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.
Best bread ever! and it’s actually as simple as is described. I had to use all purpose flour and I substituted the water with the whey I had left over from straining yogurt. Delicious with a nice tang. Beautiful crumb.
This is amazing.. first time making it and it turned out wonderful. I followed the instructions and used active dry yeast so left it to rise for 4hours. This is definitely my go to bread now. Left it overnight in the fridge and baked it Sunday morning. Next time I am going to try it with rosemary and garlic.
Can I make this with whey (leftovers from making Greek yogurt) instead of water?
I’m unsure, I have not tested that. Let me know if you do!
Hi sally! The bread taste amazing, especially with the extended time in the fridge. And I love how simple the steps are. However, my bread texture turned out to be a little gummy. Any idea why or what I could do to fix that?
I baked them for 25 mins at 240C as that’s the hottest I had, and cover them mid way with aluminum foil as the tops were getting too dark. I had also tried 30 mins with 240C at the start and lowering to 220C midway. Both gave the same results.
Hi Adeline, Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try. How soon after baking did you cut into the bread? Sometimes cutting it too soon before it’s had time to cool can make the bread a bit gummy on the inside. Also, be sure to spoon and level your flour (or use a food scale) to ensure just the right amount — too much can cause the bread to be overly dense which can also contribute to that gummy feeling. Finally, an extra minute or two in the oven will help as well to make sure the bread is fully baked. Hope these tips help for next time!
Hey sally, I use a weighing scale to measure, and have waited between 1-4 hrs or even overnight to cut into it.
Will try a longer baking time 🙂
I made this as one big round loaf, I shaped it in a ball much like you would a pizza dough puck, made a couple of slits and baked for said time, it rose huge and looked so professional, it sounded hollow but was still doughy in the centre. Any tips? The outside was perfect so should I have turned the over down for a period and left longer as it was just 1 dough and not 2? The outside sides were so delicious just a shame about the middle.
Hi Liz! Do you have an instant read thermometer? For a more accurate test, the bread is done when an instant read thermometer reads the center of the loaf as 195°F-200°F (90°C-93°C).
Good grief this bread is AMAZING! Thank you for this recipe! Allows me to make ahead and then bake the day of. And it’s DELICIOUS!
430 grams of bread flour plus 1 1/2 cups of water is a really, really wet dough. I had to add a lot more flour. Dough didn’t rise either. Total waste of time and ingredients.
Hi Matthew! This is meant to be a wet dough. Watching the how-to video above will give you an idea of the consistency you’re looking for, but it’s OK to add flour if needed. Thanks for giving this recipe a try. Here’s more tips for baking with yeast (with troubleshooting tips) if you’re interested.
I1st time making bread. I used instant rise yeast. Done in 20 mins on the dot. Came out perfect! Idk why ppl are having a hard time with rising. Mine rose up perfectly while cooking. Smells so good too. Can’t wait to cut it. My hubbys so excited. I ordered bread flour I want to try it using that and I want to try your bagel recipe. Thanks for making bread baking so easy!!
Instead of complaining and blaming the baker watch the video, read things carefully
So delicious my loaf had a flaky crunchy top. It will be my new go to bread recipe. So simple. I followed your recipe, made it at 11pm, but didn’t lift the alfoil till 4 on the following day. I made 1 round loaf
Thanks for sharing
I followed the directions and, after 2 hrs, my bread didn’t rise. Can I still make it?
Let it continue to rise! You want the bubbles in the dough from rising. A slightly warmer spot may help!
simple and straight forward but twice i went through the steps and couldnt really get the dough to rise. i know you mentioned scoring the bread but from everywhere else i read it says that salt kills the yeast whereas sugar feeds the yeast, so why use salt mixed directly in?
I made this when we were on vacation in the mountains of Georgia. It was so easy and came out so perfect and my family thinks I’m a domestic goddess now.
Please note that having a glass baking dish at 475 and adding boiling water will shared the glass! This happens to me immediately and glass flew everywhere
Hi Mary, We recommend using a metal or cast iron baking pan/dish for this step.
This recipe is delicious the first home made bread I’ve ever made! The problem I’m having is I dust with corn meal and it either burns on the bottom because I haven’t added enough or if there’s too much it starts to smoke and burn causing the fire alarm to go off numerous times lol. What am I doing wrong? I put it in a non stick baking sheet, thanks for your help!
Hi Jess! Try to be careful to only add cornmeal under where the bread will be. You can brush away any extra that isn’t under the loaves before baking. Glad you love this bread!
I make this and your sandwich bread every few days. Absolutely love both! I bake in a large dutch oven with lid on and another big pot of water in the oven. Deliciousness!
Can I add herbs on top of the bread like a bagel? If so when?
For me atleast the amount of flour was way off.
Hi! I’ve made this twice now and both times the bread tastes really good and has a wonderful texture, but my loaves don’t rise. What could I be doing wrong? I did once with cool water and once with warm.
Hi Emily, Thank you for trying this recipe and we are happy to help troubleshoot. Is your dough rising, but not the baked loaf? If you followed the recipe exactly, and your dough rose properly before baking, the main reason it wouldn’t rise when baked is not scoring your loaf deep enough. This step is KEY to the bread’s texture and ability to rise/expand properly in the oven. Use a very sharp knife, kitchen shears, or a bread lame (recommended) to make a few large slashes. I hope this helps for next time!
