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.
I have been using this recipe since March, and I have not bought bread at the store any more. Really easy and tastes great. A couple times the bread stuck to the pan, probably because I did not put enough flour on it, but now I use parchment paper and a little flour on the parchment paper and bread comes out without a problem.
Just let my first attempt cool enough to slice. Thank you. I’ve been dreaming about this bread for weeks.
Is it possible to make this gluten free?
Hi Elena, we haven’t tested a gluten free version of this recipe. If you try anything let us know how it turns out!
I made this recipe with two garlic cloves and 2 tbs of fresh rosemary and it was amazing! I’ve never made homemade bread before and it came out great the first time.
Hi Sally.
I love this recipe! I’ve made it twice and both times the flavor was fabulous but it seem a little bit under cooked but the crust was crispy. The second loaves I baked I cooked for the full 25 mins (sounded hollow) but still a little doughy.
Any suggestions?
Hi Patty! Thank you so much for asking. This sounds like an easy fix for next time. A lower oven temperature will definitely help cook the bread a little more evenly. I recommend lowering the oven temperature to 425°F (218°C) and extending the bake time until it’s done (and sounds hollow inside).
Great recipe as is. My whole family loved it. Thank you!!
Can you give more guidance on using the Dutch Oven method, please? Temp the same? Cook Time? Do you preheat pan and lid as the oven comes up to temp? that sort of guidance would be super. Thanks for the recipe. Can’t wait to give it a whirl.
Hi Ange, For details on baking this recipe in a dutch oven see the recipe notes. You will use the baking directions in the post for Crusty Cranberry Nut No Knead Bread. Enjoy!
everything was perfect except it was weirdly salty? I used the amount specified so not sure why this is!
Hi Caro, Any chance you used regular fine salt? If so, you should reduce to 1 and 1/2 teaspoons – see recipe notes for details. But either way you can reduce the amount if you try it again!
I have used this recipe quite a few times and now my family cannot have store bought bread! Next time I want to try baking this on my lodge cast iron skillet. Does the temperature or time in the oven have to change if I bake the bread in a skillet?
Thank you!
Hi Christine, so glad you enjoy this bread recipe! While I haven’t tested it yet, several readers have baked their round loaves in a cast iron skillet. Same oven temperature.
Made this twice. First time didn’t turn out well because I had not read the recipe completely. Second time, I made it just like the recipe and turned out great. I only added 1/4 cup wheat bran instead of the flour. In other words, I added 3 cups of flour and 1/4 cup wheat bran so it is not that white. Thanks Sally.
Absolutely terrific recipe! I left it in the refrigerator for about 18 hrs as suggested. The loaves came out perfectly with beautiful texture and taste. Thanks so much Sally!
This recipe is great. I’ve cooked it about 3 times, and my bread never has as many air bubbles as your pictures do. More than normal bread, but no big ones. I refridgerated the bread for about 27 hours. Do you have any suggestions? 🙂
Hi M, All loaves bake up differently. For example the bread in the video wasn’t as hole-y as the pictured loaf that Sally made the day earlier! See the Baker’s Tip in the post for a little help. 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.
great recipe! My 1st time making bread, but I think that 2 teaspoons of salt is just way too much. Made my 1st loaf extremely salty. To the point of inedibility. But with that in mind I made a 2nd loaf with less salt and it turned out amazing!
I am about 2 hours into the first rise and the dough is definitely getting bigger but not puffing up…more spreading out… do I just give it longer to rise ?
Hi Mary Beth, you can expect it to spread out in the bowl instead of rising. Continue with the recipe– no need for extra time at room temperature.
I have tried this a few times. While it not bad, I find the bread dense and tends to be heavy. What can I do to improve?
Just FYI, I never manage to use all the water as the dough turns wet. Normally leave about 10-20ml unused
I also never knead the bread and mix in with a Spatula
Thank you!!
Hi Angela, I recommend using all of the water suggested in the recipe. The bread is likely tasting a bit dense because there is too much flour and not enough water. Remember, this is a particularly sticky dough. (Sticky is good here!) No kneading or complicated shaping is expected either– a simple mix with a spatula will do.
Hi Sally. Thank you for your advice. I will try again soon!!
Just thought it was a bit wet so left the last bit of water 🙂
I made this today with thyme and rosemary and IT IS THE BEST!
My only problem with it is my dough’s a little wet than what it shown in the pictures so next time I might add a little more flour.
I tried this recipe, the dough was a little wet and also did not puff up after 2 hrs, so I kept it overnight and it puffed up in the morning. The bread was amazing…..Thank you
Loved the recipe! Easy to execute and incredible results. I do have a comment: I lost the crispy crust once the bread cooled off ( it came out perfect out of the oven and we devoured one loaf!).. Any ideas why? Thanks!
