Even if you’ve never made homemade bread or worked with yeast before, this homemade crusty artisan bread is for you. It’s the perfect beginner recipe because it only requires 4 ingredients without any special pans or mixer, there’s no kneading or complicated shaping involved, and 95% of the work is hands-off. Bread masters will appreciate this recipe too because it delivers with delicious flavor, a slightly crisp and mega chewy crust, and those signature soft holes inside like ciabatta or French bread.
Bread BeginnersโStart Here
Have you ever wanted to master homemade bread? Real, crusty, chewy, delicious bakery-style loaves that taste incredible with dips, soups, sauces, and comforting dinners? This is where you start. This artisan bread recipe is for beginners, but even bread masters will appreciate its flavor and ease. It’s so fresh, so flavorful, and so surprisingly easy because it basically makes itself.
You only need 4 ingredients without any special pans or mixer, there’s no kneading, no poolish or dough starter required, and you can add herbs, cheeses, and spices to make a variety of bread flavors.
This base recipe will soon be on repeat in your kitchen. After you realize how easy it is to make real homemade bread, you’ll find any excuse to bake a loaf. You can even turn it into garlic bread and homemade croutons.
What is Homemade Artisan Bread?
When it comes to bread, the term “artisan” doesn’t mean 1 particular thing. But, generally, artisan bread is homemade, fresh, crusty, and deliciously rustic-looking. An artisan is a skilled worker, one who works with their hands. But ironically, there isn’t much “work” involved with this recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Bread Recipe
- Easier than you ever imagined
- Soft + flavorful
- Chewy, slightly crisp crust
- Shape however you want
- No special pans, poolish, or dough starter required
- Only 4 ingredients
- You decide the length of time it rests
Like sandwich bread, whole wheat bread, focaccia, homemade English muffins, seeded oat bread, and homemade bagelsโthe process is surprisingly easy. If youโre new to yeast, reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
Only 4 Ingredients
The crustier and chewier the bread, the less fat in the doughโalso known as a “lean dough.” We’re using a lean dough for our artisan loaf today. (If you’re curious, a “rich dough” is a soft bread dough with the presence of fat, such as butter and eggsโthe kind we need for overnight cinnamon rolls, sweet potato dinner rolls, brioche, and honey butter rolls.) Without fat, we’re left with the basics.
- Bread Flour: While you can use all-purpose flour in this recipe, I strongly recommend using bread flour. Just like when we make olive bread, pizza bread, and asiago-crusted skillet bread, bread flour produces a stronger, chewier bread and that makes a big difference in a recipe with only 3 other ingredients.
- Instant Yeast: Instant yeast is key in this recipe. While you can use active dry if that’s all you have, any quick rise or instant yeast will produce flavorful results in less time. I use more yeast in this recipe compared to my cranberry nut no-knead bread and no-knead jalapeรฑo cheddar bread. Why? Those doughs rest and rise at room temperature. However, for more flavor and just as much rise, I use more yeast and let this dough rest in the refrigerator. (Cool air slows the fermentation process.)
- Salt: You canโt make good bread without salt and for best flavor, I recommend a coarse salt, such as coarse sea salt. I find the bread’s flavor lacking with regular table salt.
- Water: I normally encourage you to use warm liquid with yeast because warm liquid helps the yeast work faster. However, use cool or room temperature water here. Not freezing cold, not super warmโcool to touch. 70ยฐF (21ยฐC) is great, but the exact temperature doesn’t matter as long as it’s not hot or warm. The cooler the water, the longer the dough takes to rise and, usually, the better the bread’s flavor. (This is important since there are so little ingredients to add substantial flavor!) We use the same cool water method for no knead honey oat bread.
- Optional Cornmeal: Dusting the pan with cornmeal adds a pop of flavor and a little crunch to the bottom crust. This is completely optional. If you have it, use it. If you don’t have it, don’t worry about it.
