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 is where you start. This artisan bread recipe 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. You can even turn it into garlic bread and homemade croutons.
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 Recipe
- 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
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, sweet potato dinner rolls, brioche, 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, pizza bread, and asiago-crusted skillet bread, bread flour produces a stronger, chewier bread and that makes a big difference in a 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 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 two longer loaves side-by-side on a flat baking sheet, about 9×3 inches each. 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. Score the loaves on top right before baking. Scoring also helps control the bread’s expansion. To help ensure a crispier crust, after the oven preheats, pour boiling water into a metal or cast iron baking pan on the bottom oven rack. Immediately place the baking sheet inside and shut the oven door to trap the steam. The steam will help create that coveted crisp crust.
- 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 or cinnamon butter
- Slice and dunk in crab dip, beer cheese dip, garlic & bacon spinach dip, or even homemade Italian dressing
- Serve alongside slow cooker chicken chili or pumpkin chili
- As a dunker for creamy cauliflower potato soup, minestrone soup, creamy chicken noodle soup, or crab soup
- With a big bowl of mac & cheese or spaghetti with slow cooker turkey meatballs
- Use for my goat cheese & honey crostini
- It’s the perfect starch in breakfast casserole or baked apple cider French toast
- Use it to make homemade garlic bread or homemade croutons
- With anything because homemade bread is everything’s best friend
Homemade 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 ungreased 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 20 minutes before slicing and serving. Store leftovers loosely covered at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
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 at 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 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.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 slices
- Calories: 136
- Sugar: 0.1 g
- Sodium: 389.8 mg
- Fat: 0.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 27.2 g
- Protein: 4.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Reader Comments and Reviews
So excited!! This is the first recipe I baked in my new kitchen where I have promised my husband, gourmet meals this recipe was equally easy and fabulous! Thank you so much
I baked in a 3 quart Dutch oven with parchment paper at 450F for 30 mins and 10 more mins lid off. The top was hard and dark while the sides of the bottom half were soft and light brown. The bottom crust was also very hard to cut through. The crumb was also dense and gummy. Please tell me what I’m doing wrong because I really don’t want to eat supermarket bread.
Hi Veron! A 3 quart dutch oven will be too small. We recommend you use a 5- to 6-quart (or larger) Dutch oven.
Hi Rita! Make sure to handle the dough very carefully to maintain the air bubbles. An egg wash, brush of milk, or brush of melted butter will do the trick to help sesame seeds stick. You can use a sharp knife if you don’t have a bread lame – happy baking!
Hi again….thank you for your response….I think I should run this by you…after I take the dough out of the bowl (after 3 hours) I use the bench scraper and fold it in on all sides…cut in half… before I place it on the floured pan.
Could the folding be making it come out flat? Thank you, again.
Hi Rita, it does sound like the folding could be contributing to the flatness. It’s likely popping too many of the air bubbles.
Why is my bread at 475 turning out so hard? I have tried this several times and it’s burned every time
Hi D! Does your oven tend to run quite hot? Make sure to keep an eye on the bread as it bakes so you can pull it out early if it’s looking done.
I looked for a no knead recipe for bread with the goal of eliminating plastic bread sacks in our home. You’ve no idea how much I appreciate your basic artisan bread recipe! Your notes have been especially helpful. And bread baking is easy, not a chore at all! (I’m almost 76 years old).
Over 10 days I’ve made the basic, and experimented with a cranberry batch, onion cheese, and apricot walnut! It’s fun to be creative. The household agrees we no longer need or want regular store bought sandwich bread. I love that I have so much flexibility on when to bake it. I plan on trying a sunflower seed batch today.
I purchased a couple of linen beeswax reusable bread sacks, each able to hold the two loaves. With the three day proving leeway, I can plan my bakes so we don’t run out, but also don’t have any go bad.
Thank you, Sally!
We’re so thrilled to hear that you love this recipe, Christine! Thank you for your kind note.
This recipe is so good! Do you know if I could mix the dry ingredients ahead of time and store them in an airtight container?
Hi Valerie! With so few ingredients, we recommend mixing everything fresh – so glad you love this bread recipe!
I’ve made this bread twice now – each time with different results! Generally I find the flour used changes the water quantity needed. Consistently is everything.
Thank you, I tried this, and it came out great. But are you sure about the amount of water? I measured meticulously and followed the recipe in adding the ingredients. But after 10 minutes of kneading in the bread machine, it still seemed to be somewhere between bread dough and pancake batter. I had to add at least another cup of flour to fix it.
