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 Beginners—Start 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 recipe is where you start. This artisan bread 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.
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
- 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
Homemade Artisan Bread Video Tutorial
Like sandwich bread, whole wheat bread, focaccia, homemade English muffins, seeded oat bread, and homemade bagels—the process is surprisingly easy. If you’re 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 dough—also 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 eggs—the kind we need for overnight cinnamon rolls 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, bread flour produces a stronger, chewier bread and that makes a big difference in 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 jalapeño 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 the this dough rest in the refrigerator. (Cool air slows the fermentation process.)
- Salt: You can’t 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 warm—cool to touch. 70°F (21°C) 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, jalapeño, shredded cheese, chopped nuts, dried cranberries, etc. My no yeast bread is the quick bread alternative here—you 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 is—and the longer it sits in the refrigerator—the 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. 🙂
- 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 2 longer loaves side-by-side on a flat baking sheet, about 9×3 inches each. Score with a sharp knife or bread lame. Preheat the oven to a very hot 475°F (246°C). The extremely hot air will immediately set the crust so the bread rises up instead of spreading all over. To help ensure a crispier crust, after the oven pre-heats—pour boiling water into a metal or cast iron baking pan/dish on the bottom oven rack. Immediately place the dough inside and shut the oven door to trap the steam. The steam will help create that coveted crisp crust. If you have a dutch oven, shape the dough into 1 round loaf, and bake it inside the dutch oven with the lid on.
- 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
- Slice and dunk in crab dip, beer cheese dip, or roasted garlic bacon spinach dip
- Serve alongside slow cooker chicken chili or pumpkin chili
- As a dunker for minestrone soup, creamy chicken noodle soup, or crab soup
- With a big bowl of mac & cheese
- Use for my goat cheese & honey crostini
- It’s the perfect starch in breakfast casserole
- With anything because homemade bread is everything’s best friend
See Your Homemade Artisan Bread!
Many readers tried this recipe as part of a baking challenge! Feel free to email or share your recipe photos with us on social media. 🙂
PrintHomemade 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 you’re new to working with yeast, reference my Baking with Yeast Guide 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 70°F (21°C)
- optional: cornmeal for dusting pan
Instructions
- In a large un-greased 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 normal—nothing 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 475°F (246°C).
- 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 loaves—if 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 195°F (90°C).
- Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Store leftovers loosely covered at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
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 in the refrigerator and allow to come to 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 a bit 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. 70°F (21°C) 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 it’s 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 jalapeño, 3/4 – 1 cup dried cranberries and/or chopped nuts, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, etc.
- Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
- Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour & Red Star Yeast, similar method originally from Jim Lahey.
Easiest recipe that produces the most impressive looking bread. My 11 year old daughter baked her first loaf using this recipe, and I thought it tasted better than any bread I have ever eaten! Thank you Sally for this stellar recipe ❤️
Delicious bread with great flavor! Can’t believe I made this, first time baking bread. Easy!
This is a extremely easy recipe with an impressive yield. We let ours rise for 5 hours. Added chopped garlic, fresh basil and sea salt on top. Decided to use a cast iron pan and leave it as a circle. I did put a pan of water at the bottom of the oven. I have a picture but no idea how to post it. Simply Delicious!!
Hello Sally, Just a note to let you know that I have been baking this bread each week since the January Challenge started. It never fails and baking it brings me so much pleasure. It is one of the high points of my week! I love mixing it and watching it go through it’s changes while it develops in the fridge. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Is it bad that I’m about ready to finish off an entire loaf by myself? It’s so, so good – perfect in its’ chewiness and crunch!!
Just pulled my loaf out of oven and tried a slice YUM!!! This is truly the easiest recipe I’ve ever tried…My loaf was a little misshapen but oh well!! Wish you would let pics come through. I’m pretty proud of it 🙂
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I made this last weekend and followed the recipe with a couple of tweaks. I only had active dry yeast. I let the dough rest in the fridge for about 20 hours. I forgot to look at the instructions and accidentally baked for almost 40 minutes. Eeek! Even with my stupidity, the bread was great, just extra crispy. Thank you! I found my go-to bread!
