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’ve made this several times now and it’s superb! So easy, so tasty!
I decided to make a dough this evening to regrigerate overnight, made the dough and about to refrigerate but realised it needs the 2-3hrs beforehand! (I’d misremembered that bit)
It’s now 10pm and I want to go to bed, so do I leave it out all night and room temp, or refrigerate now, or would both be wrong and I need to get up in 3hrs to put in the fridge? Of the first two options, which would be best and worst? Thanks
Hi Will, it should be fine to let it rise overnight on the counter, then place it in the refrigerator first thing in the morning. So glad this is a favorite for you!
Dough too dry and hard! I used 3 1/2 cups of King Arthur bread flour and 1 1/2 cups room temp water and 2 t yeast, as per the recipe. I’m an experienced bread baker, but there was simply not enough water to pull the dough together. I had to toss the dry, hard lump of dough in the trash. A waste of good flour. I will watch the video to see if that helps. It’s a cold winter day. Perhaps I need to add more water to make up for the lack of humidity?
Hi Donna! How strange, this should be quite a wet dough. How did you measure the flour? Make sure to spoon and level (instead of scooping) to avoid packing in too much flour into your measuring cups – or use a kitchen scale. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post.
Great recipe to try when you are starting out in baking, like I am. It is also versatile, accepting herbs and cheeses without complaint. This one is hard to beat; flavorful, economical, and ease of preparation combine for a 5- star outcome.
Thank you for your positive feedback, Clint!
It has turned into a bread nightmare because everyone wants my bread now. I spend a lot of time each week making my bread from this basic recipe. Sally, this is a Hall of Famer..
So easy! I can’t wait to make again!
I thought I followed the recipe but my bread turned out with a very dense center
Hi Doug, We’re happy to help troubleshoot. How did you measure your flour? Be sure to spoon and level (or use a kitchen scale) so that the flour isn’t over measured. Too much flour can dry out the bread and make it seem a bit dense. And also make sure to handle the dough with extra care to prevent popping the air bubbles before baking.
This is simply amazing as written. Looking forward to adding ingredients before baking! Thank you!
Amazing! I followed the recipe exactly and let it sit in the fridge for a full two days. I also opted for the extra step of the boiling water and steam from the pan and the crust came out very crispy. The interior has those wonderful holes and is so delightfully fragrant and chewy and very flavorful! I cannot wait to make more. Both loaves devoured in one day. Thanks for such a great easy recipe with so many helpful tips.
Hi. Should I let the bread dough rise for a couple of hours before storing in the refrigerator overnight!
Hi Deb, the loaf will rest at room temperature for 45 minutes in steps 4/5 while the oven is preheating.
This is my first time baking and your 4 ingredient recipe is amazing. it tastes great.
After I perfect this what would be the next type of bread you suggest and please provide the link to the recipe.
Hi Robert, You can find all of our bread recipes here. You may want to try our sandwich bread next!
I make this bread all the time. I’ve added garlic, herbs and olive oil to the dough. I also like to make a Greek loaf with kalamata olives and roasted red peppers. Squeeze the juice out of them first. I always make this bread with soups. Perfect
This recipe is SO delicious! I made the dough as the recipe said and actually ended up letting it rise at room temp for about 6 hours. Then after letting it sit in my fridge overnight I baked it just as follows and oh my goodness! My husband and I devoured almost a whole loaf in one sitting! Spread a little butter on a slice and it is divine!!
I’m looking forward to making this bread, but when I tried a similar recipe from another site, my bread, using a Dutch oven, produced a very dark and tough bottom. Impossible to get a knife through. Can you please suggest how I can prevent this? The Dutch oven was preheated to 450 degrees.
Hi Holly, we can’t speak to other recipes, but in ours we use parchment paper with the Dutch oven method, so it won’t stick and the bottom does not get too hard. We hope you enjoy it!
Two tips for you! Take a cookie sheet and put it under your Dutch oven pot and it will help distribute the heat better. Or sometimes I take the little metal rack thing (can’t think of the name right now ♀️) out of my instant pot and throw it in the bottom of my Dutch oven. I do this with sourdough all the time and it really helps! Before the bottom was so black and impossible to cut.
I have been wanting to try making bread for years and always found it intimidating.
How can four simple and basic ingredients be so daunting?
Thank you Sally for taking the time to share your experience and expertise with us
it made it easy and oh so satisfying. I am in just a couple of days convinced I will be making my own croissants some day…:)
I have used this recipe more times than I can count. I have made it a Sunday routine to make a double recipe, so I have freshly baked bread ready to be made for a meal. Thank you for sharing, and happy holiday!
Would it be ok to mix this in a stand mixer with a dough hook?
Hi Kathy, We do not recommend a mixer for this particular 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!