Hi Kannan, This is a very wet dough. There are a lot of variables that can go into the consistency of dough, down to even the weather/humidity. If yours was too wet you can certainly add more flour (1 Tablespoon at a time) until the dough comes into a workable consistency. Also keep in mind that this is a no knead dough, so if you try again we recommend skipping the bread machine and just mixing the ingredients together in a bowl as instructed before letting it rise.
Thank you, Sally. I suspected that, but I could not imagine how I could form a loaf with a dough of that consistency. As it was, I only added enough to be able to pick it upwithout it sticking to my hands. It was still very soft. Anything I could not support on my hand was hanging down. It came out great. Kneading or mixing by hand is difficult with my arthritis. I am making another loaf today.
i made this recipe once the exact way and it was delicious, and im wondering is this recipe suitable for a loaf pan?
Hi Aaron, 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. Let us know how it turns out if you give it a try!
I make this bread often. It’s always a huge hit.
I’ve made it exactly as it’s published here, and that’s fantastic. But my favourite is adding cubed cheese, caramelized onion, and sliced olives to the mix before it rises. I then form it into three balls (double recipe) and drop those into a cast iron Dutch oven where they rise into a segmented wheel of bread. It takes a bit longer to cook that way, but the resulting crust is out of this world, especially with the pot dusted with corn meal.
So thanks for this great addition to our kitchen!
I’m on step 2, but nothing happened. The dough didn’t double and no air bubbles (I usually make a cocotte-oven bread, this is my first time with this recipe). Is there a way to save this or not?
Hi Manu, if the dough did not rise, it sounds like it was an issue with the yeast — our Baking with Yeast Guide may be helpful to review. Did you have any issues with your dough for your colette-oven bread? You can absolutely use a Dutch oven for this recipe, too, if you’d prefer. See recipe Notes for details!
My husband and I love this bread! It’s great with some herb infused olive oil! I’m planning to gift bread to a few people over Christmas and wanted clarification on the freezing instructions for the dough. Should I freeze it after it rises for 3 hours or let it rise for 3 hours, then let it set in the fridge for 12/18 hours before freezing?
Hi Kortney! You can let it sit in the fridge before freezing (or freeze the dough after rising without the fridge rest, but we do love the flavor that gives it!).
if you choose to let it rise in the fridge overnight, how long do you have to leave it out before resuming with step 4?
Hi Jen, just for the 45 minutes rest time. Enjoy!
I haven’t tried it yet. I’m wondering if parchment paper would work to make the pan non-stick?
Thanks!
Hi Christine, If you don’t have a nonstick baking sheet, you can 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.
Wow! What a fabulous, super easy, super impressive recipe!
I added garlic powder and rosemary. Doubled the recipe. Froze a bunch. My new go to bread. Thank you!
Hi Sally,
I tried your artisan bread but turn out the dough is very watery.
I follow closely the instruction and watched the video as well.
Can you tell me what i have done wrong?
I am using metric measurement.
Hi Elliwatti, this is a pretty wet dough, but the resulting bread shouldn’t be. Does your dough look like the photos and video tutorial in the post? You can try adding a little more flour (1 Tbsp to 1/4 cup) until the dough is a little less sticky.
I have made this recipe a few times, with different levels of success. My dough is always so so sticky that I have trouble shaping it and also scoring it! Any recommendations?
Hi Stephanie, keeping the scored cuts can be difficult if the dough is simply too wet and sticky. (And this dough is certainly both!) We recommend adding a little more flour such as 1/4 cup (30g) to the dough so it’s sturdier and holds the score a bit better. Hope this helps for your next loaf!
DO I HAVE TO USE INSTANT YEAST?
Hi Grace, instant or active dry yeast would both be fine here. Let us know if you give the recipe a try!
One word: Outstanding! Fantastic recipe and can accommodate your favorite herbs and spices or nuts and fruit, or cheese. Make the one!
Great recipe, again, Sally!
I did not use a non stick pan as I did not have one. I used light aluminum Nordic wares (and I know you warned us!) in middle rack of 475 oven on Bake.
Of course loaves stuck and bottom burned slightly before the 20 mins at 475 was up. Tried to lower oven temp a little in last 5 mins.
Took out a couple minutes early but it temped to 200. Flavor and look was 5star.
How can I get the bottom not to burn—will buying a non stick pan solve this?
Going to make it again! Love your recipes and everything about your site Sally.
