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 or creamy chicken noodle 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.
Thank you so much for this recipe. Really easy! This was my first time ever, and it was great. My family loved it!
Made this recipe yesterday for my first time making bread and I was super impressed! I think I was using dry active yeast (not instant yeast) so I added a teaspoon of sugar and let the yeast bloom for a few minutes before adding the flower. Unfortunately I don’t think I let it bloom long enough because I hand some clumps of yeast when I checked the dough later. Also I used a stand mixer (simply because it was my first use of the mixer) but I don’t think it was necessary. I baked it in a cast iron pot that is as big as a dutch oven and it came out perfect! The only thing I would adjust is the cooking time. I think it needed an extra 5-10 minutes but it looks and tastes like a loaf from a bakery. Thank you for the simple recipe! Will definitely try the other variations on bread on your blog.
I love this easy recipe! It was my first time making bread and it turned out amazing!! Best Bread ever ! Thank you
Hi Sally,
Thank you for the wonderful recipe. The bread is super delicious.
I would like to try this recipe with fresh minced garlic and chives. I’m new with baking and read that garlic added to the dry ingredients will cause the dough not to rise. Is this true ?
Hi Nicola, I’m so glad that you enjoy this homemade bread recipe! I add fresh garlic to a lot of dough recipes and haven’t had that issue. It’s a wet ingredient, yes, and could slightly weigh down the dough but rising shouldn’t be a problem. Since it’s wet, adding an extra Tbsp or 2 of flour will help.
Hi Sally,
I used your recipe last week and made bread first time in my life. Huge success with everyone in the family! Thank you! Quick question – if i refreigerate the dough for nect day rather than immedately bake, do I need to let the dough return to room tempreture before baking?
Penny
Hi Penny, so glad you love this bread recipe! The dough sits at room temperature for 45 minutes before baking after you shape it, so it mostly warms up to room temperature during that time. If you’ve already done this step and placed it back in the refrigerator, you don’t need to let it warm up again before baking.
First time I made it the bread had lots of holes and was yummy. I have made it about 5 times since and the bread is more dense. I can’t figure out why the difference. Help. Love making this
Baked this a few times now and it gets better every time as I get more instinctive with knowing how wet the dough should be. I’ve found cooking it a bit longer than suggested was a bit more to my taste but I like darker crustier bread. Delicious and the old ‘run under the tap and cook for 5-10 minutes’ trick brings it back to life the next day. I’ve only made it with fresh yeast as it’s all I can get, used around 15 grams and mixed with some warm water and half a spoon of sugar to wake it up, then mixed with the cool water before adding to the flour.
I made a double batch and it was all gone in an hour (3 college kids and 2 parents). Crispy outside, chewy and tasty inside. I tried other recipes that promised the same, but this one really delivered. I’m not sure if it’s the coarse salt, extra yeast, or the longer time to ferment in the fridge. Maybe all of the above. But this is the best recipe I’ve tried by far–and the simplest. Thank you Sally!
Super easy and delicious
Hi Sally,
I have made this bread three times now. Each time the end result is great, but each time I’ve made it I have the same problem: after the rising process it doesn’t come out like a ball of dough. It’s super loose and sticky and I can’t form the loaves. All the dough is stuck on the counter, my hands, the scraper. So I have to add flour and knead it but it doesn’t really work. It won’t shape into a solid piece and each time I touch it it sticks and strings. So I end up somehow throwing them on the sheet, but then they spread out flat and scoring is very difficult. Do I need more flour? Is a marble countertop an issue to knead on? After I mix the ingredients it looks fine and then it rises and goes bad. It’s a shame cause I loose so much dough and it’s also a frustrating profess 🙂 Any input would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you!
Hi Anna! So glad you’re trying this bread and I’m happy to help with the process. A dough’s consistency relies on many variables including how you measure the flour, brand of flour, even the weather and humidity in the air. While this should be a sticky dough, it sounds like yours is a little too sticky. Don’t be afraid to add 1/4 – 1/2 cup more flour to the mixture. Do not knead this dough.
Hi Sally,
Have you tried to make this with semolina before? How do you think it would turn out
I’ve made these loaves with both ap flour and bread flour. Definitely much better with bread flour! AP flour produces a much less aerated loaf.