Help please!
Love the bread, but I have a problem. Using a pizza stone to cool it on, and having real trouble getting the bottom/centre of the loaf to cook thoroughly. It remains undercooked and doughy!
The last loaf cooked was in the oven for 32 minutes at 475F.
Should I bake it longer?
Any hints/suggestions appreciated.
Hi Derek! Happy to help. First, try baking the dough on a lower oven rack to prevent the exterior from setting too quickly (and the dough not cooking in the center). Similarly, tent the bread about halfway through bake time with aluminum foil to help it bake a little more evenly. Finally, you can try lowering the oven temperature and baking for longer (which ALWAYS helps) so the bread can cook a little more evenly.
I love this bread!! I have traveled to Europe and am so sad when I can’t find good bread. I have literally been sharing this with everyone! Thank you!
This was my third attempt (and only successful one) to make bread. The recipe is so easy and the bread turned out amazing! I never want to buy bread again, it’s that good. Followed the recipe exactly and let it rest in the refrigerator for 18 hrs. I’m excited to try adding different herbs and flavors. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you!
I’m making this bread again now for about my fifth time. Even as a beginner bread maker, and baker in general, I ws completely blown away by how this simple little recipe turns into such fantastic bread even for a first try. It doesn’t even stick to my baking sheet other than a couple of spots that need a little nudge. I’ve been using a cast iron fryng pan for hot water in the oven. It’s the same pan I cook your delicious pizza dough in but that’s an entirely different rave review for you 🙂 I’ve read about your thoughts about yeast in your blogs but just heard of the email course and am keenly looking forward to signing up and learning more. Thank you so much for all your insight and delicious recipes you are sharing!!!
Hey Sally,
I was wondering if putting parchment paper on my baking sheet would affect the outcome?
Thanks!
Not at all! Make sure your parchment paper can withstand the oven temperature. (Usually says it on the box!)
Thanks!
I was also wondering if I should grind the coarse sea salt or not?
Incredible bread recipe and so much easier than I thought! Everyone needs to try this recipe especially if you don’t think you can bake bread from scratch. Believe the hype, this is delicious easy bread!!!
I couldn’t believe I made such a tasty bread! Thanks For the recipe. I am making it for the 2nd time but I put it in the refrigerator immediately after the ingredients are mixed together. Does it matter it wasn’t at room temperature to rise for a few hours before registration?
Hi Ines, so glad you enjoy this bread! You may not get the same amount of rise without that time at room temperature. The bread will still be tasty, just not as tall and voluminous.
My bread turned out GREAT! Followed the recipe perfectly! Added garlic and herbs!! Super great and easy!!
I followed the recipe exactly and this dough was beyond sticky. I had to do more than “lightly” flour it. I used several cups of flour and still couldn’t get the dough back up into round shapes to bake. It’s ridiculous.
Even if it ends up tasting good, I’m not doing this recipe again. The mess and frustration aren’t worth it.
OMG this recipe has made me feel like a professional baker! I accidentally added 2 tbsp of yeast instead of 2 tsp and it still came out absolutely amazing. My dough was very sticky and I thought I had done something wrong but it still worked perfectly! Thank you so much!
Hi Sally,
I just signed up for your Beginners Guide to Yeast Bread and I’m in the process of making this bread right now – it’s currently chilling in my fridge. However, I accidentally left it out at room temp last night for 6 hours instead of 2-3. Is it still worth trying to bake, or is it a lost cause?
Thanks!
Hi Kayla! So glad you’re using my Beginner’s Guide to Yeast series! 6 hours at room temperature is fine. You’ll be OK baking this.
OMG!! I ve try your bread.its delicious ,mine i leave it in the fridge for 2 days and the result was amazing. But before baking it i let it rest for 1h 30 mins it should be room temperatures .that’s what i did and i bake them for 25 mins.
