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 homemade tomato soup, creamy cauliflower potato soup, minestrone soup, creamy chicken noodle soup, crab soup, or slow cooker creamy chicken & corn 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
This was delicious and my first time ever making bread! Thank you for the easy recipe 🙂
Tried your 4 ingredient recipe and it turned out not too bad (See photo) . The crust was indeed crunchy and chewy but the inside was not airy with holes. It was soft but slightly heavy with no holes. What did I do wrong?
Hi Rick, Every loaf will turn out differently. Make sure to handle the dough very carefully to prevent compressing the air bubbles. So glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for the encourragementMichelle. If I double all the ingredients can I make one larger loaf instead of 2 smaller ones?
My first loaf ever and I’m shocked how good it is! Crunchy crust and soft inside. I added garlic and fresh rosemary from my garden with course sea salt. Used my pizza stone with a pan of boiling water under
This is my go to bread recipe- it’s always delicious
Hi there! Love the recipe and have made it at least a dozen times as a dutch oven boule and have some questions.
Would there be anything you’d change if I wanted to double or triple the recipe to make bread in bulk?
Also, I noticed you put down 3.25 cups of flour as 430g, however most flour brands I’ve used (Gold Medal, King Arthur, etc) list 1 cup = 120g and weigh 390g for 3.25 cups. What brand of flour was used for this recipe? Also, would you suggest it’s more important to match the weight or the volume in your recipe if the flour I’m using has a different weight per cup? Thank you!
Hi Eduardo, I’m glad to help. For best results, I recommend making separate batches rather than doubling. This helps prevent over or under mixing, which can impact the final results. For the gram measurement, I never get only 120g per 1 cup of spooned and leveled flour. It’s much closer to 125-130g, and that is how I test my recipes. (Even using KA flour, which is what I use for this recipe.) For breads, I find having a little extra flour on hand is helpful to get the right consistency, including for this recipe. So I would follow the gram measurements here.
I am excited to try this recipe! If you leave the dough in the fridge, does it need to set out at room temp before baking
Hi Annabelle, at the end of step 4, the dough/shaped loaf will sit at room temperature for 45 minutes while the oven is preheating. Hope you enjoy the bread!
I loved this recipe! ❤️ It turned out FANTASTIC! The texture and taste was superb! I have tried many of your bread recipes and not one has failed me! The bagel recipes are delicious!
You are simply amazing! Thank you Sally!
I’ve made this bread many times. It’s excellent. My oven is very hot, so I reduce the cooking time. I like to either minced garlic or garlic salt, then taste the dough. I added one more teaspoon of regular salt. I also add some cracked pepper and two teaspoons of Italian seasoning. It’s easy and fantastic bread. Thank you for the recipe
I loved thes bread so easy to make ond so good
I really love this recipe! So proud of my bread! That being said, I was wondering if you could provide the nutritional and caloric value? Thanks in advance!
Hi Zoey, We are so happy you enjoy this recipe! We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
I’ve been afraid of baking bread, but this was so easy and so good. Thank you for the note about checking my parchment paper for its heat limit. That was very helpful. My bread did not get as brown as in your photos. Could that be because I had to adjust the oven temp for the parchment paper? In any case, mine cooked perfectly and I’ll make this recipe again.
Hi Patty! Yes, the oven temp certainly plays a major roll in browning. So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Followed the recipe completely and got 2 amazing loaves of bread. I left it in the fridge to rise for 24 hours. Dumped it onto a tray and rigidly formed 2 loaves. It was sticky and didn’t shape but at the end of the day it was an amazing bread so who cares what it looked like. Definitely adding cheddar and jalepeño next time around!
Hi, Sally,
I’ve been using your recipe for some time now with excellent results. I am interested in producing a similar bread but w at least half whole wheat flour; can you send me your thoughts? Thanks, Eddie
Hi Eddie, if necessary, you can use half bread flour and half whole wheat flour. The bread will taste a bit dense. Glad this recipe has been a favorite for you!
I tried with cornmeal and flour. The cornmeal burned and smoked up my apartment. The flour got brown but didn’t cause smoke. I followed everything to a T (the temperature, etc).
I really enjoy this bread. I have had similar issue with the cornmeal and flour. I think my flour seemed to burn more. Today I didn’t use cornmeal and my bread stuck to the pan. I am not sure what I did wrong. I may have used parchment paper when I have made it before. I’ll try that again.
Great, easy recipe! Have made it many times as written and it always turns out great. I like to add garlic powder and rosemary. Husband says it tastes like bread at a fancy restaurant. Definitely add the water to the oven.
I’m planning to try this bread. We live in Barbados so it’s hard to find a nice rustic loaf. It’s very hot here and humid. Would there be any issues with that? Anything I should alter or watch for when making this bread in the tropics?
Hi Michelle! You may need to add a little extra flour because of the extra humidity and your initial rise time may be a little quicker. Just keep an eye on your dough and either bake it or let it rest in the fridge after it doubles in size.
The bread was great! Rise time about two hours. I didn’t make any changes. I made the boule. It took just a little longer to bake – about half an hour. Will definitely make this again. It’s so easy!
I love this recipe & ALWAYS leave in the refrigerator for two days. I use a scale and measure my flour. I add different things to the recipe. This weekend it was a Kalamata olives and fresh rosemary. I make a round loaf using my Dutch oven. They come out delicious & have been doing this since you posted this recipe. Had a dinner party on Sunday and made two loaves. People thought I bought the bread when they saw it sitting on the counter in the kitchen. I always cook them on parchment paper so they were laying on the paper and they said all the bakery gave you the paper at the breakfast cooked on. I said no I baked the bread. I then shared your site with the recipe.