You can also add herbs and seasonings such as garlic, rosemary, dill, chopped onion, jalapeรฑo, shredded cheese, chopped nuts, dried cranberries, etc. My no yeast bread is the quick bread alternative hereโyou can add flavors to that loaf, too!
Baker’s Tip: Avoid adding too much flour to the dough as you work with it. The stickier it isโand the longer it sits in the refrigeratorโthe more likely you’ll have those big airy pockets of air in the crumb.
How to Make Homemade Artisan Bread in 5 Steps
- Mix the dough ingredients together. At first the dough will seem very dry and shaggy and you’ll question if it will even come together. But it will. Use a spatula at first, then switch to your hands to ensure all of the flour is moistened. The dough is actually a little sticky after it’s thoroughly mixed.
- Let it rise at room temperature for 2-3 hours. Cover the dough and let it rise at room temperature for about 2-3 hours until doubled in size.
- Use right away or refrigerate. After 2-3 hours, you can immediately continue with the next step. However, for ideal flavor and texture, I strongly recommend letting the dough sit in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours and up to 3 days. Yes, 3 full days! I usually only let it rest for about 18 hours. During this crucial step, the cold air slows the fermentation process and adds so much flavor and texture. So, you can bake bread in 2-3 hours or in 3 days. The longer it sits, the better it tastes. ๐
- Shape into 2 loaves or 1 boule. Rest as oven preheats. You can shape the bread into a round loaf (boule) or two longer loaves. I usually make two longer loaves side-by-side on a flat baking sheet, about 9×3 inches each. Preheat the oven to a very hot 475ยฐF (246ยฐC). The extremely hot air will immediately set the crust so the bread rises up instead of spreading all over. Score the loaves on top right before baking. Scoring also helps control the bread’s expansion. To help ensure a crispier crust, after the oven preheats, pour boiling water into a metal or cast iron baking pan on the bottom oven rack. Immediately place the baking sheet inside and shut the oven door to trap the steam. The steam will help create that coveted crisp crust.
- Bake until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Gently tap the loaves because if they sound hollow, they’re done.
Look at those deliciously soft holes inside! Reminds me of ciabatta or a French baguette, both of which can be a little more complicated to make.
Serve Artisan Bread With
- Slather with homemade honey butter or cinnamon butter
- Slice and dunk in crab dip, beer cheese dip, garlic & bacon spinach dip, or even homemade Italian dressing
- Serve alongside slow cooker chicken chili or pumpkin chili
- As a dunker for creamy cauliflower potato soup, minestrone soup, creamy chicken noodle soup, crab soup, or slow cooker creamy chicken & corn soup
- With a big bowl of mac & cheese or spaghetti with slow cooker turkey meatballs
- Use for my goat cheese & honey crostini
- It’s the perfect starch in breakfast casserole or baked apple cider French toast
- Use it to make homemade garlic bread or homemade croutons
- With anything because homemade bread is everything’s best friend
Homemade Artisan Bread Recipe
- Prep Time: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours, 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 8-inch loaves
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Even if you’ve never made homemade bread or worked with yeast before, this homemade artisan bread is for you. Watch the video tutorial below and review the recipe instructions and recipe notes prior to beginning. If youโre new to working with yeast, reference my Baking with Yeast Guideย for answers to common yeast FAQs.
Ingredients
- 3 and 1/4 cups (about 430g) bread flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for hands and pan
- 2 teaspoons (about 6g) instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons (about 9g) coarse salt (see note)
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) water, close to room temperature at about 70ยฐF (21ยฐC)
- optional: cornmeal for dusting pan
Instructions
- In a large ungreased mixing bowl, whisk the flour, yeast, and salt together. Pour in the water and gently mix together with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. The dough will seem dry and shaggy, but keep working it until all the flour is moistened. If needed, use your hands (as I do in the video tutorial below) to work the dough ingredients together. The dough will be sticky. Shape into a ball in the bowl as best you can.
