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.
Can I bake the bread on any pan? i.e., William Sonoma gold touch baking pan. Or do I need a specific type of pan for baking bread?
Hi Brittany, any flat nonstick baking sheet!
Simple recipe, delicious bread!!
Hello Sally and the Baking Addiction team, I would like to use my new Dutch oven to make a round loaf. I will not be putting the dough into the refrigerator to rest this time. My question is, after I shape the dough into a single round ball, should I wait 45 minutes while the oven heats up or should I put my Dutch oven (with bread in it) in the oven while it is preheating for that 2nd rise? I know some of your bread recipes say to preheat the Dutch oven first before adding the dough but my Dutch oven manufacturer says not to do that. Any advice would be appreciated! Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes, Sally! I love that when I refer to you by your first name my family knows who I’m talking about!
Hi Coleen, after shaping the dough, you can place it (along with the parchment paper) into a bowl to rest for the 45 minutes (this will help it keep shape). Do not place it in the oven as it pre-heats. If your Dutch oven cannot be preheated, just place the dough in the Dutch oven and then into the oven together after the 45 minutes rest. Hope this helps and that you enjoy the recipe!
I followed the base recipe, but rather than dividing and shaping the dough I left it intact as one rounded loaf and then baked it in a Dutch oven. The result was a beautiful, perfectly golden bread with a crispy crust and great flavor. Will be returning to this recipe again and again!
First time ever baking bread..getting ready to put into fridge. Worried about the dough sticking to sides of bowl tomorrow when I’m ready to bake it? And I don’t have cornmeal, so just use flour directly on the pan before putting into oven?
Thank you!
Hi Linda Jo, the dough will stick to the sides of the bowl as it rises, but it should come off easily when you’re ready to remove it and place it on the pan. You can flour your hands if you find it especially sticky. And yes, you can use a sprinkle of flour instead of the cornmeal on the pan. Hope you enjoy the bread!
This recipe is husband-approved! I am not so fond of bread but he is a big bread eater. I made only half the batch as I wasn’t sure if we would like it or not. I used AP flour as that’s all I have in the pantry. It was still very chewy! Halved all the ingredients and it was perfect. I kept it in the oven overnight (11am to 5:30am next day). I also did the steam in oven. It didn’t get as crispy as I’d like but good enough. Baked it for 30 minutes in a baking paper-lined pan. Husband ate the entire thing in one sitting! Thank you so much for this recipe and the tips. I will try using bread flour next time and let you know how it turns out.
Delicious every single time. I’ve started making this bread every single weekend. No need for bread from the store ever!!
Hi Sally. I have been using your recipes for years now and it’s always a hit! For this recipe, after I sat it on the bench for 3 hours, do I have to deflate it or put straight into the fridge?
Hi Ruth, it can go right to the fridge. Enjoy!
Great recipe. So simple with tasty results.
Why is my bread so dense with no air pockets?
Hi Donna, Make sure to handle the dough with care to prevent popping all the bubbles inside the dough and very carefully follow the instructions above. Any changes in ingredients or method can change the texture!
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I have a ninja pro foodi. I have heard other recipes mention “proofing”. Does this recipe call for that? Can I bake in my new toy
Hi Karen, we haven’t tried that, but let us know if you do!
This bread came out so much better than I thought it would. It has so much flavor with just 4 ingredients. I will be making our bread more often !
My kitchenaid broke and I was worried I wouldn’t be able to find an easy bread recipe, but I was wrong! This is my new favorite recipe – it’s so easy and the bread is delicious! I left it in the fridge overnight for about 20 hours.
I have tried many simple and no knead bread recipes – this one stands above anything else I’ve tried! I’ve used the pizza stone and Dutch oven options, both are great but I prefer the pizza stone. The bread flour makes a big difference as well.
First time bread maker here and a slightly stupid question- do I have to activate the yeast with water and sugar before adding it to the recipe or is it added dry?
Hi Selena! Not a dumb question at all. For this recipe, you just add the yeast dry.
