golden, crispy, and hollow sounding, about 40 minutes.
- 12
Transfer bread to a wire rack to cool before serving.
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