Hi Danielle, a non-stick pan will definitely help. You can also try lowering your temperature a bit, keeping in mind that the bake time will be different. We’re glad you enjoyed the bread!
I use glass and lightly cover the bottom in olive oil. the recipe turns out beautfully each time. So happy with the out come and very convient to make up!
Great recipe, again, Sally!
I did not use a non stick pan as i did not have one i just have aluminum Nordic wares (and I know you warned us!)
Of course loaves stuck and bottom burned slightly before the 20 mins at 475 was up. Tried to lower temp a little.
Took out a couple minutes early but it temped to 200.
How can i get the bottom not to burn—will buying a non stick pan solve this?
Going to make it again
Thank you so much! And yes, the pan really does make a difference with this high-heat bake. A darker nonstick pan or even a well-greased cast iron skillet provides a bit more insulation and helps prevent over-browning. If you’re sticking with aluminum, you can place the pan on top of a preheated baking sheet to help protect from the direct heat from the bottom of the oven, or move the rack up one level. But switching to a nonstick pan will definitely give you more even results!
Can I cook the bread in a baguette bread pan instead?
We haven’t tested that!
I made this for the first time maybe two years ago now and I get so many compliments! Everyone absolutely loves it and as a beginner with baking bread, this was simple and I was impressed with myself 🙂 I can’t wait to try making a cheddar jalapeño one!
Hi! I loved this recipe for the whole family! I want to make a smaller loaf (individual sized). If I cut everything in the recipe in half or even fourths, would that give me a mini loaf? How would that affect the baking time?
Hi Liv, yes, you can absolutely divide the dough into smaller loaves. Bake time will be shorter and depend on the exact size, so keep a very close eye on them.
I’m new to bread baking and so much seemed to go right with this recipe, but my loaves were gummy. Anything I cud have done better?
Hi Santana, Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try. How soon after baking did you cut into the bread? Sometimes cutting it too soon before it’s had time to cool can make the bread a bit gummy on the inside. Also, be sure to spoon and level your flour (or use a food scale) to ensure just the right amount — too much can cause the bread to be overly dense which can also contribute to that gummy feeling. Finally, an extra minute or two in the oven will help as well to make sure the bread is fully baked. Hope these tips help for next time!
Great recipe, easy to make the whole family loves the bread. Could this be made with a bread maker?
Hi Steve! This no-knead bread dough would not be suitable for a bread maker.
I have made this twice now and it is delicious. Not a real dense bread, like a good French bread and great flavor. Next time I will make in the dutch oven.
Can this recipe be used for dressing for Thanksgiving?
Absolutely!
Hi. I’m a new bread baking man !
I’m so glad I came across your easy to read recipe
And the corresponding video
I’m trying to see if I could make this with a filling, like garlic butter or something else. At which step could I add the filling? During shaping?
Hi Delaney, we haven’t tested this bread with a filling, but the dough is already quite wet so we’re not sure how a filling would hold up. See recipe Notes for details on adding garlic flavor, and/or you could brush the finished bread with a garlic butter topping. Let us know what you try!
I make this recipe all the time and love it so so much!
I made the dough last night but forgot to put it in the fridge. It accidentally sat out at room temp for 10-11hrs. Can I put it in the fridge and still bake it tomorrow or do I need to start over since it sat out so long?
Hi AR, the dough is perfectly fine at room temperature for that long. After refrigerating, proceed with the recipe. It will be just fine!
You’re the best!! I let it proof for 3 and a half hours, but after shaping, I could only proof for another 20 minutes instead of 45- still AMAZING!! I immediately made another batch to leave overnight. I’ve always loved you blog, but this was truly a game changer!!!
Help. The bread came out tasting good but I did not get the big air bubbles. What should I do next time?
Hi Dan, every loaf will turn out differently, some with more holes than others. Make sure to handle the dough very carefully to prevent compressing the air bubbles. So glad you enjoyed the bread!
It was also very dense. I scooped the flower out of the bag and leveled. Should I have sifted anticipated it to the proper amount? Thank you so much
Any ideas why my crumb came out really tight? I only have dry active yeast so I had to use warm water to bloom it.
Hi Alyssa, Did the dough seem nice and wet like the photos above? Make sure to handle the dough very carefully to prevent compressing the air bubbles. Be sure to also spoon and level your flour (or use a kitchen scale) to ensure it’s not over-measured, which can make the bread dry and dense. Finally, a digital thermometer is helpful for ensuring the water temperature isn’t too hot, which can kill the yeast. Hope this helps for next time!