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
This recipe is AMAZING! I added some herbs to mine and we dunked slices in tomato soup for dinner. Will definitely make again!!!
Great bread recipe that you can whip up pretty last minute. Mine turned out a little in the flat side, but it had great flavor!
★★★★★
This was such an easy bread recipe to make! My husband was even blown away with how quick and easy it was to whip up. I made homemade cinnamon honey butter to go with it and it is to die for!!! My husband and I tried it right out of the oven. Fresh, warm baked bread is the best. I could have eaten the whole loaf in one sitting! This is my first time participating in the monthly baking challenge and I will definitely be doing more of them. I have been using your recipes throughout the past year and they all come out so beautifully!
★★★★★
Oh my gosh, how amazing is this bread, just made my first batch for the baking challenge and am already half way through the loaf . It tastes just like the bakery bread I used to buy, won’t need to worry about that anymore. The satisfaction of making your own bread and having it turn out so well and taste so amazing (despite initial fears that it wouldn’t) means there is already a second batch on the go! Thank you Sally for feeding our baking addictions.
★★★★★
This recipe couldn’t be any easier! I was shocked at how foolproof it was. My partner loved the end result (I added ground sage, minced onion and garlic) and the two loaves were gone within 12 hours. I’m adding this into my weekend routine so we have quality bread all week long!
★★★★★
My family and I are all completely addicted to this bread! So good, so easy- I’ve made it twice already!
Perfect and so easy! No kneading either. This is a great base recipe for so many breads, IMO! I left my dough in the fridge for 2 days, life got in the way a bit, but it was just perfect. I baked mine without the water bath at 475° for about 16 min. I checked on it because I could smell how dark it was getting, so I turned the oven off and let it sit in there for 4 min, for a total of 20 in the oven. Definitely check on it if you think it’s burning because every oven is different! It almost tastes like Panera, but better! Honestly!
★★★★★
Loved this recipe. It was so easy and yummy. I loved that didn’t have to use my Dutch oven. Ate it with some soup. I’ll definitely be making it again. I wish I would have used coarse salt, but I didn’t have any on hand. Will use it next time. Thanks for another great recipe.
★★★★★
I LOVE making all types of breads. This recipe is so straightforward, requires no special tools, and is perfect for both a beginning or experienced baker. Incredible how such few, simple ingredients make for such a tasty bread.
★★★★★
I tried this recipe and it didn’t come out. 🙁 My dough came out extremely sticky. So sticky I couldn’t mix it, it was all over my hands. I weighed everything out according to directions I don’t know what happened. I had to keep adding some flour so it wouldn’t be a gooey mess. When I baked it, it didn’t cook all the way through in the middle. I baked it longer and it was just hard and very dense. I have such great luck with all the other recipes. What did I do wrong? I’m going to try it again today. I’m still rating 5 stars because I’m sure it was me. 🙁
★★★★★
Hi Michelle! My apologies, I’m just seeing this comment now. I recommend adding another 1/4 -1/2 cup of flour (30-60g). The dough is supposed to be pretty sticky though, so keep that in mind. Scoring the bread helps it cook in the center and expand. Use a very sharp knife, kitchen shears, or a bread lame (recommended) to make a few large slashes. This is key! It could be dense from over-baking and adding too much flour as well. I hope all this helps for next time!
Made this! #amazinglysimpleandyummy (haha!) So good and yet so simple. This was my first attempt at making a yeast bread and was such an easy dive into the bread-making world. Thank you for your great recipes!
★★★★★
This bread was easy to make. I made 2 batches and gave some away as a gifts and everyone said how yummy the bread was. I turned one of the loaves into cheesey garlic bread…..oh my heavens was it ever good! I let mine rest in the fridge overnight before shaping and baking. Very yummy and I will definately be making it again!
★★★★★
Super easy and pretty much no fail as long as your patience is good haha. Second batch in the refrigerator now! Love this bread and can’t wait to try it with add ins!
★★★★★
I have to admit I wasn’t too sure if this bread would live up to my bread dreams because the ingredients were SO simple. Let me tell you I’ve never been happier to be wrong!!! This bread is FABULOUS and so insanely easy. I let mine sit in the fridge for three days (only because I got busy and couldn’t bake it sooner) and man is it delish. I made one regular and sprinkled everything bagel seasoning on the top of the second and I’m already planning on making another batch up tomorrow
This bread is delicious!! I added everything bagel seasoning on top before I put it in the oven. The topping burnt a bit but was delicious nonetheless!!! I can’t wait to make this again and try some different flavor add ins!
★★★★★
Easy to make and so delicious!! I am so glad I used the cornmeal on the bottom! Kicked it up an extra notch!! Will definitely be making again soon!!!
★★★★★
This bread was so easy to make, and turned out so tasty. I made one plain loaf and topped the second with garlic powder and cheese. I can’t seem to stop cutting pieces off the cheesy loaf to eat.
