This rustic yogurt bread recipe creates a crusty artisan-style loaf with a soft interior and simple ingredients. Yogurt adds moisture, flavor, and a little extra protein while helping create a tender crumb. This easy homemade bread slowly ferments for deeper flavor and bakes beautifully in a Dutch oven for a crisp golden crust. It’s a simple bread recipe perfect for everyday baking.
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.
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.
