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
Ive made 6 loafs of this recipie and its done so well!!!! Im a firat time baker, so this has been fantastic for me
.. i might be ready to move on to something else now. Thanks for this recipie!
Hi there – I just made this recipe and unfortunately struggled a bit. I have made many Sally breads and adored them, so I am certain this is user error, and any help is appreciated! The bread turned out soft (if a tiny bit dense) and delicious inside, but the crust was very, very hard and difficult to eat. What would cause the crust to be so hard? I only baked it about 20 minutes.
Hi Bee, We’re happy to help troubleshoot. How did you measure your flour? Be sure to spoon and level (or use a kitchen scale) so that the flour isn’t over measured. Too much flour can dry out the bread and make it seem a bit dense. And also make sure to handle the dough with extra care to prevent popping the air bubbles before baking. You can also try moving the bread away from the heating element in your oven.
A friend introduced me to this recipe and I’ve lost count of how many loaves I have made in the past month! The best part is how simple this recipe is. My first time making bread and I’m hooked 🙂
Can you use a mixer with a bread hook or is it better to mix by hand?
Hi Nikki, We do not recommend a mixer for this particular dough– it’s very loose and sticky. A mixer wouldn’t be doing you (or the dough!) any favors. Luckily, it only requires a really quick mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Not much work involved!
Would using milk instead of water make a difference in this recipe. I love the recipe, I have made it twice but just thought milk might give it a little more flavor.
Hi Mary! Substituting milk will change more than just flavor, it will add sugar and fat to the dough. This is meant to be a lean bread dough. It’s really best to stick with water here.
I love to bake and have been really wanting to start trying to make breads, but it has been intimidating to say the least. So glad I found this recipe. I made the dough yesterday morning and baked it today, and it turned out AMAZING. I was asked to bring bread to my mother in laws to go with dinner tonight, and I’m so excited to bring this with me 😀 my husband devoured the first loaf as he was my guinea pig.
I will definitely be making this again and again.
Hi Ms. Sally, I love baking and wanted to learn more about baking cakes, which is how I found your page and began receiving your fun emails. Anywho, I’ve been wanting to try a crusty bread recipe and found yours. It was so easy to make. My mom saw the bread and couldn’t believe I made it, lol! The first batch didn’t get baked for a couple days after putting the dough together which actually worked out because as you said, the bread had a yummy flavor and the coarse salt sure made a difference. I ended up baking 1 boule. I found out after I should have baked it a little longer (there was a small circular area towards the bottom of the boule that was a little dense) but the flavor and texture was delicious. Everyone wanted a piece and loved it. Today I baked a second batch. Made 2 loaves and they turned out great. Would you believe the dough somehow fused together like 2 lungs, ha,ha ;D Still tasted great! They had good texture and color 😛
I am wanting to make this bread to use for garlic toast for a friend that has trouble chewing hard crust bread. If I don’t use the steam in the oven, will the crust be fairly soft? Thanks!
Hi Darla, the crust will still be slightly crispy and chewy, even without the steam bath. This garlic rosemary pull apart bread might be another option for you!
Just made the first time today. It was incredibly simple. When I took the dough from the fridge after about 20 hours, it looked smaller than I thought. I decided to just make one loaf. It turned out 1 pound, 12 1/2 ounces, and needed to cook another 3 to 5 minutes to finish. it was beautiful and delicious
Me and my daughter made this bread last week and love it so much we are making it agai. Today!! This is so easy to make and we love the outside crunch, the inside fluffiness and the taste overall. We will definitely continue to make this and possibly add flavors/herbs next time! Thank you for this wonderful and easy recipe!!
I’ve been trying making bread for several weeks and this is the best recipe! The bread turned out perfect!!
I have been searching for an easy bread recipe that I could actually be successful with, being pretty new to baking (though I love to cook.). I can stop searching. I made this in my Dutch oven following the instructions for your cranberry bread and it is perfect. I needed to make it today so I didn’t refrigerate it for 12 hours/overnight, but I did put it in for about three hours after the first rise and let it rest for a half hour after shaping while the oven was heating. Next time I will form it into loaves because I think it’ll be easier to cut – it’s very soft (and delicious!) I plan to use it for some very fancy grilled cheese this evening… thank you!
I’ve made this recipe twice and neither times have worked out. Both loaves were really dense and did not rise much. I used a kitchen scale to measure the flour. The first time I thought maybe the flour was too old, so I bought new and still no change. Should there not be sugar in it to help the yeast do its job?
Hi Katie! No, this dough doesn’t have sugar. Is your dough doubling in size on the rise? Perhaps your yeast is getting old. Make sure to handle the dough as little as possible to prevent the air bubbles from popping after rising.