Hi! I just made this today and my family and I loved them. Thank you so much.
I just have one question, can we use whole wheat flour instead of bread or APF? I’m just trying to look for healthier options because I see myself baking this very very often.
Thank you!
Lovely! Came out amazing! I would love to do this again and add herbs. Any ideas? Perhaps garlic and rosemary? Should these be added in the very beginning?
The pizza is perfect and taste good. I followed your recipe.
oops. My question should have asked why instant yeast is sometimes mixed with cool water and sometimes with lukewarm. D
Hi Deborah, you can use cold, cool, or warm water in dough recipes. The cooler the water, the longer the dough will take to rise. (And, sometimes, the longer the dough proofs, the better the flavor.)
I was going to ask the same question about water temp. I’ve made this three times now and it was delicious each time, but it’s been awhile since the last loaf and I started to second guess myself about the temp. Glad to know it’s 70º. But, curious, why is this one cool water and other recipes with active dry yeast lukewarm?
Made this recipe with rosemary and garlic added and was great! Just wondering if you think braiding with a pesto through it would work? Sort of like your homemade cheese bread (need it to be vegan for friends!)
Hi Lisa, so glad you enjoyed this bread! The dough is quite loose, so it’s not really possible to shape into intricate shapes. But you can use pesto instead of shredded cheese in the cheese bread recipe instead. To make it dairy-free, you can replace the milk in that recipe with water and butter with olive oil.
this is the best recipe I’ve tried so far. Bread turned out to be very flavourful (the overnight proofing in refrigerator must do the trick!). However, the air bubbles were very small so it’s a bit dense. I did follow the recipes, and allowed time for proofing (3 hrs on the counter then 12 hrs in the refrigerator). What else can I do to make larger air bubbles? (I wish I could post a picture here to show what I meant).
Hi, love this recipe! I have been working on my bread baking since March– trying everything from sweet breads to sourdough. Yet this simple bread recipe, which is so much easier than sourdough or other complex loaves I’ve attempted, is always the most popular with my boyfriend! He says it’s “the best bread [he’s] had in [his] entire life”. I’ve had some fun with it– made it once with rosemary and garlic, and one time I sprinkled everything bagel seasoning on top, which I loved. But he seems to just like it best plain white served with some olive oil and salt/pepper 🙂 I will say, you’re right about the salt. I made the mistake of making it with table salt before buying coarse salt, and it made a WORLD of difference. Thank you for this website <3
Hello Sally,
I absolutely LOVE baking with your recipes I cannot count how many I have already done 😉
I would like to know if I could mix the dough in a kitchenaid standmixer? If so, for what consistency am I aiming for?
And how long should I aprox. Mix it for?
Greetings from Berlin Germany
Hi Greta, thank you so much! I do not recommend a mixer for this dough– it’s very loose and sticky. A mixer wouldn’t be doing you (or the dough!) any favors. Luckily, it only requires a really quick mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Not much work involved!
I have been making this extraordinary bread almost every day for the last 3 months. It’s not only exquisite, but forgiving. But I do have a question… if, after cooling the bread, I suspect that it could use a few more minutes in the oven, can I put it back without compromising the loaf? (Today it sounded hollow when I took it out, but it seems less so after about 30 minutes on the rack…
Thank you for your excellent recipes and your consideration.
Hola Sally: gracias por tomarme en cuenta, de lo que me enviaste ya escogà dos recetas la de zuquini y este pancito que se ve ricoooo ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡
Besitos y cuidense mucho de esta pandemia que está mantando mucha gente.
Mary
Hi Sally,
Thanks for the great recipe, I have a question, can you please tell me 2 teaspoons instant yeast is equivalent to a few grams?
Hi, Sally. You’ve been teaching me how to be confident at baking, srsly! We’ve been making your recipes and adjust it to our liking(flavor,sugar,salt,etc.) This one here became our daily bread, literally. We make it at night, then bake it in the morning for breakfast! It’s just that we are still having a problem scoring the dough because we don’t have a sharp knife lol. It was actually hard at first when we tried to bake this because we can’t control the heat of our convection oven( a small one). Eventually we figured that it’s actually just top bottom setting, same time. When we add sugar, just lessen the time, but it was more dense. Anyway, thank you for the wisdom.
Delicious! I don’t have a bread maker, dutch oven, or a pizza stone and I never made bread in my life. But I had the ingredients so I gave it a try. It was easy to make and the instructions were easy to follow. The bread had a nice crust and was airy. I love that I can make and rise it on a hot day and wait for a cooler day to turn on the oven. Thanks for sharing your recipe, I can believe I made bread, and it was good 🙂