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
I have been making my own bread for a while now and I am usually disappointed – either I under bake, over bake, or fail to get the proper rise. This recipe is so simple and delicious! I did half it because I don’t eat much bread, but now I know this bread is good enough for a full recipe!
I will be trying a dairy free cheese and jalapeno next time as well as a roasted garlic version for a spaghetti dinner.
★★★★★
I did let it refrigerate for 12 hours. And also struggled with scoring.
I finally sprayed my knife with pam beforehand and it did the trick! In fact, I scored one too much.
I made this today and we loved it! Amazing that it’s so easy and so good! Thank you Sally, for another great recipe!
★★★★★
I really enjoyed making this recipe. Have made it twice.
First time I substituted 1 cup of whole wheat flour and the rest all purpose flour (don’t have any bread flour in the house and am trying to use what I’ve got on hand). Hubby who isn’t really into bread ate almost a whole loaf straight away. Had dough in the fridge for 48 hours. Very tasty!
Second time only used all purpose flour. Left in fridge for 3 days. Dough much stickier this time round and loaves formed rather flat. But… in the oven they rose beautifully!
My question is this considered a fermented bread with the time frame in the fridge for the dough.
Thankyou so much for this recipe!
Hi Alicia! I’m so glad you enjoy this bread recipe, thank you! This isn’t technically a fermented bread.
This recipe was easy to make and turned out great. I let the dough rest on the fridge for about 12 hours. I also need to work on my scoring- it just didn’t happen for me, dough was too sticky. I’ve been trying to watch my carb intake but allow myself a day to splurge every once and a while- so I planned accordingly. I made the two loaves and my husband ate half a loaf in one sitting. I didn’t have cornmeal so I didn’t use it, but I think I will next time as I do remember liking it when I make pizza dough.
★★★★★
Thrilled you enjoyed this recipe, Jen! If you try it again, use a very sharp knife for scoring and some readers have even had success with kitchen shears
Very easy and your instructions, photos, and videos were very reassuring. The only thing I struggled with was effectively scoring the loaves. Tried a couple different knives (which my husband had just sharpened!) and a pizza cutter. But no dice. Too sticky. So one loaf ended up a bit unsightly with a crack on the side, but the flavor was great. I let rise for 3 hours on the counter and 4 in the fridge. Couldn’t wait overnight since we are eating this with the cioppino my husband is currently making for dinner tonight 🙂
★★★★★
Thrilled you enjoyed this recipe, Lindsay! If you try it again, use a very sharp knife for scoring and some readers have even had success with kitchen shears 🙂
Thank you so much for gaining my bread confidence with this recipe! It was so easy to follow and delicious!
★★★★★
After 3 hours my dough had grown much and wasn’t bubbly. I used fresh yeast. Why didn’t I get the desired result?
Hi Naomi, it could be a variety of factors. Perhaps too much water and/or flour? Spooning and leveling the flour is always ideal. Regardless, place the dough in the refrigerator and let it rest for at least 12 hours (always my preference with this dough) and continue with the recipe. I’m sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised! This dough is pretty forgiving.
This recipe was so easy to make! I let the dough sit in the fridge overnight and baked it in a dutch oven. I watched the video on how to make it after the dough was already in the fridge. My dough was definitely a bit more wet looking and more sticky than the dough in the video, but it still turned out perfectly. We had the bread with dinner last night and made french toast with it this morning. I’m glad I went with the big bag of bread flour, because I will be making this again and again. Looking forward to trying it with some of the different flavor options. Thanks!
★★★★★
I made this last weekend and loved it! It is very easy to make and turned out with a delicious flavor and great chewy light texture with air holes! The only part I did differently was using 1 1/4 tsp of table salt instead of 2 tsp of course salt (since I didn’t have this on hand). This will become a go to bread recipe for sure! Thanks Sally!
★★★★★
So simple yet delicious. My whole family loved it!
★★★★★
I need more practice haha but it was really tasty! I’ll definitely try this again!
★★★★★
WOW first time break maker and long time foodie. I really really really enjoyed the ease of this recipe and the multiple side notes about what works best. My boule turned about absolutely AMAZING looking. Just waiting to cool for a taste! Serving it tonight with vegan tomato bisque! Will definitely recommend and continue making. Also super cost effective way to enjoy artisan bread!
