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 recipe is where you start. This artisan bread 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.
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
- 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
Homemade Artisan Bread Video Tutorial
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 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 and asiago-crusted skillet bread, bread flour produces a stronger, chewier bread and that makes a big difference in 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 the 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 2 longer loaves side-by-side on a flat baking sheet, about 9×3 inches each. Score with a sharp knife or bread lame. 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. To help ensure a crispier crust, after the oven pre-heats—pour boiling water into a metal or cast iron baking pan/dish on the bottom oven rack. Immediately place the dough inside and shut the oven door to trap the steam. The steam will help create that coveted crisp crust. If you have a dutch oven, shape the dough into 1 round loaf, and bake it inside the dutch oven with the lid on.
- 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
- Slice and dunk in crab dip, beer cheese dip, or garlic & bacon spinach dip
- Serve alongside slow cooker chicken chili or pumpkin chili
- As a dunker for minestrone soup, creamy chicken noodle soup, or crab soup
- With a big bowl of mac & cheese
- Use for my goat cheese & honey crostini
- It’s the perfect starch in breakfast casserole
- With anything because homemade bread is everything’s best friend
See Your Homemade Artisan Bread!
Many readers tried this recipe as part of a baking challenge! Feel free to email or share your recipe photos with us on social media. 🙂
PrintHomemade 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 un-greased 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 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Store leftovers loosely covered at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
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 in the refrigerator and allow to come to 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 a bit 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.
I love this recipe, I use it a lot and now wondering if it can be used to make individual bread buns for burgers etc and if so how long they would take in the oven?
Hi Emma! Careful shaping into rolls or buns– this is a sticky dough, so use floured hands. The bake time will be only a few minutes shorter. Bake until golden brown and when lightly tapped, they sound hollow.
I was really glad to find this easy bachelor bread recipe, Thank You for this. About four decades ago I watched a Prison Documentary from a Super Max style Prison. These guys were locked up 23 hours a day and were fed minimally. They got one loaf of bread every day. They could break it into thirds and have 3 meals per day or if they chose they could eat it all in one sitting. They mixed vegetables and meats into the bread to provide all the needed nutrition. My question is have you heard anything like this before and what suggestions would you give to someone who wanted to try this. Thanks again.
Hi Alan, we haven’t tried adding any vegetables or meat to this bread, but let us know if you do any experimenting. We’re glad you enjoyed the bread!
The dough didn’t rise. Followed exact instructions. Baked in covered Dutch oven for 40 min. Bread did not rise or get crispy. I took lid off for last 5 min to see I’d it would help. Very disappointed.
Hi Vicki, 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. Hope this helps if you decide to give it another try.
Hello Sally and team!
I am preparing to try the artisan bread recipe, and am excited about it!
My question—when you prepare the dough and place in mixing bowl, which is the preferable cover to use, the plastic cover that came with the bowl; or should one use the plastic wrap as seen on the video by Sally?
Thank you!
Hi Lee, we use plastic wrap as you see in the video. We hope you love the artisan bread!
The artisan bread came out yummy.
Erin, The next time I bake this bread – I am going to prepare one big loaf, so I don’t end up eating the half loaf all by myself! Yum! Thank Sally and the team for another great recipe!
Does Red Star Active Dry Yeast need to be dissolved in water first before adding to the flour?
Hi Deb, it’s not necessary for this recipe, although you could if you wish.
I am at 6700 ft altitude. Do I need to adjust the amount of flour I use?
Hi Jeri, we wish we could help, but we have no experience baking at high altitude. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
I haven’t baked in a while and tried a couple sandwich bread recipes (not yours) and got very disheartened because they did not turn out well at all. Saw this recipe and gave it a try and OMG! Just came out the oven about 20 minutes ago and one loaf already disappeared. Was worried when shaping the loaves because they spread out quite a bit, but I reshaped right before baking by pushing the sides in. Both puffed up perfectly! Can’t wait to try out your other recipes.
Hi Sally. Wonderful and easy recipe! This time life got in the way and the dough is still in the fridge on Day 5. Is it ruined? How many days can it go before it is no longer a decent or safe product?
Hi Rick, we fear the dough may have over proofed in this amount of time, and the loaf may bake up quite squat and dense. You can certainly give it a try if you wish—use your best judgement!
