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.
What is the baking time if I were to double the recipe to make 2 – 16 inch loaves ? I there anything else I need to do when I scale this recipe?
Hi Joe, For absolute best taste and texture, we strongly recommend making each batch of dough separately instead of doubling.
This is the best bread ever! My family love it and I can’t believe how easy it is to make. No kneading, what? I didn’t even know that was a thing with yeasted breads. I use high quality bread flour and instant yeast (as suggested) and I get phenomenal results every time. The overnight suggestion is a bit airier, but baking right away is still delicious. I use the boiled water suggestion which makes a nice, crusty crust. My family is sad when they come to eat and there is no artisan bread.
can you use whole wheat with this recipe?
Hi Polly! See recipe notes: we 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.
Hello, i love the tutorial which I followed step by step. This is my first attempt and the bread was dense and not as airy….I used bread flour and instant yeast and added a bit of olive oil and rosemary for the taste. Would you know where I got it wrong?. Should I try to bake it in a pyrex pot?. Thank you
This bread is a big hit in my household. Has anyone used it to make rolls, wondering how long to bake it?
Do I leave the lid on the ditch oven, or put it on for part of the cook?
Hi Mike, If using a Dutch oven you will follow this dough recipe through step 3, then follow the simple shaping/baking instructions (steps 2-5) in this Cranberry Nut Bread. So you will bake for 25 minutes with the lid on. Carefully remove the lid and continue baking for 8-10 more minutes until the bread is golden brown.
Hello sally
I have made the artisans crusty bread but it was not airy could you tell me what I’m doing wrong thank you
Flora
Hi FLora, thank you for trying this recipe! 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.
Hi Sally, I absolutely love this bread. I make it all the time.
Do you have any nutritional facts that I could use while counting my food? Calories, Fiber, etc per slice. I know it all depends on size and bread flour used – approximations would be ok. Many thanks, I look forward to baking many other products using your recipes.
Hi Kathy, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients, and many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients. However, there are many great online calculators where you can plug in your exact ingredients like this one: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
I made this for the third time today, at my husband’s request. He simply refuses to eat store bought bread ever again – and who can blame him when something this delicious is possible! I was really nervous the first time I made it, but I was silly to worry with your excellent instructions. I swear the dough felt like silk as I was shaping it. Definitely recommend putting the boiling water under the rack to create the steam while the bread is cooking. We’re going to try some of your suggestions to add herbs or cheddar/jalapeño the next time (which won’t be long!)
Thank you for another GREAT recipe!
Question: should I shape it into loaves before placing it in the fridge for up to 3 days, or after I take it out right before baking?
Hi John, shape loaves before baking (not before refrigerating). Enjoy!
What if my oven only goes up to 450 degrees? What should I do then?
Hi Angela, you can try baking the bread at 450 for longer. Let us know how it goes!
Hi. I made this and my dough looked quite runny after the refrigeration period, so when it sat on the counter (as a boule), it didn’t hold a nice circle shape like shown in your photos. It also didn’t really hold the scores in the top. I’m using UK bread flour, so not sure if that’s an issue? I used the gram measurement. Hoping it comes out ok; it’s in the oven now.
Hi Christa! This is meant to be a wet and shaggy dough, but you can try sprinkling flour on your wet dough next time to help it come together. Enjoy!
I’ve found recipes on this site usually need a little more flour than given in the grams measurement. I’m in the UK too, so there might be a difference in the flour as you suggested.
This recipe is only so-so if you skip step 3 (refrigerating the dough for 1-3 days). The author, Sally, “strongly suggests” refrigeration for 12-72 hours. I agree. You should not regard this as an “optional” step. I refrigerate for 2 days and the resulting bread is delicious.
You are exactly right! My family and I call it Three, Five, and Seven Day bread, delicious every time! Note, my refrigeration awesome I can’t guarantee results, a fantastic recipe.
My flour burned and made the smoke alarms go off but when it was done it tasted wonderful
Making this recipe for the second time in a week. I’m dicing up jalapeños out of my garden and adding to the flour mixture. The flavor is incredible!!
This is my all time go to recipe. I have probably made it 20 times now and every time it has been perfect! My husband will not eat store bought bread any longer. It is so easy and I can change it up any time for a different flavor. Our fav is parsley and cheddar cheese but the plain is YUMMY! Thank you so much for this recipe. I was so afraid to try homemade bread but this recipe has changed my outlook on that! I wish I had the option to give it 10 stars!
So I made this bread and my family ate it up immediately. Full disclosure, I didn’t wait 12 hours (only 4) but it was still good. So we decided on the next batch we’ll wait the full 18 hour rise before baking. We mixed everything like the first time and the dough didn’t rise. We used all the same ingredients. The yeast was from the same 3 that I purchased and has an expiration date of 11/2022. What could have gone wrong??