Made this today, turned out great! Will be making it again soon, want to try it with some cheese and herbs.
Hi sally , tried this recipe and it was a success in taste. I added cheddar cheese to the recipe as anything cheesy is an added bonus for my friends:) thanks once again for being a mentor and guide to all your followers;)
★★★★★
Love everything about this recipe! So easy and tasty. Can’t wait to try other flavors.
★★★★★
It’s a good recipe with good hydration, but it could use a sponge or whole wheat flour for flavor.
★★★★
Hi Jax! A sponge is a great idea to make this a more intermediate recipe. I’m hoping to try this bread soon with half whole wheat flour. Great suggestion!
I made this dough yesterday and put in the fridge for the suggested 3 days. I needed a quick dinner tonight, so I took out half after 24 hours and let sit (covered) at room temperature for 30 minutes. I worked the dough out on a baking sheet (prepared with olive oil) and made pizza (15 mins at 450F)- Worked great! Plan to make the 2nd half into a loaf for Saturday football.
★★★★★
Simple and delicious! This will be a go-to recipe in our house from now on. Can’t wait to play with different flavor combinations!
★★★★★
I just made this and it was a simple and easy way to make a great loaf (well 2) of bread. Clear instructions and suggest leaving it in fridge overnight to bake first thing in the morning to fill the house with the yummiest of smells. Please try this recipe if you think it is too hard to make fresh bread and prove yourself wrong.
★★★★★
Recipe was so easy to follow. Was my first time making any kind of yeast bread like this. The family gobbled up both loaves with dinner. Thank you for another yummy recipe
★★★★★
My 11 year old son followed this recipe and we just enjoyed two delicious, if uniquely shaped, loaves of bread with our supper today!
★★★★★
As a newbie to your awesome blog and challenges, I was very excited to try the artisan bread recipe. My previous experience in baking bread has been with a bread maker…. so none basically. I followed the recommendation of 18 hours rest in the refrigerator, and when baking used a pizza stone. I put 3 cups of boiling water into a pan in the bottom rack of the oven. It was beautifully browned at 25 minutes and the inside had just the right amount of little air pockets. The crust – so light and crisp!!
I can’t wait to serve this to friends who are coming for dinner.
★★★★★
This recipe was so easy and came out delicious! I used regular yeast as I did not have quick acting on hand. I let the dough sit in the fridge for 24 hours. My husband loves this bread and said it’s just as good, if not better than Italian restaurants!
★★★★★
I loved how simple this recipe was- great for beginners. Thanks for another wonderful recipe, Sally!
Delicious bread! Your recipes are so easy to follow and always provide helpful tips. I made this bread for dinner last night. I baked right away without the refrigerator step. Turned out great. I will definitely be making this recipe again trying it with the refrigerator step. Looking forward to many more delicious loaves of bread.
★★★★★
Hi Sally! I’ve got the two loaves resting on the baking sheet right now, but they’re still incredibly sticky, even with a bit of extra flour in there. I doubt I’ll be able to score them.
Fingers crossed they turn out ok! And if they don’t, I’m just going to try again.
Try using kitchen shears to score them! I know some readers have had success with that method 🙂
Sally, sorry to bother you…ha..ha! Mixed up my bread last night, after 4 hours it still didn’t double…does it double? Not use to how this new fabulous bread acts. Put it in the refrigerator last night and it might have rises a little. Double checked my yeast date is still good. I do have it in a metal mixing bowl. Or maybe I’m worrying over nothing.
Thanks for any help.
★★★★★
Nothing to worry about! Did it stretch out and/or become a little bubbly on top overnight in the refrigerator? That’s what is most important.
Fun challenge recipe!
Great basic bread recipe with excellent directions for yeast bread success. The flavor possibilities are endless by adding different herbs and spices. In the future I will give the tops a heavy sprinkling is sea salt.
★★★★
Love this recipe! So simple to make and delicious to eat! My husband and mother-in-law both loved it. This bread will be a regular on my table. Can’t wait to try it with some add-ins!
★★★★★
Super easy recipe, I’ve made it twice so far. My first batch stuck to the baking sheet but still tasted delicious. I used parchment the 2nd time and was much more generous dusting with the flour and cornmeal and had no sticking at all. Yummy! I’ll try the Dutch oven method next.
★★★★★