Voila!! Result was fantastic!! Thank you Sally for sharing your recipe. Gob bless you and your family.
Absolute perfection.
I didn’t leave the bread overnight (will do when I’m not in a hurry). This recipe was so easy to follow and the bread is spectacular, just like expensive specialty bakeries I’ve visited. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I made this a couple of times following the directions and allowing it to sit in the refrigerator for 20+ hours. Both times the bread texture was very dense and did not have the bu
Is holes I was expecting. Also the center of the bread doesn’t seem to be cooked all the way through even though the crust was almost burnt. I baked the bread on an aluminum baking sheet and put the pan of boiling water in the oven. What did I do wrong?
Hi Joan! It sounds like this could be fixed by adjusting some things during bake time. First, try baking the dough on a lower oven rack to prevent the exterior from setting too quickly (and the dough not cooking in the center). Similarly, tent the bread about halfway through bake time with aluminum foil to help it bake a little more evenly. Finally, you can try lowering the oven temperature and baking for longer so the bread can cook a little more evenly. Hope all of this helps for next time.
Hi Sally,
This is my first time making bread.
How long should I let my dough rise if I’m using Active Dry yeast?
Juliet
Hi Juliet! Same amount of time if subbing in active dry yeast, maybe an hour or so more. The refrigeration time remains the same. See my yeast recipe note, too!
Sally,
I have the Amazon Basic Dutch Oven and it states that it is only oven safe to 400 degrees. Can this bread be baked at 400 degrees for a longer time?
I have made this bread on my baking stone several times and has become a staple at my house but I REALLY want to try it in a Dutch Oven!
Thank you!
Hi Shannon, feel free to reduce the oven temperature (and increase the baking time) for the use of your Dutch oven. So glad you enjoy this recipe!
Mixed this up last night with garlic and rosemary. Baked it today. Absolutely delicious! Family loved it. Very easy too. My only problem is that even with cornmeal they stuck solid to the pan, lost a lot of the bottom crust. So, I will probably use parchment paper or something next time. I already have more resting in the fridge.
I used parchment paper and it worked flawlessly. May add garlic and rosemary to my next batch though. 🙂
Baked mine in my cast iron dutch oven with the lid on, a little cornmeal on the bottom to prevent sticking, and it turned out perfectly.
Hi Sally! Thank you so much for this recipe, it was delicious. I was initially concerned at the high cook temp but it worked perfectly. I ended up putting a aluminum foil tent on towards the end so it wouldn’t get to dark but cook all the way through as I noticed that was a concern with others. It turned out perfect. I pinned your recipe for dinner rolls so I’m anxious to try that after having such great success with this recipe. Thank you again!!
This recipe was super easy, and I liked that it wasn’t intimidating for a first time bread maker like me. The taste was phenomenal, but mine didn’t puff up and didn’t have those big beautiful air pockets after 3 days in the fridge. Didn’t stop my husband from going back for seconds though 🙂 Definitely going to try this again and take it out of the refrigerator earlier since the dough deflated a lot after one day. Any other ideas for improvement, bakers?
I made the bread and it is really easy, but mine didn’t raise as much as I thought it would and lacks air inside. Any suggestions?
This is AWESOME! It was unbelievably easy. I spent so little time actually working on it. Most of the time it was just sitting. And it tastes so good! Will definitely be making this again!
Sally – curious if you can sub out the flour for a wheat flour?
So glad you love this bread, Kelsey, thanks! I recommend avoiding whole wheat flour in this dough. If necessary, use half bread flour and half whole wheat flour. The bread will taste a bit dense.
Delicious! So simple. The most difficult part was the waiting the 12+ hours in the fridge. It was worth it!
I made this bread recipe not expecting much to it. I did this as therapy for my PTSD. my therapist said to learn to bake to help with my condition. so I started the recipe, mainly because I love bread. I made it, and I was so happy with the results. as im writing this, im making some more bread but this time, im gonna let it sit in the fridge for the days recommended. thanks for helping people like me bake, but for making PTSD seem less scary..