- Keeping the dough in the bowl, cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and set on the counter at room temperature (honestly any normal room temperature is fine!). Allow to rise for 2-3 hours. The dough will just about double in size, stick to the sides of the bowl, and have a lot of air bubbles.
- You can continue with step 4 immediately, but for absolute best flavor and texture, I strongly recommend letting this risen dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours and up to 3 days. Place covered dough in the refrigerator for 12 hours – 3 days. I usually let it rest in the refrigerator for about 18 hours. The dough will puff up during this time, but may begin to deflate after 2 days. That’s fine and normalโnothing to worry about.
- Lightly dust a large nonstick baking sheet (with or without rims and make sure it’s nonstick) with flour and/or cornmeal. Turn the cold dough out onto a floured work surface. Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut dough in half. Some air bubbles will deflate as you work with it. Place dough halves on prepared baking sheet. Using floured hands, shape into 2 long loaves about 9×3 inches each (doesn’t have to be exact) about 3 inches apart. Loosely cover and allow to rest for 45 minutes. You will bake the dough on this prepared baking sheet.
- During this 45 minutes, preheat the oven to 475ยฐF (246ยฐC).
- When ready to bake, using a very sharp knife or bread lame (some even use kitchen shears), score the bread loaves with 3 slashes, about 1/2 inch deep. (“Score” = shallow cut.) If the shaped loaves flattened out during the 45 minutes, use floured hands to narrow them out along the sides again.
- Optional for a slightly crispier crust: After the oven is preheated and bread is scored, place a shallow metal or cast iron baking pan or skillet (I usually use a metal 9×13-inch baking pan) on the bottom oven rack. Carefully and quickly pour 3-4 cups of boiling water into it. Place the scored dough/baking pan on a higher rack and quickly shut the oven, trapping the steam inside. The steam helps create a crispier crust.
- Place the shaped and scored dough (on the flour/cornmeal dusted pan) in the preheated oven on the center rack. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Gently tap the loavesโif they sound hollow, the bread is done. For a more accurate test of doneness, the bread is done when an instant read thermometer inserted in the center reads 195ยฐF (90ยฐC).
- Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving. Store leftovers loosely covered at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The dough can sit in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, so this is a wonderful recipe to begin ahead of time. You can also bake the bread, allow it to cool, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving. You can also freeze the dough. Complete the recipe through step 3. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-friendly container. To bake, allow dough to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, or for 2-3 hours at room temperature. Continue with step 4 and the rest of the recipe instructions.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls | Silicone Spatula or Wooden Spoon | Baking Sheets | 2-cup Measuring Cup | Bread Lame | Instant Read Thermometer
- Flour: For absolute best flavor and chewy texture, I strongly recommend using bread flour. You can use a 1:1 substitution of all-purpose flour in a pinch with no other changes to the recipe. I recommend avoiding whole wheat flour in this dough. If necessary, use half bread flour and half whole wheat flour. The bread will taste dense.
- Yeast: You can use instant or active dry yeast, but I highly recommend an instant (aka “rapid rise” or “quick rise” yeast). The bread will rise faster. I usually use Platinum yeast by Red Star, which is an instant yeast. 2 teaspoons is a little less than 1 standard packet. If using active dry yeast, there are no changes needed to the recipe. The rise time in step 2 may take longer.
- Salt: Use a coarse salt, such as coarse sea salt, in this bread. I find the flavor slightly lacking when using regular table fine salt. If you only have fine salt, reduce to 1 and 1/2 teaspoons.
- Water: Use cool water. 70ยฐF (21ยฐC) is great, but the exact temperature doesn’t matter as long as it’s not hot or warm.
- Round Loaf: If you want to shape the dough into a boule (round loaf) simply shape into a round ball instead of 2 loaves in step 4. Baking instructions are the same, but the loaf will take a few extra minutes in the oven. If you want to bake the boule in a dutch oven, see next note.