This bread is super delicious & super easy! Thank you so much for the recipe and great instructions. I wonder if it would be okay to bake half of the dough in a loaf pan?
Hi Vicki! You can bake half of this dough in a loaf pan. The edges should still crisp up and the bake time may vary.
First time…..must say, excellent…this might be my new hobby..
Amazing results from the easiest bread recipe I have ever attempted. Everyone in the family loved it and they are quite picky. I followed the instructions exactly and got fabulous tasting artisan bread. I kept the dough refrigerated about 18 hours. I used a pot of boiling water in the oven for crispier crust. I will make this bread going forward instead of buying. Thanks so much Sally.
Awesome bread for first time bakers or experienced. I have made it several times in both the Dutch oven and on a sheet pan and it works beautifully. Are usually lets it in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. After the first day it’s not quite as good. I also have been using all purpose flour since bread flour is sold out everywhere. It works great but I bet it would be better with bread flour
Should the dough be allowed more than 45 minutes to rise if it is coming from the fridge ?
Hi Lynn, no, it’s really just resting during this time after shaping.
I’ve memorized the Recipe.
Because I make it all the time.
Thank you for you website, so many good treats!!!!!!
I almost always leave it in the fridge for optimum flavor opulence extravaganza.
Amazing flavor! I used coarse ground salt with a little dried garlic in it. I’m not sure what I did wrong but it was really dense, if you have any tips please let me know. This bread would be perfect for a lot of things I cook and the taste!! Thank you!
This was my first attempt at baking bread. It was easy, beautiful looking and delicious. I will be making this regularly.
This bread recipe is My hips, thighs, and butt are upset about it but I make this bread all the time now. Sally, you have a fan for life. I will never use a different bread recipe.
hi! This is such a great recipe, thank you 🙂 I wanted to ask a couple of questions though as my loaf stuck to the pan and I lost the bottom crust. I had to use wholemeal instead of white flour, and also only used cornmeal for dusting the pan as you can’t get plain flour anywhere right now. Do you think this is why the bread stuck? I noticed the dough was pretty wet, but as a newbie I wasn’t sure if that’s what you mean by ‘sticky’. Or do I need to make adjustments for a fan assisted oven and maybe knock it down from 246 to 220 C?
Hi Katharine! It could be. Did you use a nonstick pan? A wet, sticky, and well hydrated dough is normal and expected– it’s what helps create this texture. If using a fan forced oven, I recommend reducing the oven temperature down. 220-232°C would be fine, but the bake time will be a little longer.
I let my dough rise on the counter for an extra hour and it’s huge! Did I over proof it? Is it ruined? And if not, should I punch it down and put it in the fridge? Sorry for all the elementary questions, I know nothing about bread!
I hate to admit that after a few disasters of trying to make bread I gave up until I stumbled across this recipe!
Easy to follow and simply delicious.
Have tried it with different flours and works great with malty and seeded!
I can’t recommend this enough!
Like others, this was my first attempt in 30 years at baking bread. A pandemic and a promise to myself led me to your recipe.
thank you! It was easy and stress-free and beautiful and Delicious!
Recipe is very simple and easy to follow. I’m very new to making bread, and have only tried your recipe. I have made it several times now and my dough is a bit more wet than yours seems to be. I live in a humid climate, in Florida, so although it turns out great flavor wise, it could be prettier. I was wondering if you had any tips or changes i could make to fix this. It still tastes amazing, but it’s almost impossible to shape. Thanks and great recipe!!
First time baking bread. It was very easy and delicious! Thank you!
The first time I made this bread recipe, it came out perfect! The last two times, however, when I removed it from the refrigerator to bake (after two days), the top of the dough seemed dried and crusty. Did I over-mix? Or did it dry out in the refrigerator, thought it was covered.
First attempt at making bread. It came out good! Thanks for this recipe!
My dough doubled in size at room temperature but then deflated quite a bit after 12 hours in the fridge. I followed every other step of the recipe though. Did I do something wrong?
Not at all. This can happen with the drastic change of temperature. Bake as directed. Enjoy!
So I made this one today with all the good reviews. It was tasty and easy. Great simple
Recipe. 5 stars no doubt.