Hello! I LOVE your blog so much that every time I’m looking to try something new, I check here for any recipes first.
In fact, I am planning on making bread bowls this weekend and had flagged your recipe for the endeavor when this one caught my eye. Would this dough be suitable for bread bowls? Thanks!!
Hi Jordan! I actually recommend using my Homemade Bread Bowls recipe instead.
I just love how user friendly this is and how delicious this bread was! Super easy to follow and a crowd pleaser!
★★★★★
Excellent recipe. Hubby enjoyed a lot so I made again. The dough currently in the fridge. Thanks Sally!
★★★★★
My wife couldn’t believe that such a simple recipe could turn out so well. Very little effort required, which makes it perfect for lazy bakers like me. It turned out well in my baguette pan; next time I will try it in the Dutch over to see how that goes over.
★★★★★
Homemade Artisan Bread from Sally’s Baking Addiction! Made this for a recent family gathering. I made four loaves, thinking it would be enough for the group, and it certainly wasn’t! I haven’t made homemade bread in years, mostly because I often find homemade bread can’t compare to some of the lovely artisan loaves you can get from local bakeries, but not only was this recipe incredibly easy, the results were exceptional! The loaves were beautiful, with a crispy golden crust and a soft chewy interior that was incredibly flavorful. I made two loaves identical to Sally’s recipe, and I made two loaves with the addition of Parmesan, garlic, and Italian spices. Both variants were amazing. The loaves with the extra ingredients didn’t get quite as “high” or “rounded” as the loaves made made with just the base recipe.
The only way in which my recipe didn’t “turn out” quite as I’d anticipated based on Sally’s description and photos is that my loaves didn’t have those really big “holes” that Sally’s did. I gave them just over two days in the refrigerator, so I’d have anticipated a red more big holes than I’d anticipated.
★★★★★
Hi Sally….made the dough yesterday afternoon for bread recipe #1 artisan loaf. Refrigerated it till 5pm today….so about 24 hours. Follow the recipe exactly using the exact ingredients. OMG….so very good!
Thin but slightly crisp crust…and a moist crumb. Fabulous flavor too. Thank you. I am really enjoying your bread series. Pizza dough next.
Corinne – Portland,OR
★★★★★
Great recipe! My first time making bread and it is delicious.
I’d never dealt with yeast bread until recently when I made a challah because the thought of it for some reason stressed me out. This one though (only the second yeast bread after aforementioned challah) relieved that stress and was insanely easy to make. In fact, i made it again only days after trying it the first time. My ONLY issue with it is that one loaf is not nearly enough. So the second time i actually TRIPLED the recipe and had a nice array of loaves for friends and co-workers. Froze one for myself and defrosted it in the oven this morning and just wow. I tried the recipe once in my dutch oven and once on baking sheets, and I’d probably recommend the dutch oven for a crunchier outside, but the one i reheated this morning was originally on a baking sheet and when it came out of the oven (straight from freezer to oven. no thawing), i repeat, WOW. WILL be making again. and again. and again. etc.
I made the bread and the crust turned out delicious but it tastes/smells a little sour. I left it in the fridge for around 20 hours and this is my first time making bread. Is the sourness normal and if not, is the bread still edible? Great recipe though, very easy.
Hi Kate! It’s hard for me to say without tasting or smelling it myself. If you don’t feel comfortable eating it, feel free to discard and try the recipe again. How long did you keep it at room temperature before placing the the refrigerator?
♀️Hi Sally, my hunch is that if I make my bread in a covered dutch oven, I won’t need the pan of boiling water. Is that right? (L-o-v-e your blog!)
Hi Anna, If you are making a round loaf and using a dutch oven with a lid, there is no need to add the baking pan of boiling water to a bottom rack. The lid will trap steam inside the dutch oven for the dough.
I was impressed with how simple this bread recipe. I tend to shy away from making homemade bread since i remember spending hours in the process that i don’t have currently. Anyway, i used half buckwheat flour for a heartier result, and my son loved it. He said it was ‘better than the boulanger’. (We live in France) Thanks so much for making this kind of food more accessible to busy families, Sally!
★★★★★
I made the bread. It was a fail. I used all purpose flour and maybe killed the yeast somehow. I will try again! #keeplearning
Thanks Sally.
This was my first successful attempt at using yeast and I did it! So yummy. I was skeptical because I feel like anything else I have tried has not ever risen properly. This was so yummy with your minestrone soup! Everyone should try.
★★★★★
Beautiful loaves of bread, so easy to do. Just follow the recipe, its a breeze
★★★★★
Turned out great! I roasted the garlic in a smoked olive oil before mixing!
I was too impatient to refrigerate it… but next time I make it I will!
It was so much easier than I expected!
★★★★★