I’ve been trying to find a baking sheet that’s safe to 475 degrees, but I haven’t found one. There are a few that are safe up to 450 (Nordic Ware and Vollrath). Neither are coated with any non-stick material; so is the concern that they’ll warp? Thanks, Kim
Hi Kim, you can lower the oven temperature to 450F. The bake time is similar, maybe a couple extra minutes.
So perfect for beginners! This got my bread baking confidence way up! Proudly made this and brought to share with family and friends twice. 100% success everytime! Making this on repeat all week.
Do you have to knead the dough?
Love the recipe,but can I make it less dense?
We’re happy to help troubleshoot. How did you measure your flour? Be sure to spoon and level (or use a kitchen scale) so that the flour isn’t over measured. Too much flour can dry out the bread and make it seem a bit dense. And also make sure to handle the dough with extra care to prevent popping the air bubbles before baking.
If I use my baking stone do I still need to sprinkle flour and cornmeal on it?
Yes, we would!
My bread did not look even close to any of the pictures but the taste was out of this world! I was in a rush during the baking process so I didn’t form the bread as well as I should have. I used the corn meal and it was great. Will I make this again? Most definitely! I already ate a loaf and half it was so incredibly good!
Tastes delicious! Followed it to a T with the boiling water and the inside is soft and chewy- not as big as crumb as your photos-and the crust doesn’t come out crusty at all- just soft
I love this recipe but how do I make it golden brown? Mine does not look good in color neither in shape
Hi Maria, how is the inside of the bread? It sounds like the bread may need just a few minutes longer in the oven to help it achieve a more golden exterior. You can also try the steam method (outlined in step 7) that will give the bread a browner, crispier crust. We’re glad you’re enjoying this bread!
I just finished another double batch of this. This go around, I added sun dried tomato and sharp cheddar chunks. I shape it into three big balls and drop those into my cast iron Dutch oven. Have to cook it for at least an extra 10-15 minutes in the Dutch oven.
It’s so delicious. The crust is amazing, and always dusted with corn meal. Family and friends go bananas when I make this. They don’t believe me when I tell them how easy it is.
I thought I followed this recipe to the T but it came out dense and flavorless. What could I have done wrong?
Hi Heidi, We’re happy to help troubleshoot. How did you measure your flour? Be sure to spoon and level (or use a kitchen scale) so that the flour isn’t over measured. Too much flour can dry out the bread and make it seem a bit dense. And also make sure to handle the dough with extra care to prevent popping the air bubbles before baking. For more added flavor, see recipe notes for a few different flavor add-in suggestions. Thank you for giving this one a try!
First time making and turned out great – thanks to your amazing instructions, Sally! I see a few places where I can tighten up my technique but it was delish and my husband was impressed with the nice crust. Next time, I will try the boiling water trick. I let it rest in the fridge about 24h and the flavor was fab. I was worried about the minimal kneading and the lack of “puff” it had but no worries, it turned out fine.
This was so easy and turned out so great! I made one, and froze the dough for the other.
This was the easiest bread I have ever made! This tastes delicious. I did not change a thing either. Followed the cooking directions suggested for the boule Dutch oven approach and it was so on point. Thanks Ms sally!
My very first attempt at making bread and it came out great! Thank you for all the tutorials and instructions, it definitely makes the recipe more approachable for beginner cooks!
I came to Sally’s site because she never lets me down. Wanted an artisan crusty bread to try in my new silicon bread maker (not Lekeu brand but similar Silicone Bread Maker, Silicone… And this recipe performed! It’s a little large for my silicone bread maker but the texture and crust and taste were phenomenal. I didn’t spend the extra hours in the fridge but it was still crusty outside and tender inside. I wanted to use the silicon bread maker because it’s so easy to mix, rest, and bake in one bowl. We are a household of two so being able to bake a bread size that we can finish in a couple of days. This recipe, that bread maker – now my go-to!
This is my go-to bread recipe, thanks so much. So simple. And I agree with another comment, the longer refrigeration adds a lot in terms of texture and flavor.
I have a question: (which I might try before I get the answer…) Can I do this with whole wheat flour?
Hi Emmet, we recommend avoiding whole wheat flour in this dough. If necessary, use half bread flour and half whole wheat flour. The bread will taste a bit dense.
Love it! Easy to follow and tastes amazing! I’ve made it 3 times and it’s quickly becoming a weekly staple! Thank you!
This so good and easy. Can I bake as one big loaf, not a roule?
Hi Patrick, You could. I’m unsure of the exact bake time but it will be a bit longer. Bake until the crust is golden brown and when you tap the loaf– it will sound hollow when done.