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.
Keywords: bread, loaf
Very simple recipe and my bread was fantastic! Crispy crust and great flavor!
★★★★★
Loved this recipe! So easy and so versatile! Tastes delicious for being such a simple recipe! Will definitely be making this again!
★★★★★
This bread was so easy and so delicious! Even though my loaves didn’t turn golden (I’m blaming my temperamental oven ), the taste and texture were wonderful. I loved how the crust was crispy but the inside so soft!
★★★★★
I’m confused…does it work to do the steam with the Dutch oven? Or does the Dutch oven seal out the steam so it wouldn’t make a difference?
Hi Michelle! If you are making a round loaf and using a dutch oven with a lid, there is no need to add the baking pan of boiling water to a bottom rack. The lid will trap steam inside the dutch oven for the dough.
Great recipe!! Easy instructions and came out great! Tasted amazing!
★★★★★
Mmmmm such a delicious recipe! I wanted to taste for myself the difference between 3 hrs vs. 18+ to rise… huge difference! You were right! My only problem was the first time I baked half the dough, I put too much flour on the sheet and it all burned making a ton of smoke in my kitchen. The next day I used less flour on the sheet but my bread stuck to the pan! Any suggestions besides cleaning the flour off around the dough after I put it on the sheet? Will be making more very soon 😀
Hi Marina! So glad you are enjoying this bread recipe. A couple things that will help for next time: lower your oven rack so the exposed flour isn’t so close to the top heat element. Or you can use a nonstick baking sheet if you have one. If you don’t, you can use a piece of parchment (if it can be in that high of heat), a silicone baking mat, or spray the baking sheet with nonstick spray.
Sally I really appreciate your explanation of the ingredients and I am excited to have completed my first baking challenge. My three year old helped measure and mix the ingredients and she can’t wait to eat the beautiful bread we made. I look forward to trying some different flavors next time.
★★★★★
I like the soft interior and the crust was nice and crusty without even putting the steam bath in the oven. I made a big sub with one of the loaves for dinner one night (and lunch the next day 🙂 ) it was hard to wait the time it was chillin in the fridge, but it was worth it. It stayed in the fridge for a day and a half or so. Mostly because of the timing on when i made the dough.
★★★★★
Love it! So easy even with two toddlers and pregnant. My loaves turned out a little dense, no large air pockets. Not sure what happened but I will be making this again!.
★★★★★
2nd time was the charm. The first time it just didn’t puff up although the taste was nice. And second time, it stuck to my Dutch oven but I’m happy with the color and taste! Calling it a win Thank you Sally for challenging me to use yeast! Hope to try all challenges this year!!
The dough is made, risen at room temp for 3 hours and sitting in the fridge overnight as we speak! I plan to smell up the house in the morning with freshly baked bread! Just have a couple questions first…During the 45 minute rest time, do you have something particular you like to loosely cover it with (towel, Saran, foil etc.) and would you recommend baking the loaves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or just dusted in flour? Can’t wait to bake this in the AM!
Hi, Kristie! Plastic wrap works great for covering during rest time. And no need for parchment paper – bake directly on the dusted sheet. Let me know how this recipe comes out for you!
I have never made yeast bread before, so this was an excitingly delicious first! I chose your rosemary garlic flavor suggestion. I did not use the steam bath and still felt the crust was crispy and the inside was soft. We served it with my husband’s beef barley soup. I’ve never made yeast bread before and was so proud of myself! My almost 5 year old even helped and was so excited to make (and eat) our own bread. The whole family enjoyed this recipe. A great challenge to start 2020! Thank you!
★★★★★
I just made this and added 2 tsp Italian Seasoning & 1 tsp Parsley to it. It tastes amazing! I hope my sister & brother-in-law love the loaf I’ll be giving them tomorrow!
★★★★★
Such a great recipe! My flour was old so my first loaves didn’t rise and keep shape like I’d hoped, but the flavor and ease of the recipe was amazing! Let mine rest in the fridge for a day and a half made bread toast so tangy and rich (almost like a sourdough). Added garlic cloves, rosemary and Parmesan to half and loved it for dipping in balsamic and olive oil. This will be a regular recipe in our house from now on! Thanks Sally!
Forgot to rate!
★★★★★
This recipe couldn’t have been easier or more delicious! I tried the Dutch Oven method and it came out so well. Can’t wait to try as loaves on a sheet pan next time. It was amazing to prepare the dough on a quiet Sunday afternoon and be able to quickly pop in the oven and have fresh bread with a busy Tuesday night dinner!
★★★★
This is my first time baking bread. It has been such a simple recipe to follow. The bread tasted delicious!
Thank you for another wonderful recipe.
