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 my first foray into homemade bread making and I was stunned at how simple and delicious this was. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.
I used bread flour and followed all the detailed & helpful instructions and the bread was scrumptious.
I am making this dough tomorrow to bake for a aparty Friday night. I LOVE every recipe from your site, as they always turn out good. I wonder if I can put this dough for the first rise, into my nMicrowave under proof setting? It is unusually cold here in Northern Fl. Also I plan to use my baguette pan if OK
Hi Suzanne, does that setting usually work well for you? We haven’t tested it. Thank you so much for making our recipes and happy baking!
Yes, the proof setting was great and your recipe, perfect!
I loved this recipe. I made it just as it said and it was delicious
I decided I wanted to make bread on a whim, and knew that Sally’s would have a good recipe to start with, and she did!
This was my first time working with yeast, and it went well. I let it rest in the refrigerator for about 24 hours, and ended up with delightfully chewy, crusty loaves. I worked with gram measurements with zero issues, and slightly over-salted (11g), but it worked out well so I’ll probably do it again next time.
First time making bread, this was so easy! My husband said it was amazing, bakery quality. Can’t wait to try other recipes.
Made this on day four of recovery from gallbladder removal because I was so bored and wanted to bake but didn’t have the strength to stand and knead for a long time. It is SO GOOD, even though I skipped the rise in the refrigerator. Really looking forward to seeing how it tastes when I include that!!!
This dough was so sticky that I was certain that it would not bake properly. I did add some additional flour. I rested it for 14 hours in the fridge. Had to pull the dough out of the bowl because it just stretched and hung onto the side. The bread did turn out delicious. I had trouble with the deep scoring because the sticky dough would just bind back together. I am experienced with bread making. I weigh all my ingredients and separate into bowls prior to baking. The final product was wonderful but I most likely will not make again because I found working with the stick dough frustrating.
This was my exact issue as well and I’m an experienced bread baker too. Weighed everything out and my dough was a super sticky puddle before and after rise
I’ve never made bread or worked with yeast in my LIFE and my first attempt using this recipe was a success! I pulled them out a minute too early because I was paranoid I would burn them. I’ve ordered the instant read thermometer so that next time I can pull the bread out confidently. Even though it could have used another minute in the oven, the bread was delicious with some butter and flaky salt. I will be making bread this again and again!
Ok, never have I tasted such bread in my life. When I tasted it, I was like, I made this? It tasted like it came from my favorite bakery! It’s so good! This is truly amazing bread. And an incredible recipe too! My family was beyond impressed and my kids made me swear to keep making it! Looks like we won’t be buying bread anymore!
So happy to read this, Samantha!
Sally, the Fleishmen’s Instant Yeast I bought is 2 1/4 teaspoons. Can I use the whole packet? I have
my doubts about measuring 6 grams. This is my first yeast recipe ever. And I’m 61 years old! It is for the Homemade Artisan Bread recipe
Hi Randy, you could use a teaspoon to measure the yeast from the packet if you’re not comfortable weighing the 6 grams. If you have a kitchen scale, it is a great way to accurately measure your yeast. If you use the whole packet, the bread may taste a little yeasty. This post about baking with yeast may be helpful to review before getting started. We hope you love this bread recipe!
Hi! I made this dough last night and accidentally left it out all night… would it still be good to use?? It doubled in size and is very bubbly
Hi Melissa, it should be fine if left to rise overnight on the counter, if you were able to place it in the refrigerator first thing in the morning. Hope this bread is a hit for you!
I LOVE this bread!!! I probably make about 6 of these per month. I often bake one for what I need it for, and freeze the other one so it’s there when I need it. It’s such a forgiving recipe too – I forgot to let it proof before putting it in the fridge, and it turned out perfectly; I’ve left it in the fridge for 4 days once as I totally forgot to bake the other half a few days later, still turned out! I’ve baked it right after the initial proof time, all good.
I no longer buy baguettes, I just whip this bread up instead. It’s perfect for using with a cheese or charcuterie platter, great for soups and stews. Everyone that’s tried it loves it, and I always use it for entertaining at home, or I bring one with me if I’m a guest. I’m happy to eat it by itself with a glass of wine too!
Made it with my 2 year old grandson and he did most of the work… so easy… so delicious and adding that pan of hot water to the bottom of the oven gives it that beautiful crust! Threw in some honey and tarragon too <3
Hi, I made this Artisan bead this weekend. I love the simplicity of it! My question is, my loaves are very dense & don’t have any air holes in it. I thought when I was putting everything together that maybe it was a little dry but I didn’t add more water. And I bought fresh yeast. Any suggestions for next time? Thanks
Hi, happy to help troubleshoot. 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. Are you using instant yeast or active dry? Active dry can take a little longer to rise. 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!