Too much salt! Killed the yeast, no rise. Cooked it anyway, way too salty. Yes, I used coarse salt. Waste of an afternoon.
hi sally, can i sub the instant yeast for the sourdough instant yeast that red star makes? ty 🙂
Hi Sonny, we haven’t tested that exact swap, but please do let us know if you do!
I wanted to love this and replace store bought. But I dont know what I did wrong. My breads are flat
Hi Theresa! Every loaf will turn out differently. Make sure to handle the dough very carefully to prevent compressing the air bubbles.
Officially obsessed after successfully baking my first two loaves and planning to bake this weekend for gifts! Is doubling the recipe to bake extra at the same time a viable option? If so, anything important to consider in the process?
Hi Meredith, 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.
Ah exactly what o needed to know! Grabbing two bowls and getting started!
Sally, I love every recipe you come up with, this one included! For those chemistry inclined bakers that pay attention to water content and such, I just want to mention, I had to up my flour to an extra 1/4 cup. The dough was almost liquid when mixing, but that is because I am using King Arthur Flour Special Patent which is an enriched, unbleached, hard, high protein flour and barley mix. We also live in the most humid state in the US so even this time of year, water content becomes critical to a good bake. What I love most about this recipe is it being only 4 ingredients and not having to babysit the process. I also love saving $50 a month on hubby’s must have Publix bakery white sub rolls – he thinks this tastes even better than theirs. I make loads of dough days in advance which makes my hubby very happy :)!
This was my first time making bread at home and it turned out perfectly and tasted delicious. I let the dough sit for 24 hours. I did a boule, scored an X on top, and baked for 37 minutes until it reached 195°. Thanks for this detailed recipe! My baking confidence has skyrocketed
This is amazing. It reminded me of the bread you get in your basket at an Italian restaurant. I’m going to mix up some olive oil and red pepper to dip it in! I let it sit in the fridge for 20 hours and it’s just beautiful
I will definitely make this bread again. So easy, and it so good
I love your recipes and have been a “fan” for a while and I am scared of working with yeast which is why I was so excited to see YOUR recipe! Not sure what went wrong (actually, it was probably using the water temp and not mixing like I Wanted to. Followed recipe exactly and it was exactly as I expected, heavy, dense and light in color! I just wasted all that bread flour and timeI Always have success with your recipes but have absolutely no luck with yeast.The war is on and will try again with a new recipe. Tested yeast and it was active and alive. Wish I could’ve called you when I was mixing it
When I did the boiling water, and the coarse salt, it came out almost like a pretzel crust…delicious!
This is one of my favorite recipes for a fabulous addition to our spaghetti nights. I have done several of the variations and we love all of them.
I have been making your bread for over a year now and it always turns out perfect even with the variations
I made this last weekend and it was delicious! Started another batch last night and instead of letting it rise on the counter for 2-3 hours, I fell asleep and it sat out for 11 hours. If I put it in the refrigerator this morning, is it safe to use? I don’t need it until a pot luck tomorrow evening.
Hi Stephanie, it should be fine to continue with the bread as is, but use your best judgement. If anything seems off, we’d start another batch!
Will this work with all purpose flour and whole-wheat flour? What changes would I have to make for the recipe to work with whole wheat flour?
Hi Andrea, 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.
I have to use at least 3/4 cup of water to get the flour to pull together. I use King Arther organic all purpose flour and follow the recipe but it just won’t come together even if I try kneading. The bread is excellent and my family looks forward to receiving a chewy loaf. Perhaps I should not stress over how much water I use if everyone is happy. What say you?
Hi Karen, there are a variety of factors that go into the consistency of bread dough, even down to the weather and humidity in the air. It’s not a problem if you find yours needs a little more/less water or flour. If you’re happy with the outcomes, we wouldn’t stress too much!
I weigh the flour vs measure and both times the dough was too moist and hard to shape and impossible to score but the bread still came out good but the loaf’s were not aesthetically pleasing? Is 430g the right amount ?