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
I followed this recipe to the letter. Weighed the flour and measured the ingredients as specified. I had it at room temperature for two hours and 14 hrs in the fridge. I poured the boiled water in the pan underneath the pan with the bread in a well preheated 475 degree oven, and baked for 25 min. It didn’t turn out like the picture at all. It was pale white, barely any crust, gummy and dense inside. I would not recommend this recipe.
I had the same experience.
In what step would be the best to add roasted garlic? Also, if making two loaves on a tray instead of one in a Dutch oven, does the cooking time need to be reduced? Thanks!
Hi Hunter, you can add it to the mix when you add in the water. The baking time listed is for two loaves (not a Dutch oven). Hope you enjoy the bread!
This turns out delicious! Can I possibly bake it in a loaf pan so I can get big sandwich slices?
Hi Ana, there is a little too much dough for a standard size (9×5-inch) loaf pan, so you could try dividing the dough in half and using 2 loaf pans. The edges should still crisp up and the bake time may vary. Let us know how it turns out!
Can I use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast. Any changes in the quantity in that case?
Hi Gifta, If using active dry yeast, there are no changes needed to the recipe. The rise time in step 2 may take longer.
Thank you so much for this recipe and tips. My goal for this year was to learn how to bake bread. Your recipe was so easy to follow. The bread was delicious! I look forward to baking more bread and using your recipes.
In your notes it says if I plan to use a dutch oven, I should continue on with steps 2-5 from your Cranberry Nut No Knead Bread. Starting with step 2, it says I should let the dough rest for another 12-18 hours on the counter. Just to confirm, let dough rise on countertop for 2-3 hours, place in fridge/allow dough to rest for 12 hours, up to 3 days, then back on countertop for another 12-18 hours. Is that correct?
This will be my first overnight dough and there seems to be a lot of resting. Just want to make sure I am doing it correctly.
Thank you so so much!
Hi Midajah, so sorry for the confusion! You can pick up with step 3 in the cranberry no knead bread—no need to allow for another 12-18 hour rest. Hope you enjoy this bread!
Amazing! This was my first loaf of yeasted bread and the recipe is delicious and easy to follow. I baked half of the dough after 3 hours in the fridge and the other half after 30 hours and there is definitely a HUGE difference in flavor. Active dry yeast worked just fine for me as well. Next time, I will try the water bath. This bread is unreal!
I have been baking bread for years and taught others. I have no idea what I did, but it did not rise and was very dense. Wasn’t even good enough for making croutons. I measured correctly and double checked. As someone else mentioned, it was a very loose “dough” and I added more flour. I am curious about the recipe. There is no sugar for the yeast to feed on and I questioned the temperature of the yeast at room temperature when it is added with the flour…even that is too low when mixed directly with the yeast. I let it rise the full time and then proofed it in my oven just to make sure. I am perplexed.
Hi Rena, yeast doesn’t always need sugar. Adding sugar will speed up the yeast’s activity, but when there is such a long rise time, dough without sugar produces its own sugar to feed on (from the starches in flour). May I ask how long you let the dough rest? The yeast should be at room temperature when used. Are you using active dry or instant yeast?
Immensely grateful!
This turned out very nice. I used Morton’s coarse kosher salt and added dried rosemary and garlic powder tot he dough. It is a tad dense but very tasty and the crust is nice and crispy. Baked at 475 after letting rest, covered, and it was done at the 20 minute mark. Aesthetically, the top did not turn out as brown as we would have liked but the bottom has a nice dark look without being burnt. Overall this was very easy and very worth it. We will be dipping in our favorite olive oil dip later tonight for the Super Bowl. Thank you!
I weighed out everything and this dough is beyond wet. It’s never dry and shaggy. I can’t shape it into a ball to rise, it’s just a puddle. Then after it rise and then spent 18 hours in the fridge it was stuck to the bowl. It would hold any shape and when I tried to slash it with my lame it just spread until the was no slash this has happened twice. Please advise where I went wrong. My feeling is that weighing out 360mL of water is too much water
Hi Elizabeth, this is a fairly wet/hydrated dough, but it sounds like yours could maybe benefit from a little extra flour. If you want to give it another try, add a little more flour until it looks like it does in the video. Hope this helps, and thanks for giving this recipe a try!
I had trouble scoring mine too. I had to do it after the bread had been in the oven for a few minutes and had started to cook on top a bit.
