If you're looking for an easy yogurt bread recipe, this rustic loaf is one I make often in my own kitchen. It's one of those simple breads that comes together without much effort, yet still gives you a beautiful crust and soft interior.
I especially love making this bread when I have yogurt left in the fridge that needs to be used. Adding yogurt to bread not only gives it great flavor, but it also adds a little extra protein and helps create a tender crumb inside while the outside bakes into a rustic crust.
Bread is a big part of everyday life in Germany. When people think of German bread, they often imagine one type of loaf, but the reality is very different. Germany has hundreds of different breads, each with its own texture and baking method.
This rustic yogurt bread is my simple version inspired by those traditions. It was also influenced by one of my favorite German bread bakers, Lutz Geißler, whose work has inspired many home bakers to explore the beauty of traditional bread baking.
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Ingredients
- Yogurt- For this recipe, I recommend using regular yogurt rather than Greek yogurt. I usually make my own yogurt at home, which works beautifully in this bread. Greek yogurt can be much thicker, so if you use it, you may need to add a little extra water to get the right dough consistency.
- Water- When making bread, I always recommend holding back a little water at first. Every flour absorbs liquid differently, so start with most of the water and add more slowly if the dough feels too firm. This simple step helps you get the perfect dough texture.
- Yeast- Fresh yeast is always my first choice when baking bread, but dry yeast works well too if that's what you have available. Both will give you a reliable rise in this recipe.
- Salt- Salt is essential for flavor in bread, but it should never come into direct contact with yeast at the beginning of mixing. Salt can weaken yeast, so I always keep them separate when first combining the ingredients.
See recipe card below for quantities.
Instructions
This yogurt bread recipe is very simple and relies on time and gentle folding to develop flavor and structure. The long resting time helps create a rustic loaf with a crisp crust and soft interior.
1. Mix the dough
In a mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, water, yeast, flour, and salt. When adding the ingredients, keep the yeast away from the salt at first so it doesn't interfere with the yeast. Using a dough hook, mix on low speed for 5-7 minutes until a soft dough forms and all ingredients are well combined.
2. Rest and fold the dough
Transfer the dough to an airtight container and leave it at room temperature. Over the next 23 hours, perform about 7-8 gentle folds. Folding strengthens the dough and helps develop the structure of the bread.
You can watch the folding technique in the video included in this post.
3. Shape and proof
After about 23 hours, do the final fold and shape the dough. Place it into a proofing basket and let it rest while you preheat the oven with your Dutch oven inside.
4. Bake the bread
After about 1 hour, place the dough onto parchment paper and carefully transfer it into the hot Dutch oven. Cover with the lid and bake for 25 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for another 20 minutes until the crust is deep golden and crisp.
Let the bread cool before slicing and enjoy.
Substitutions
This yogurt bread recipe is very flexible, and you can easily adjust the ingredients depending on what you have available.
- Yogurt Substitutions-Regular yogurt works best for this recipe because of its consistency. If you use Greek yogurt, keep in mind that it is thicker. I recommend holding back some of the water at first and then adding it slowly as needed until the dough reaches the right texture.
- Yeast- Instead of 5g of fresh yeast, you can use 2-3g of dry yeast.
- Flour-If you would like a slightly healthier loaf, you can replace a portion of the white flour with whole wheat flour. A good ratio is 80% all-purpose flour and 20% whole wheat flour, which keeps the bread light while adding more flavor and nutrition.
Variations
- Make Yogurt Bread Rolls- Instead of baking one loaf, you can divide the dough and make small bread rolls, which are perfect as dinner rolls. I like using a baguette tray for this, similar to the method I use in my German bread roll recipe.
- Seeds- For extra texture and flavor, you can line your proofing basket with seeds before placing the dough inside. Seeds like sunflower, sesame, flax, or pumpkin seeds work very well and create a beautiful crust on the finished bread.
Equipment
You don't need a lot of special tools to make this yogurt bread recipe. In fact, the equipment list is very simple.
Dutch oven - A Dutch oven is the key tool for baking this bread. It traps steam while the bread bakes, which helps create a beautiful crust and a soft interior. If you enjoy baking homemade bread, a Dutch oven is one of the best investments you can make.
Bread proofing basket (banneton)
A bread basket helps the dough hold its shape during the final rise and gives the loaf those classic artisan bread lines.
That's really all you need to get started baking this homemade yogurt bread.
Storage
This rustic yogurt bread stores well and can easily be enjoyed over several days.
I like to store my bread in a bread box, which helps protect the crust while keeping the inside soft. You can also line your bread box with beeswax paper, which helps the bread stay fresh even longer while still allowing a little airflow.
Another method I often use is pre-slicing the bread and freezing it. Once the loaf has cooled completely, slice it and store the slices in the freezer. This makes it easy to take out one slice at a time and toast it whenever you want fresh bread.
This is one of my favorite ways to always have homemade bread ready to enjoy.
Top Tip
If you want to speed up the process, you can add a little more yeast. However, slower fermentation always produces better flavor and texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yogurt adds moisture, flavor, and tenderness to bread. The natural acidity in yogurt also helps improve the texture of the dough and creates a soft crumb inside the bread while still allowing the crust to become nicely crisp during baking.
Yes, you can use Greek yogurt in this yogurt bread recipe. Because Greek yogurt is thicker than regular yogurt, you may need to add a little extra water. I recommend holding back some of the water at first and adding more slowly until the dough reaches the right consistency.
The easiest way is to bake the bread in a Dutch oven. The lid traps steam while the bread bakes, which helps create a crisp, rustic crust similar to artisan bakery bread.
Yes. You can replace part of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour. I recommend using about 80% white flour and 20% whole wheat flour to keep the bread light while adding extra flavor and nutrition.
More German Bread Recipes
Rustic Yogurt Bread Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Mix the dough
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, yogurt, water, yeast, and salt. When adding the ingredients, keep the yeast away from the salt at first. Using a dough hook, mix on low speed for 5-7 minutes until a soft dough forms.
- Rest and fold the dough
- Transfer the dough to an airtight container and let it rest at room temperature for about 23 hours. During this time, perform 7-8 gentle folds to strengthen the dough and develop structure. See the video in this post for the folding technique.
- Shape and proof
- After the 23-hour fermentation, perform one final fold. Place the dough seam side down into a well-floured banneton (bread basket). Make sure the basket is generously floured to prevent sticking. I like using rye flour, which also gives the bread a more rustic look.
- Preheat your oven to 480°F (250°C) with the Dutch oven inside while the dough proofs for about 1 hour.
- Bake the bread
- Place a piece of parchment paper over the banneton and carefully flip the dough onto the parchment. Transfer the dough into the hot Dutch oven and cover with the lid.
- Place in the oven and reduce the temperature to 450°F (232°C). Bake for 45 minutes total, removing the lid after 25 minutes so the crust can become deep golden and crisp.
- Let the rustic yogurt bread cool before slicing and enjoy.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- This yogurt bread recipe was tested using a kitchen scale. For bread baking especially, I always recommend weighing your ingredients rather than using measuring cups. Using a scale ensures better accuracy and more consistent results.
- If using Greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt, hold back some of the water at first and add it slowly as needed since Greek yogurt is thicker.
- For a more rustic look, generously flour your banneton (bread basket) before adding the dough. I like using rye flour, which helps prevent sticking and gives the loaf a beautiful bakery-style finish.
- Be sure to allow the bread to cool before slicing so the crumb can fully set and the texture of the loaf develops properly.
This is one of my favorite recipes to make! Especially when I have left over yogurt! It’s easy and simple to make!