Hi Michi, We are happy to hear you enjoyed your first loaf of this bread and are sorry the second one gave you trouble. Did you use the same temperature water the second time around? Did it rise out and not up or not at all? And did you happen to go ahead and bake it anyway – if so how did it turn out? Most modern yeast is active, but from time to time there could certainly be one pack that isn’t even though it’s within the expiration date.
Seems like I use your recipes for everything these days, Sally, and this one was another winner! I only had regular white flour but my bread still came out great. The corn meal added some nice flavor. On only question is in regards to the coarse salt – in some bites, I was hit by the salt flavor, and in others, not so much. Is that normal?
Hi Katie, We are happy you enjoyed this recipe! It really depends on the brand of salt you are using, yours may simply not be ground very evenly. If you make it again you can try using a different brand.
After taking bread dough out of the refrigerator, do you let dough warm to room temp & then form into loaves or do you form the cold dough into loaves and let rise?
Want to know how to divide a recipe for bread realize you would use half the flour + half the water , what about other ingredients? Thank You, ,Jaime
Hi Jamie, You should keep the ratios of ingredients the same. So if you cut one ingredient in half, the entire recipe should be cut in half.
If I want to add extras (garlic, Rosemary, etc) should I do so after letting it sit the initial 2 hours or from the start?
Hi Autumn, You can add them before pouring in the water in step 1. The recipe notes for details.
I’ve tried 4 other recipes and this one is the best by far-the rise, the flavor, the crust are all just perfect.
Between Steps 3 and 4, do I punch down the dough for a second rise in the fridge?
Hi Michi, Do not punch down the dough before placing it in the refrigerator. That will help maintain those beautiful air bubbles.
Thank you for sharing this beginners recipe! I have always been so intimidated by bread! I can’t believe how easy this was! I left it in the fridge for 2 days and it was full of bubbles! I was nervous about overworking it – your video was super helpful. I didn’t get deep enough cuts on top, so I had a little breakage on the bottom, but other than that, my loves looked just like the picture and had so many holes inside! Oh, and the flavor was amazing! I am so happy to not feel intimidated by bread anymore! I still have room for improvement, so I can’t wait to make my next batch!
Great recipe, thank you. However i used like warm water jumping the gun. What do you recommend? I’ve used a very similar recipe that required warm water. What will be the effects?
Thank you, in advance.
Hi Lloyd, The cooler the water, the longer the dough will take to rise. And, sometimes, the longer the dough proofs, the better the flavor. If you used warm water your rise time will be a bit shorter, so just keep an eye on it until it doubles in size. You can still follow the recipe exactly after that!
This was my first time baking bread and it was SO delicious and perfect in every way!!!
Can you make one loaf and leave the rest in fridge to make the next day?
Hi Adria, Sure can! For your first loaf you can continue with step 4 immediately to bake, and use the longer rise time (12 hours to 3 days) for the second loaf. Enjoy!
For my first attempt, I added honey goats cheese and fig relish and it was divine. A bit flat as I made one round bread but
I’m going to treat myself to a dutch oven and keep trying different flavours.
I usually use a bread machine but I preferred the process in this .looking forward to trying more recipies too.anything I try from your collection of recipies works .thank you
I would add a pic but they ate it all
hi
may I use whole wheat flour?
Hi Sushma, we don’t recommend using all whole wheat flour. You could however do half bread flour and half whole wheat flour. Enjoy!
I make this recipe once a week and I always make two loaves!
Sometimes the dough is 1 day old sometimes it’s 7 days old and often in between!, but ALWAYS DELICIOUS! I think 3+ days is best , you can’t say that but I can! Lol!
My family LOVES it.
Really good, but I could not wait the 3 days. 🙂 I will try it again in the future waiting a few days.
This bread was soooo good! It was crunchy on the outside and soft, moist, and chewy on the inside. We ate it right out of the oven. The flavor was perfect, too. I let it chill in the fridge for about 16 hours. Drizzle some salt and olive oil on it or a hunk of butter. Mmmmhmm. I will make this again and again!
Hey there, great looking recipe! Might an odd question byt do you use a fan forced oven or just use the non fan setting?
Hi Dio, We test and write all of our recipes with a conventional oven. If you use convection settings (fan-forced) for baking, the general rule is to lower your temperature by 25°F. Additionally, keep in mind that due to increased airflow in convection ovens, recipes usually take less time to bake.
I am really wanting to make this bread. Do you preheat the Dutch oven while the oven is preheating? When I make sourdough, the Dutch oven is preheated.
Hi Marilyn! Yes, we do preheat the oven with the dutch oven in it. See recipe notes for instructions on baking this bread in a dutch oven!
Thank you!