- Using a Dutch Oven: Follow this dough recipe through step 3, then follow the simple shaping/baking instructions (steps 2-5) in my Cranberry Nut No Knead Bread recipe including using the parchment paper. If your parchment paper can’t withstand heat this high, you can either lower the oven temperature and bake the bread for longer or grease the Dutch oven instead.
- Using a pizza stone: If you want to bake your bread loaves on a pizza stone, place pizza stone in the preheating oven. In step 8, place the shaped and scored dough on your preheated pizza stone. If the bottom of the shaped dough is pretty sticky, dust the hot pizza stone with some extra cornmeal. Bake as directed.
- No Nonstick Pan: If you don’t have a nonstick baking sheet, line it with parchment paper instead. Coat with a dusting of flour and/or cornmeal before placing the dough on top. Parchment paper can burn, so itโs best to check the box to see how much heat yours can tolerate. Lower your oven heat if necessary and bake the bread for longer until golden brown and when gently tapped, sound hollow.
- Flavor ideas: Before pouring in the water in step 1, add any of the following ingredients/combination of ingredients to the dry ingredients in the bowl: 4 cloves minced garlic + 3 Tablespoons chopped rosemary, 3 Tablespoons your favorite fresh herb (chopped), 1 cup your favorite shredded cheese, a diced jalapeรฑo, 3/4 – 1 cup dried cranberries and/or chopped nuts, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, etc.
- Reference myย Baking with Yeast Guideย for answers to common yeast FAQs.
- Recipe adapted fromย King Arthur Flour &ย Red Star Yeast, similar method originally from Jim Lahey.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 slices
- Calories: 136
- Sugar: 0.1 g
- Sodium: 389.8 mg
- Fat: 0.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 27.2 g
- Protein: 4.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hello there!!—- what is your thought about adding Kalamata olives to this receipe, too wet? I noticed that all of the add in suggestions are dry….. Thanks very much!!hig
Hi Donna, we’d follow our similar recipe for olive bread instead. It’s also an easy no-knead recipe!
Hi, is it ok to use a bread machine to make the dough?
Hi Tina, we don’t recommend it. This is a no-knead bread, so it’s best not to overwork the dough, which would be easy to do in a bread machine. It’s best to use the bowl and spoon/spatula method to mix by hand.
Is fresh rosemary and/or dill okay to add or does it have to be dry?
You can definitely add fresh herbs to this dough, Cheryl!
Amazing recipe. Thank you for sharing. My bread totally turned exactly as yours. So easy to follow. I will definitely try this using bread flour. The taste is so good, crunchy crust and soft in the middle.
Can I make this recipe with whole wheat bread flour?
Hi Max! We donโt recommend using whole wheat flour or whole wheat bread flour because it will result in a very dense loaf.
This was my first time baking bread and using yeast, and I was encouraged by the accessibility of the recipe. My loaves came out very dense, though, with tiny air pockets (if any). What could have caused this? I let the dough rise 3 hours on the counter and about 18 hours in the refrigerator. The dough seemed to rise a lot.
Hi Mia, weโre happy to help troubleshoot. Make sure to handle the dough very carefully after it rises to prevent compressing the air bubbles. Be sure to also spoon and level your flour (or use a kitchen scale) to ensure itโs not over-measured, which can make the bread dense and flatter.
Have made two batches so far and both came out great! What an easy recipe.
Hi Michelle, the dough can sometimes flatten out while resting, especially if youโre in a hot/humid climate. You can simply flour your hands and try to bring it back to a taller loaf after resting, right before it goes in the oven. The flour on your hands should help with it sticking. Hope this helps!
Yeah, I tried that. It didn’t work. Does this recipe work with a baguette pan?
what adjustment would be necessary to make rye?
Hi Bill, we have not tested this recipe with rye flour, so are unsure of what to recommend. We have, however, swapped out 1 cup (130g) of bread flour for the same amount of whole wheat flour with no issue.