My dough didn’t rise prior to baking. There was a bit of moisture against the plastic wrap indicating it seemed to be trying to rise but no luck. Any suggestions?
Hi Sally!
I have been one of your loyal fellow-bakers for years! I have had all 3 of your cookbooks for approximately 5 years now. I have also turned my two daughters into loyal followers as well. My one daughter truly enjoys your monthly challenges and she does NOT have time to waist, she’s a teacher, so when she bakes it is always a recipe from you.
My issue is bread….I have read your recommendations to other bakers who have had my same issue ~ bread rises beautifully on the counter for 2 – 3 hours in an ungreased glass bowl, refrigerate at least for 24 hours, comes out of frig large and full of large air holes. But as soon as I flip the bowl for the dough to come out unto the baking sheet it collapses and looks and feels like a wad of sticky goo, (snot – like)… I can’t even get to the part to cut slots into the dough as it has already spread beyond repair…
I measure to the tee as you’ve taught me. The taste is there but they always come out deflated…
Thank you for your guidance over the years!
Your humble but deflated baker, Peggy
Hi Peggy! It is so so nice to hear from you. And my apologies for the delay responding. I think your comment/question got lost in all of the Thanksgiving month website traffic/questions! Here is what I think will help… let’s start with less water. This way your dough will be a bit sturdier and shouldn’t deflate as much. I recommend reducing to 1 and 1/4 cups (300ml). This should help.
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I love homemade baked bread! Can the bread flour be substituted with all purpose flour?
Hi Judy, You can use a 1:1 substitution of all-purpose flour in a pinch with no other changes to the recipe. Hope you enjoy it!
This bread is amazing!!! I’ve been searching for a recipe that is relatively easy but still makes good quality bread, and this is it!
Can you double the recipe in the same bowl? Does that affect anything?
Hi Jennifer, we are so glad you love this recipe! For absolute best taste and texture, we strongly recommend making each batch of dough separately instead of doubling.
Would it work to bake the smaller loaves in loaf pans to get a more square shape?
Hi Emily, There is a little too much dough for a standard size (9×5 inches) loaf pan, so you could try dividing the dough in half and using 2 loaf pans. The edges should still crisp up and the bake time may vary.
I love this recipe. It’s my go-to but, for some reason, today my loaves stuck to the pan. I have no idea why. I followed the recipe the same way I have the last several times I baked these loaves. Any thoughts as to what may have happened?
Hi Vanessa, I’m so glad that you enjoy this recipe. Is it particularly humid where you live? The dough could have just been a little stickier than usual.
The dough was very sticky so it wouldn’t keep a good shape. I was afraid to add too much flour since the recipe said it would be sticky, but the video looked like it could be shaped. Anyhow, it still tasted great and will definitely be used again. Next time, I plan to add some fresh herbs in the first step.
Hi I tried this recipe for the first time, please note I am not a great baker or cook. I live in Zimbabwe, Africa. I tried to bake the bread in an electric oven.. Sadly my bread failed, it looks amazing, bit is as hard as a brick. Please help.
Hi Leonie! Did you achieve air bubbles during the resting period? You want to handle the dough very carefully to maintain those air bubbles before going in the oven. Thank you for giving this recipe a try!
We tried many different recipes and this one was one of the easiest one with much success. I must say that we did not put in the fridge as the recipe calls for due to time or lack thereof. We kept the dough in room temperature for 3 hrs and then 1 hr after splitting it into two loafs. It came out amazing.
Absolutely loved the bread I made. I made the garlic and rosemary one. Let the dough sit in the fridge for two days. My husband is very pleased that I went through all this trouble (which wasn’t at all) to make him two loaves of the bread he loves. This will be my one and only bread recipe from now on. Thank you
I’m planning on baking this bread in a few days. Would baking in a convection oven make the crust crunchier? How long would I bake it? Thanks
Hi Carol, 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 love this!!!! I proofed it for around 10 hours in the fridge and it turned out really nice. I want to substitute the bread flour with some whole wheat flour next time, any tips on that? Thanks!!!
Hi Desiree, We’re so glad you loved this! 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.
My first time today, and a success, i would like to know how to add any flavouring,
Wife was very doubtful of the outcome, due to my previous efforts but there she goes with another slice of warm buttered home made bread in her mouth.
WELL DONE
Keith
This recipe is awesome. I used regular flour and did a normal loaf and oe with cheese and jalapeno. I added the cast iron and water below it. It turned out so good.
Great success first try. I am gluten sensitive but can digest Italian 00 flour. It was fabulous, baked 30 min cover on Dutch oven, 15 min lid off. So easy and full of bubbles. Yum.
I’ve never made bread before and this recipe came out perfectly! Baking my own bread seemed like a daunting task but this recipe is foolproof.
I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong, but my bread almost seems gummy. I followed the recipe, added 1 cup on shredded cheese and 4 cloves of garlic, let it rise for 3 hours, rested in the fridge for 12+ hours, let it rest for 45 minutes before baking, scored much bread. I’m new to using yeast, anyone have any ideas as to what I’m doing wrong?
Hi Kiersten! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try. How soon after baking did you cut into the bread? Sometimes cutting it too soon before it’s had time to cool can make the bread a bit gummy on the inside. Also, be sure to spoon and level your flour (or use a food scale) to ensure just the right amount — too much can cause the bread to be overly dense which can also contribute to that gummy feeling. Finally, an extra minute or two in the oven will help as well to make sure the bread is fully baked. Hope these tips help for next time!