Sally! Remember my follow your gut comment? Ha…I didn’t. You use parchment paper, I never have. I plopped my dough on what I have anyway, then after I covered it with plastic wrap, I looked at the box to make sure it goes to 475 degrees. Nope, 420, is the max. Uh-oh. I’ve always used my Dutch oven, this was going to be no different. After the 30 minutes as specified in the other recipe, I tried lifting the plastic wrap. Stuck like crazy. Oops, probably should have used a towel, or oiled the plastic wrap. Next step is getting it off the parchment, since I don’t plan on baking my bread at 420. Oy, I floured the paper, however after shaping it into a loose ball, the flour, was of course, now in the bread. Oy. I scraped as much as I could into my hot, HOT, did I say HOT?? Dutch oven, with a spattering of flour on the bottom, like I’ve done hundreds of times before. It baked up beautifully. My scores across the top also vanished, with the scrapping off the parchment. I’ve never used course salt in any recipe (except to top pretzels before baking), so I was really unsure, afraid it would be too salty. I always am light on the (sea)salt, however I really went light. It needs salt. Oy. I will, most assuredly, try again. However, I’ll stick to no parchment because my bottom crust comes out beautifully.
★★★★★
Omg I can’t believe this bread came out perfect! Your recipes are on point. Thank you for taking the time you do to perfect them.
★★★★★
Oh no! I just took two loaves out of the oven and now only have one left! Four of us devoured one whole loaf in less than 5 mins. It turned out so wonderful, was very tasty and I have another batch of dough rising now. Wonderful recipe!
★★★★★
Hello Sally! I baked your bread yesterday and it came out really great, with a delicious taste! The interior was moister than I had expected it would be and a bit chewier than I expected. Should the interior be moist or is that a sign that I didn’t bake it long enough? Also, I was not able to score the top of my bread. Each time I made a cut (using a sharp knife),…the dough just sort-of bounced back and closed up again. Any suggestions would be great as both my husband and I loved the bread and I plan on making it again very soon! Thank you for a super recipe that is very approachable to newbies!
Hi Pam! It sounds like the bread could have benefitted from a few extra minutes in the oven. That’s an easy fix for next time! For the scoring– try kitchen shears instead. They work much easier, unless you have a bread lame. (A special tool for scoring dough.)
Wow, Thank you for the tip about the kitchen shears and the extra timing. I’m really looking forward to making my next batch. I halved my first batch and made one boule and my husband and I finished it with dinner last night. Thank you for the recipe and thank you for being so responsive to questions!
★★★★★
Very easy recipe. Full of flavor and the perfect balance of soft, chewy middle with a crisp crust.
★★★★★
This was so easy and delicious! I would love a similar whole-wheat recipe for a healthier version.
What a lovely crunch this loaf makes when you cut into it!
★★★★★
Hi Sally,
Question re: Artisan Bread
After the bread sits in the fridge….do you punch it down or just star making your loaves? Does it need to come to room temperature?
Thank you….barbara
Hi Barbara! No need to punch it down or let it come to room temperature.
Made this in a dutch oven and it was glorious. Left it overnight in the fridge and baked it in the morning. Need to make it again in the loaf form!
★★★★★
This recipe is amazing! I’ve attempted bread lots of times with no success, I’ve even bought bread cookbooks, but this recipe turned out amazing for me!
My dough was really really sticky, but I just ran with it and ended up with a beautiful airy loaf.
Sally, I’m wondering if you have any recommendations for how to retain the crispy crust when storing the second load for later. Mine went a bit soft, though still delicious!
★★★★★
Hi Kayla! I’m so glad that you enjoyed this recipe! The bread will lose some of its crispiness over time, but the best way to maintain some of it is to keep is loosely covered at room temperature. I usually just lightly tent the leftover loaf (or loaves) with a piece of aluminum foil.
I am a newbie to bread baking but had great success with this easy, fool proof recipe. The delicious loaves had a crispy dark brown crust with light, fluffy interior. Love those beautiful holes! I appreciate not having to lift a hot, heavy Dutch oven. Can’t wait to try different variations and add-ins! Plan to make this recipe on a regular basis. Thank you so much Sally!
Was so easy and delicious! My first baking challenge 🙂
★★★★★
I used a little bit of whole wheat flour, and it was so good (especially hot from the oven!).
This recipe is so easy and perfect for beginners like me! I let it rest in the refrigerator for 12 hours and did the boiling water in the bottom while it was baking. It came out so good and my family devoured it. I can’t wait to try it out with the different recommended flavors in the future.
★★★★★
Fabulous Artisan bread recipe! I tried this for the first time and kept it simple with no add ins and without the boiling water option…it turned out wonderful, flavorful, with a delicious chewy crust!! I let the dough rest in the fridge for 24 hours, and might try for 48 next time to see how it deepens the flavor. I also made it as two loaves and think a boule style would be fun to try. Can’t wait to play around with this recipe over the chilly winter ahead 🙂
★★★★★