Hi Sally, Ive made this recipe a few times now both as 2 small loaves and also large loaf in the dutch oven, I use 3 1/4 cups of flour and have found when I weigh it it equals 566g which is quite a bit over your 430g, I am using bakers flour, just wanted to check as using cups makes perfect loaves with the right water content
Hi Iain, when you’re measuring with cups, are you spooning and leveling the flour into the cups? Be sure to use that method rather than scooping and leveling, which can pack flour into the measuring cups and cause the flour to be over measured. That’s likely the culprit for the weight discrepancy. Hope this helps!
I feel like you didn’t understand that Lain was stating that the ‘cups’ (heavier weight) actually resulted in ideal results.
Hi.
I love this easy recipe. My bread was crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside just as you said it would be! I did us course salt, but I think I will use maybe 3 teaspoons instead of two next time…do you think this will change the texture too much? And I was also thinking of adding a tablespoon of honey…what are your thoughts on these additions?
Thanks in advance!
Jodi, both additions shouldn’t be a problem. That is a lot of salt though, so I would start with maybe 2.5 teaspoons.
I made this recently to put in your Baked Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole. The bread turned out so-so. It didn’t have as many air pockets as there probably should have been, but I think I know why. It was sooo sticky. So sticky, that I couldn’t get it off of my hands when trying to mix it. It even stuck to the bottom of the sink so hard that I had to scrub it off rather than just rinsing it well. Anyway, I ended up adding more bread flour because I didn’t think it should have been quite that sticky, judging by the video. I added enough flour to keep it sticky, but get it to a consistency that I could actually shape it into a ball in the bowl. I ended up adding 1/3 cup and 3 teaspoons of flour to achieve this! (A lot, I know) This additional flour was probably why it lost a lot of air pockets. It still had some, just not as many as pictured and no larger ones. I weighed everything that a weight had been provided, so I was confused on how it ended up that dang sticky. I also measured the temp of the water before adding that. I am going to try to make this again, for the same casserole. I don’t give up easy! I’d appreciate it if you guys could tell me what you think went wrong. I’m sure that I probably screwed it up somewhere, somehow! Thanks!
Hi Amanda! You want to be very gentle with this dough when shaping to maintain all the air bubbles in the dough. You’re not necessarily doing anything wrong– a lot of factors go into this such as mixing time, speed, weather, yeast, and temperature of water. Feel free to add a little more flour to make a soft, yet workable dough. The brand of flour used can sometimes make a difference as well – we love King Arthur’s bread flour. Hope these tips help for next time!
Dough is too wet and sticky to form into anything that will hold a shape. Either you’re doing something different and didn’t describe it well in your instructions, or your bread recipe only works with specific brands of ingredients.
If the dough is too wet, add more flour and/or use more flour when shaping.
I love this recipe I’ve made it three times but this time my bread flattened out. How do I get it more rounded? Is it possible to bake it in a loaf pan?
Hi Emma! You want to be very gentle with this dough when shaping to maintain all the air bubbles in the dough. It’s ok if they flatten our a bit when shaping – just use floured hands and do your best. Hope these tips help for next time!
The bread tasted really great, but my dough was sticky and didn’t firm up enough to shape, so my bread loaves were a little flatter and wider than I had hoped. I followed the recipe exactly, and my yeast was purchased the day I made the recipe. I live in Florida, so I wonder if humidity is a factor?
Hi Kyle! This is a sticky dough. Humidity does add moisture to bread dough, so feel free to add just a bit more flour next time.
I love this recipe results were very pleasing have not made much bread and this was SO easy!! Will make again! I skipped putting it in the fridge just cause it was last minute but will do it next time! Thank you for the video and the awesome instructions!
Delicious! This time I added Garlic, Rosemary and Black Pepper ( plus plenty of Kosher Salt). The steam really does add a crunch to the crust. I love this no-knead recipe – pulled the loaves out at 24 min.
Love this recipe! So easy to make. Has anyone made this in a loaf pan? Any tips? I’ve been following the instructions as is but want to try making it as sandwich bread
Sally, normally i love your recipes but come on with that time.. 20-25 minutes? More like 45 to an hour! I cooked mine for 34 minutes and it was so doughy inside it was inedible. Yes this was a super easy recipe but really disappointing when the time is way off
Hi Sam, did you bake the bread as a boule? It will take a few minutes longer that way. Each oven is a bit different so it’s okay if it takes slightly longer, but it shouldn’t take quite that long. Was your yeast expired by chance? That can often be the culprit of an especially doughy loaf that never quite bakes through.
This is incredible. I’ve never made bread before and this is so easy. Followed the recipe exactly. I literally ran out and bought a giant bag of bread flour because I will never buy bread again in store.
made this per directions. delicious. I’ve tried many bread recipes and this has been my family’s favorite. easy to make too compared to other bread recipes. my new go-to!
Wow, I made bread!! Great little recipe and very clear instructions. I’ll be making a lot more of this tasty bread. Thank you Sally!
If you use a dutch oven to make a boule, how long do you bake it?
Hi Barry! Follow this dough recipe through step 3, then follow the simple shaping/baking instructions (steps 2-5) in our Cranberry Nut No Knead Bread recipe including using the parchment paper.