Ok thank you again Sally. Not much of a loss really’ cheap ingredients and jsut a few minutes to prep!
BTY, love your buttermilk biscuits also!
This is the easiest , best tasting, bread I have ever made. EVERYONE loves it and has asked for recipe. I did make the mistake of putting more yeast then required but I feel it turned out great that way
I love a really crusty crust but my bread does not hold its crust soon as it cools down it’s not crusty What am I doing wrong. Lyn
Hi Lyn, how was the inside of the bread? It sounds like the loaf could have used a few additional minutes in the oven. Did you use the optional steam bath in step 7? That will also help guarantee a crispier crust. Hope this helps for next time!
This was my first time making bread and it was delicious! It’s about 35 minutes to bake instead of 25. I also wasn’t sure how exactly how to shape the dough and if it should be folded to shape it or if I can just kind of stretch it and push in the sides to the right dimensions.
2tsp of course salt is way to much. I love salt and this was too much. I will make again with less salt.
Hi I am excited to try this recipe. Can i make a version with cinnamon and raisins? If so, when would I add those ingredients? Thanks so much!
Hi Gabrielle, absolutely. About a cup of raisins can be added as well as cinnamon to your taste. Add in step 1 when you mix the flour, yeast, and salt.
This recipe is fabulous! Making this is so easy and delicious that I no longer buy bread – I’m always making a little more of this. Thank you!!!
It makes a nice couple loaves. you will want to kneed in some flour after the first proofing.
Hi sally you’re bread looks super yummy I’m sure I will enjoy it
Looks delicious, and seems super easy
I have made this recipe several times, doing the quick method and it has worked pretty well every time. This time, I decided to rest the risen dough in the fridge for about 24 hrs, took it out cut it in half, shaped and during the 45 min rise it flattened to flatbread level. I don’t always, but I’m quite certain I followed everything exactly, the 1st rise was beautiful and perfect, I’m just at a loss as to what happened in the fridge. Please help!
This recipe is wonderful. I’ve made this a dozen times and perfection each time. This is one of the easiest bread recipe ever.
hey, do you know how many calories are in a slice of the bread? thank you!
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
Looking for your multi gran bread recipe. Tunes n Wooded Spoons spoke of it on her show yesterday. Would like the recipe .
Hi Wilma, here is our multigrain bread recipe. Hope you enjoy it!
Can I use fresh yeast instead of instant?
Hi Zusy, here is a helpful cake yeast & dry yeast conversion table.
I left mine out of fridge all night. Yikes! Any way to save?
Hi Sarah, it should be fine to place in the refrigerator first thing in the morning if accidentally left out overnight.
Hi – I made this bread using the Red Star Platinum Instant Sourdough yeast, as I was curious to try it. It is SO good!! My husband had to stop himself from finishing one loaf in a day lol Thank you for all of your amazing recipes, and all the details you put into each recipe.
I think that this is a awesome recipe for everyone who’s first time making bread.
I followed the very detailed instructions but the bread was a big flop. Way too sticky, didn’t rise much and took forever to bake.
This happened to me too. I used grams for the measurements and I think the author doesn’t provide accurate conversions from cups. So mine turned out more like a pizza dough, super dense, took very long to bake and draw moisture out, too sticky to even score. Will try and find another recipe that only uses grams.
I’m gluten sensitive and new to baking gluten free. Is this recipe gluten free? If not, what substitutes do you recommend?
Hi Taylor, this is not gluten free, as it contains all purpose flour. Here are all of our gluten free recipes if you’re interested in browsing.
Thank you for the recipe! So simple and still I needed exact instructions!
I just blended all the ingredients together and the dough is very sticky- not dry. Do I add more flour before resting?
Hi Michelle! This should be a sticky dough. Does yours look like the photos and video tutorial above?
Does this recipe double well? I usually like to make 2 Loaves at a time.
Hi Josie, for best results, we recommend making 2 separate batches rather than doubling.
tried the single loaf method and 25 minutes didn’t cut it 🙁 maybe 30-35 would be better?
Hi KC, if making one large loaf, the baking time will be a few minutes longer. 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).
Will be making this bread but want to add Asiago cheese. When is this added? Thank you
Hi Diane, you should be able to incorporate the cheese just after adding the water. But if the dough has already been sitting/rising for a while, we wouldn’t add them after that.