Excellent!!!! I did a cheat though and used my bread machine to both mix and first rise. I did use table salt, 1.5 tsp, bread was not too salty. Perfect! I did put a bit of avocado oil in the bowl I used to refrigerate as people said how sticky does was. Tightly covered and put in fridge for 18 hours. I could see all those terrific air bubbles when it was time to bake! So I hardly touched the dough. I cut it in half and dumped it out of the bowl onto floured service then with floured hands stretched it about 9 inches x 3 inches and placed on a silpat mat in which I spread cornmeal. I let it rest covered for 45 min before baking. Used my lodge cast iron skillet that I filled with boiling water on bottom shelf with bread on next shelf up. 20 min at 475* Perfect Artesian bread albeit the loaves were a bit on the small size but delish! Thank you for sharing, will definitely make again!
I forgot to leave my dough out for 3 hours and just stuck it straight into the fridge as soon as it was made instead. It didn’t rise, is there any way to save it?
Hi Tab, try letting the dough rise at room temperature again.
The recipe was easy and the result was outstanding. Great recipe!!
Inside it’s soft , it is suppose to be soft or I did something wrong
Have shared the pic again on email
I will be grateful if you can help
Hi Tanisha, it looks like a member of our team responded to your emails yesterday—the bread looked great! The inside should be soft. We hope you enjoyed it.
Could you please provide nutrional information. Thanks.
Hi Curt, 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 baked this bread today outer crust was okay but inside it seems like it’s less baked
What shall I do ? The inside texture was not as it should be
Hi Tanisha, is the inside still doughy? It sounds like the bread simply needs more time in the oven. 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).
Sally, I made this artisan bread today by the recipe using the 2 teaspoons course sea salt as advised. I left in fridge 18 hr. The bread turned out beautifully but it was way too salty. I had to throw it away. I make bread all the time. One of my recipes has 10 cups of flour & only calls for 2 tes salt. Was this a typo.? It even stated the same amount in your notes
Hi Phyl, this is not a typo, we always use 2 tsp coarse sea salt. What brand of salt were you using? You may need to reduce the amount next time.
I am trying this receipe today
But what should be the baking temperature as my oven last temperature is 250c
Hi Tanisha, you can bake at a lower temperature for longer, keep an eye on the bread in the oven and bake until golden brown. 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).
I have made this bread so many times now I’ve lost count. I make it in a cast iron Dutch Oven, and the resulting crust is nothing short of legendary.
I also jazz it up with flavours, my favourite of which is adding diced cheddar cheese chunks and diced jalapeno. The other goto is caramelized onions with diced olives and again, whatever cheese suits my fancy.
Takes a bit longer to cook in the Dutch Oven, surprisingly.
It’s delicious!
Thanks, been making sour dough bread many years.. different recipe. Excited to try this.
Novice baker and thought I’d struggle to make bread. Followed recipe and turned out perfect.
Love this recipe. Novice baker and this bread was delicious.
Would this bread pair well with a creamy tomato soup?
Yes, absolutely.
475° oven seems outrageously hot. I have an electric oven and I’m afraid it will be burned up within about eight minutes. I checked the recipe to see if you turn it down eventually and didn’t see it. I am afraid to try this.
I have been baking bread for years and all of your recipes have been amazing. I must be making a mistake here. The first batch I cooked too soon, so I let the next batch sit in the refrigerator for about 18 hours. The flavor was amazing, but it did not rise a second time after I divided the dough. It was very dense. Can you make any suggestions please and thank you.
Hi Patti, happy to help troubleshoot. Did you use the same type of yeast the second time? 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 dense. Hope this helps for next time!
I’ve struggled with baking bread for a long time but this recipe resulted in the best I’ve ever made. If you’re in the fence, give it a go!
When i took my dough out of the refrigerator the top had a crust on it . Why would that happen?
Hi Fran, was the dough covered to be air tight? If the dough is exposed to the circulating air in the fridge it will dry out and form a crust.
Can I use whole wheat bread flour in this recipe?
Hi Belinda, We don’t recommend using whole wheat flour or whole wheat bread flour because it will result in a very dense loaf.
I used whole wheat and it’s good trust me!!!!!great recipe !!!!!!
I love the recipe as I do with all your recipes and I’ve tried an artisan bread like this from a couple different blogs and i always face the problem that my bread is never browned enough on the underside! what am i doing wrong?
Hi Maryum, the browning will depend on your oven and the position of your baking rack in your oven. We recommend baking this bread on the center rack of your oven.
I made this bread yesterday and it was delicious! I added fresh rosemary and worked perfectly. I was curious if you had a preferred Coarse Sea Salt. I didn’t think I had any so I used Kosher Salt ( about 2 and 1/4 tsp) but realized I had some Maldon Salt so I’ll try that next time. Thank you for sharing a great recipe and for all your excellent recipes.
Hi Janio! We usually use Morton coarse sea salt. So glad you enjoyed this recipe with rosemary.