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
Love this bread recipe. Just starting my yeast baking journey. Definitely better to let rise overnight
I just made this bread in my Dutch Oven (exactly following the recipe) and it is absolutely fabulous! I love that I can make the dough the evening before and put it in the fridge overnight!!
Love this recipe and so easy to follow for a first time bread maker.
My crust is perfect, but the inside is quite dense (still tastes great) and lacking in air bubbles holes. What have I done wrong, or what do I need to focus on to get those air bubble holes?
Hi Hollie, every loaf will turn out differently, some with more holes than others. 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 a bit tough. Hope this helps for next time!
I love this bread!!! What would be your best reheat instructions for a round loaf if you froze the loaf and thawed it for a later date?
Hi Kristina, we’d heat your oven to a low temperature and place the bread inside until just warmed (you don’t want to dry it out), or you can slice and reheat individual slices in the oven/microwave/toaster. We’re glad this is a favorite for you!
Sally, can u add Rosemary and roasted garlic to this without an issue with dough rising?
Hi Deborah, yes, you can add those into the dough. Enjoy!
Awesome recipe! Only one complaint—my bread is always moist inside! Crust is amazingly crisp but inside is damp. Tried using a bit less water and a tad more flour but it didn’t make a discernible difference. Any suggestions?!?!
Hi Loren! It may just need to bake for a little longer. Do you have an instant thermometer? The bread is done when an instant read thermometer inserted in the center reads 195°F (90°C).
Thank you! I’ll try that.
Why is my loaf so flat, did I do something wrong
Hi Sylvan, 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 dense and flatter. 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 and prevent optimal rise. Hope this helps for next time!
Let me first say the bread was amazing!!! full of flavour and a nice chew.
So I weighed all the ingredients and believe I got everything spot on. But watching your video I did notice that my dough seems looser than yours. Especially after the rise in the fridge overnight, when turning it out on the counter I couldn’t touch it with out it sticking to my hands even flouring my hands. Should I use less water when mixing the dough.
Hi Sylvan, yes, you can reduce the water or add a bit more flour, such as another 1/4 cup or 31g. Either will help the bread hold a bit more structure. I’m so glad you enjoyed the bread!
Flour is heavier in humid environments, because it absorbs moisture from the air. So depending on where you live or how you store your flour you will need to adjust the amount of flour you need.
Super easy and delicious result.
Would it work if I doubled the recipe? I prefer the one round loaf option so should I just make two of those with the same baking instructions? Or is there a way to make one large loaf?
Hi Kelly, for best results, we recommend making 2 separate batches rather than doubling.
Hello, I used fresh yeast, but it ended up being 20g ( was trying to finish it) my dough rose well but had no form after I let it rise for 36hrs. Lots of air bubbles, but probably needs more flour. How much yeast should I have used?
Hi Kim, here is a helpful cake yeast & dry yeast conversion table.
I made this and it was delicious!! My first ever bread endeavor..thank you!
Do you have a good sandwich bread recipe, a.k.a., sliced bread?
Hi Enis, here is our simply sandwich bread recipe. Hope you enjoy it!
If making this a triple batch how much yeast should I use? (Instant) thank you!
Hi Savannah, for best results, we recommend making separate batches rather than doubling, tripling, etc.
I’m terrible at baking. I love this recipe because you can’t mess it up. Great taste and easy.
Just made this recipe as written and it came out perfectly. The dough rose more than double, was refrigerated for ~24 hrs, steamed in the oven and came out plenty high, crispy, plenty of air pockets and tastes good. Cooking time was 20 minutes and it was fully baked. I’m looking forward to making a seeded version, herb version and berry and nut version.
As usual, Sally nails it!
So delicious and the recipe is spot on.
I made this in one loaf on a large baking sheet and increased baking time by about 5 minutes. The bread came out perfectly but I prefer a taller loaf, pushing the sides together just before baking did not give enough height. Can I bake this in one loaf in a 9×5 loaf pan that can withstand 500 degrees to get a taller loaf?
Hi Sandy, 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 if you give it a try! Or do you have a Dutch oven? That also helps the one round loaf to keep its shape a bit more. See recipe Notes for details on baking in a Dutch oven.
hi, i used your recipe to bake a artisan bread, and it worked successful.
Now, may i ask what is the ration if i chnage the instant yeast to my wild yeast. Thanks a lot
Hi Lilianne, we’re unsure of the changes needed to use wild yeast.
I made this dough yesterday. Volume had doubled by the time the 3 hours at room temperature was up, but it deflated by this morning. I’m assuming the temperature in the refrigerator was too cold? Do you have any insight?
Hi Marisa, the dough can sometimes deflate after being in the refrigerator—that is normal. How did the final baked bread turn out for you?
I have dried rosemary on hand, will that work or should I get fresh? trying to do rosemary and olive oil. which step do I add the olive oil? thanks
Hi Jasmine, adding more liquid to the dough would take some testing in order to guarantee results, but how about brushing some on top right before baking? This garlic rosemary pull apart bread might be another option for you!
how can i use my sourdough in this recipe
We haven’t tested it, Lilianne! Let us know if you do.
This is a great recipe! The loaves came out crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I will be baking this regularly. Thanks, Sally for all the extra tips in your recipes as well. They are very helpful.
Can I preshape the dough and bake it straight out of the fridge like a sourdough?
Hi Jessica, we do find it best to let the dough rest at room temperature for 45 minutes before baking.
JUST WONDERFUL, THANK YOU!
Bread crispy out of the oven however softened as it cooled. Had air holes but not very large as your pictures indicate. I really want to perfect this recipe – thanks!
Can you usea metal bowl for mixing does it have to be glass?
Hi Susan, you can mix in a metal bowl.
This is so delicious and I’ve made it 20 times. But I’m now on a GF diet. Any idea if this recipe works with GF flour?
First time baking bread, i combined whole purpose and wholewheat flour, it was slightly dense but perfect for my taste! Far better than store bought bread
Bread was delicious but it looked awful! Not golden at all and didn’t rise (used newly bought instant yeast, steam tray, internal temp of 200°). Help!
Hi Tracie! Did the dough seem nice and wet like the photos above? If there was too much flour in the dough, the bread can come out dense and pale. Make sure to spoon and level when measuring (or use a kitchen scale).
Hello Sally thanks for having me join, I’m excited I love to cook and bake, I have been looking for a good recipe for Orange cranberry muffins can you help? Thank you
Here’s our cranberry orange muffins recipe, Pamela!
Can you bake in regular metal bread loaf pan?
Hi Elizabeth, 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 if you give it a try!