Hello Sally’s bakers,
I had a slight problem and would like your input:
After baking sucsessfuly twice as 2 loafs I made one round loaf.
This time I baked it 28 min (was 24 for the 2 loafs) and used steam that I didn’t use before.
Everything else was the same and all according to the recipe.( Round loaf And steam are optional)
Outer crust turned out crispy and brown, crumb was great, taste was great.
Only problem, the bottom crust was pale/white. Not the crumb, just the outer crust of the bottom of the loaf.
How do I fix that?
Thank you!
Hi Dona! Did you use a different pan or baking method? A darker pan will give you a darker bottom. Did you use the Dutch oven baking method?
No I baked on a baking pan not dark. and I filled a huge tray ( the frying pan that comes with the oven) with water on the bottom rack for steam.
Thanks for the awesome recipe! I only had active dry yeast on hand, so I bloomed it in the water (I used warmer water) for only a minute before I added it to the flour and salt, worked a treat, took 2 hours to rise perfectly. Highly recommend doing that if you have no instant yeast!
No I baked on a baking pan not dark. and I filled a huge tray ( the frying pan that comes with the oven) with water on the bottom rack for steam.
Love the bread, and I really enjoy the flexibility of leaving the dough in the fridge. Will definitely make this on the regular! No need to carefully plan rising times with cooking and eating times. Just prepare a few days ahead and put it in the fridge, works so well! Very easy and tasty. I kept it as one big loaf.
This is absolutely delicious!!
Question, can I make this gluten free?
Hi Blanche, we havenโt tested this bread with gluten free flour so weโre unsure of the results. Although some readers report using an all-purpose 1:1 gluten-free flour in many of our recipes with success, you should expect slightly different results anytime you substitute ingredients. Let us know if you try it!
My go to for a good, quick loaf of bread for soup or chowder!
Has anyone tried making rolls with it?
Hi J.A., You can definitely make smaller rolls/buns. Careful shaping into rolls or bunsโ this is a sticky dough, so use floured hands. The bake time will be only a few minutes shorter. Bake until golden brown and when lightly tapped, they sound hollow.
I made this bread with Bobs’s atran bread flour. N When I turned it out of the banneton it turned into a pancake.I should have put it into a loaf pan I tried to shape it but still flat.
Hi Shirley, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. If your dough was going flat out of the bowl, it sounds like you could use a bit more flour to give the dough some structure. There are a lot of variables that go into the consistency of dough, down to even the weather and humidity, so there’s nothing wrong with adding a bit more flour to bring the dough to a workable consistency. We hope this helps for next time!
Hi! Thank you for all of your recipes! What can I do to get my bread to rise more in the oven? I’m using steam already but it’s just very sad and flat.
Hi Katy, weโre happy to help troubleshoot. Make sure to handle the dough very carefully to prevent compressing the air bubbles. Be sure to also spoon and level your flour (or use a kitchen scale) to ensure itโs not over-measured, which can make the bread dense and flatter. Are you using instant yeast or active dry? Active dry can take a little longer to rise. Finally, a digital thermometer is helpful for ensuring the water temperature isnโt too hot, which can kill the yeast and prevent optimal rise. Hope this helps for next time!
total disaster for me. the loaf spread out way too wide and the hot water in the pan underneath kept the bottom of the loaf from cooking! won’t try again.
If I wanted to make it with roasted garlic cloves (not minced) how much garlic would you recommend and when would you add it?
Hi Michelle! We have not tested adding roasted garlic to this recipe, but we’re sure it would be fabulous! You can mix it in with the other ingredients in step 1.
Okay, this is by far the easiest bread I’ve ever made. I made it a second time because although the first ones turned out they were quite denser. I let it sit for much longer as I did not have instant yeast and had to use regular yeast which was the issue the first time. I do think 475 is too high for my oven. I cooked for 20 minutes and top got a touch “over brown”. I’ll try 450 next time. My oven tends to take less time than instructions. It’s still pretty new so learning it’s quirks.