Ok, I’ll try it by hand then!
does it have to rest the 45 minutes if you don’t use the fridge method and bake right away?
Hi SB, yes, you still want to let your dough rest after shaping for 45 minutes on the baking sheet. Enjoy!
I tried reis recipe and baked it in a single loaf pan, but inside was not baked fully and it was kinda wet inside. Should I bake it for longer than 25mins in one single loaf pan, or divide the mixture into two separate pans? Thank you!
Hi Gonca, There is a little too much dough for a standard size (9×5-inch) 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.
After the initial 2-3 hour rise, do I punch the dough down before putting it in the refrigerator?
Hi Marco, no need to punch down the dough before placing in the refrigerator.
I have made this recipe countless times! I love to make lemon-lavender bread (one drop each of lemon oil and lavender oil to the water, scrape the water out of the measuring cup) and get so many compliments.
One big note on water: I live in the deep South and it took me many trial and error times to realize I should only use 1 1/4 cup of water instead of 1 1/2 cups because the latter makes the dough much too wet resulting in a blob of a loaf. I’ve found that wetting my hands and then massaging the dough offers enough water to offset using just 1 1/4 cups. Hope this helps!
This is my go to, quick yeasted bread recipe! Almost tastes like a sourdough. I bake in my Dutch oven and it comes out perfectly almost every time.
This was very easy to make and the bread was delicious!! I have made other breads in the past. This was by far the easiest and most delicious.
I did it!!! Thanks so much Sally- I made a boule in our dutch oven and it came out just fine (crust was lighter than I’d like- but first time baking bread). It tasted really nice, temp was 200 degrees when I took it out. First- any way to make the crust a little darker? Second- I have a convection oven, with the Dutch oven should I leave it on convection bake, or regular bake (what I used)?
Hi Sheila, how exciting! To darken the color, you can remove the lid from the Dutch Oven earlier. I always bake breads on the conventional setting on my oven (not convection), and that’s how all of my recipes are tested.
Could I make this in a loaf pan? I want a crustier bread for grilled cheese, and every time I’ve made this the loaf did not get very tall. (It was tasty, but spread more side to side on my pan.)
Hi Beth, There is a little too much dough for a standard size (9×5-inch) 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 misread the directions and refrigerated it for 2 days right after making the rough dough and before rising— but it turned out great with lots of air pockets. I added a teaspoon of fresh rosemary. My family loved it but said it could have used a bit more salt and rosemary.
I’m baking in a warm, tropical climate (with AC but still a hot humid climate) and find it doesn’t take long for the dough to get very warm (and flatten out a lot quickly after shaping on baking pan) once removed from the fridge. I try to bake it before their minute resting time, but appreciate the dough probably shouldn’t go in the oven super cold. Just wondering what suggestions you might have? Thank you!
Hi Erika, the dough can sometimes flatten out while resting, especially if you’re in a hot/humid client. You can simply flour your hands and try to bring it back to a taller loaf after resting, right before it goes in the oven. Hope this helps!
Hello! This is my first time baking bread and loved it. I made a boile and in the outside it looked beautiful but it was a bit moist in the inside. I’m not sure if that’s normal because this is my first time eating homemade bread. I baked it in a pan at 450 F with an boiling water in the second rack for crunchiness. Do you have any idea if this how the bread is supposed to come out or what did I do wrong?
Hi Dianna! Sounds like your bread could have used a little longer to bake – it can be tricky to tell when breads are done. Do you have an instant read thermometer? Using one is a great way to tell when breads are done baking – when the center of the bread reaches 195°F (90°C).
Hi! Looking forward to making this for Thanksgiving — Question — instead of splitting the dough to make two 8 inch loaves, could I divide into four 4-inch loaves? I imagine I’d have to cut the baking time down, but wondering if you have tried this?
Hi Jenn, you certainly can! Bake time will be about the same. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Our trick is to gently tap the loaves– if they sound hollow, the bread is done. Enjoy!
This is a fool-proof recipe that has beautiful texture. I did find it slightly saltier than I’d prefer, kind of on the tart side. Still delicious, thank you!
Such an easy and tasty bread recipe! Made 3 breads in the Last week and a half
I made this and it was a success! I’d love to make a bigger batch.. do you recommend just doubling everything in measurement?
Hi Sabrina, we’re so glad you enjoyed this artisan bread! For best results, we recommend making separate batches rather than doubling. This helps prevent over or under mixing, which can impact the final results.
How about if I only have one pack of yeast? Is it okay to use just one for the measurements provided?
Sorry if I missed this, but do I need to bring the loaf to room temperature after being in the fridge for 12 hours?
Hi Jeff, the loaf will rest at room temperature for 45 minutes in steps 4/5 while the oven is preheating.