I’ve made bread hundreds of times and this was the first recipe that failed me. It was by far the worst bread recipe I’ve ever worked with and the bread came out terribly. My parents own a bakery so I know how to make bread and follow a recipe and this was NOT IT!
Hi Jack, thanks for reporting back. Can you give more detail about how it came out terribly? I’d love to help troubleshoot if possible.
I did everything right and preheated the oven, but after baking for 25mins the bread still looked white, is the bread becoming brown the only indicator that the bread is done?
Hi Sam, there are a couple ways to check for doneness: 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).
Hi Sally,
Thank you for sharing your recipes! I want to make bread today, but it just sounds fun to have a super basic simple loaf which is shaped by a pan. Would this recipe lend itself to doing that instead of the dough laying on a flat baking sheet? If not, maybe I will try the boule this time. 🙂 Thanks!
Hi Zion, there is a little too much dough for a standard size (9×5 inches) 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!
I’d never make homemade bread from scratch.This recipe is well written and easy to follow. Bread turned out fantastic. Will definitely be making this again.
This turned out great. Perfection. I let it rise at my convenience; it was in the fridge for 44 hours. One note: the cornmeal that was left on the baking sheet eventually started to burn and smoke. Not a problem for me. Just wanted to give others a heads-up.
Very nice bread. Easy-to-make with good results. Thank you, Sally.
We made the bread today, It was delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Hello, I made this once following instructions but the dough did not rise enough. I made it again with newly bought yeast, thinking maybe that was the problem. The dough did rise well, but I still did not get the air pockets after baking that you see in your photos. Is 65 degrees F too cold? That’s the temp in my kitchen.
Hi Cheri, if the dough is rising like in the photos above, the temperature of your kitchen shouldn’t be an issue. 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. Are you using instant yeast or active dry? Active dry can take a little longer to rise. Be sure your yeast is not expired, and 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!
Hi, thanks for the response. Yes, I am using instant yeast. But I wasn’t probably as careful with the measurements. I think I handled the risen dough carefully. Will try again. Thanks.
Can I make rolls with the Artesian bread recipe? I was thinking of making one 9×3 loaf then cutting the other to make a few rolls. If so how many rolls can I make?
Hi Sarah, we’re sure you could, but we don’t know exactly how many rolls you would get in that scenario. It would depend on how big you make your rolls. Let us know what you try!
I made rolls with this recipe today! After keeping it in the fridge for a few days, I divided the dough into 12 pieces and let them rise in a muffin tin, before turning them onto a baking pan. Followed the same instructions as the bread otherwise, and they came out perfectly nice and crusty!
My first baked bread loaf EVER! I am 57 years old and love to cook but baking was always too intimidating. Last year I made my first pie crust using the recipe from this site and it was perfect. Tonight , I made this bread and it was perfect! I’m not “afraid” of baking anymore!
We’re so happy to read this, Tiffany!
Can we make a sourdough by adding starter?
I do love the simplicity of this recipe. Thanks so much!
Hi M. Poppell, we don’t have any experience working with sourdough, but would love to hear if you try anything here.
I’m just wondering whether 475f (246C) oven is for fan forced oven or conventional oven? my oven is only fan forced.
Hi Vanessa, All of the recipes on this site are written for conventional settings. Convection ovens are fantastic for cooking and roasting. If you have the choice, we recommend conventional settings when baking cakes, breads, etc. The flow of air from convection heat can cause baked goods to rise and bake unevenly and it also pulls moisture out of the oven. If you do use convection settings for baking, lower your temperature by 25 degrees F and keep in mind that things may still take less time to bake.
thankyou so much for such a prompt reply. The doughs been sitting in the fridge for 18 hours so now i know i must reduce temp by 25 degrees im happy to go ahead and start. greatly appreciated..
Thank you for the great recipe. Made the artisan bread and my husband did the pizza dough yesterday. We have a program on our oven to bake bread which we have never used. Your recipes are perfect for the various settings. I see a future with lots of homemade bread for us.
I Always trust Sally baking addiction recipes. Made this bread for a charcuterie spread and it turned out incredible! I did end up buttering the crust as soon as it came out of the oven. Delicious.
Insanely good! And SO simple! No biga, no poolish…you REALLY have to try this recipe! Especially if you’ve never tried to bake a seriously special crusty bread THIS is the recipe to start with. Just follow the simple directions – don’t get creative.
This was my first ever attempt at bread and I was truly shocked at how easy it was – and how delicious! My husband said it was the best bread he’s ever had. Thank you for the recipe!