Hi Lily, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. Make sure to handle the dough very carefully to prevent compressing the air bubbles. Be sure to also spoon and level your flour (or use a kitchen scale) to ensure itโs not over-measured, which can make the bread dense and flatter. Are you using instant yeast or active dry? Active dry can take a little longer to rise. Finally, a digital thermometer is helpful for ensuring the water temperature isnโt too hot, which can kill the yeast and prevent optimal rise. Hope this helps for next time!
Hi Lexi! Thanks for getting back. I used a scale to measure the 3.25 cups but it measured well over 430g. So I wasn’t sure about that bit. Ended up using the cup measurement than the gram measurement. The water used was around 18-19ยฐC and I used instant yeast. Thanks!
Iโve double checked this recipe a couple times and Iโve followed it exactly, but my dough is incredibly wet still after proofing. Not sure why or if I can fix itโฆ:(
Hi Melissa! Does your dough look like the photos and video tutorial above? You can always add a little extra flour if needed.
Sally, I baked breads on and off for over forty years. After I lost my husband I decided to start baking again for therapy, but the results were subpar, including my bread. I realized I needed to get back to basics and was already a big fan of your work, which taught me to make better muffins and quick breads. The round loaf from this recipe is hands down the best, most flavorful bread I have ever made. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Great recipe! I’ve made it a few times now and it always turns out well. I’ve been thinking of trying to add some flavoring in the form of tomato and feta. For the tomato, I want to try to do tomato paste. Would you recommend lowering the amount of water in this case? Would tomato paste affect the end texture very much? Thanks!
Hi Emily, we haven’t tested a tomato version, but we’d recommend trying sun-dried tomatoes before tomato paste. If you do any experimenting, we’d love to know how it turns out!
My artisan bread is very misshapen. Iv seen videos of folding the edges inside than flipping the dough to make it more stretched and look better. Is that too much working the dough or is that fine. I’m talking about, folding 4 sides inside once than flipping it upside down once.
Of course with very floury hands.
Hi Gale, you can certainly give it a try, just be very cautious not to over handle the dough and pop too many of the air bubbles. Alternatively, you can use your floured hands to gently shape the dough once it is on your baking sheet.
First time to try this!
Excellent!!!
Sally, you are turning me into a baker! Your pie crust, yeast rolls , pizza crust and now my very first artisan bread. It is so crispy on outside, yet tender and light inside. I used my thermapen and it was at 200 after 18 minutes in oven. Perfect! Thank you for recipes that I need not worry about whether they will be successful โฆ. Next I will try the cinnamon bread.
This recipe started my bread-baking journey a year ago, and it will continue to be a go-to in my kitchen. Question: seems I could double this recipe and make two batches at a time since there’s no kneading or need for a mixer. If I do, could all the dough be put in a large enough container and let it all rise together?
Hi Kathy, we recommend making two batches for best results!
Can this recipe be made into small dinner rolls. I have been looking for a roll recipe that is crunchy like this on the outside, but the inside is a soft roll.
I am wondering the same thing – if it can be used to make maybe 4 smaller loaves, for bread bowls.
Hi Chris, You can definitely make smaller rolls/buns. Careful shaping into rolls or bunsโ this is a sticky dough, so use floured hands. The bake time will be only a few minutes shorter. Bake until golden brown and when lightly tapped, they sound hollow. We also have this recipe for bread bowls that you might enjoy.
What is bread flour? Never heard of it!
Hi Franee! Bread flour has a higher protein content, which makes a chewier bread. We like to use it with Mose yeasted doughs!
So good and so easy! I usually use an Everything Bagel topping and bake in an Italian loaf pan so that the loaf is a little rounder. It tends to flatten a little on a baking sheet. However you do it, it’s delicious!