You can make bakery-style artisan bread at home! My incredibly easy recipe can rise overnight or the same day. Naturally egg and dairy free! Recipe includes a how-to video.
My Favorite Artisan Bread
Today I’m sharing an amazingly simple and EASY recipe for artisan bread. It has the same great flavor and texture we all love about this type of bread, but is incredibly simple to make. I’m talking mere minutes of hands-on time!
Not to be confused with your average sandwich bread, artisan bread is the rustic and hearty type best saved for dipping in soups (though it tastes great on its own or slathered with honey butter). It has a thick, chewy crust and a soft interior. The crumb is slightly moist and chewy, and it often has large air pockets, especially if you let it ferment overnight in the fridge.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Choice of two preparation methods; either let the dough rise at room temperature for a few hours, or let it rise overnight in the fridge (and you can do this right after preparing–no need to let it rise on the counter first). Some people say the bread tastes better after a night in the fridge, and while I find this to be true for my sourdough bread, I personally don’t feel like it makes a huge difference.
- Pairs well with so many dishes, from beef stew and shepherd’s pie to garlic butter shrimp and broccoli cheddar soup.
- Naturally egg-free and dairy-free, and you can even make it sugar-free if you choose to omit the sugar.
- Bake in a variety of vessels! A Dutch oven is best for baking artisan bread, but I know not everyone has one. To make this recipe accessible to everyone, I included options for baking in different pots/pans in the recipe notes.
And don’t forget–this recipe is EASY! While there’s some substantial time required for the bread to rise, that’s all hands-off and there’s less than a half hour of actual hands-on time required.
What You Need
With so few ingredients (only five!), it’s very important that each one you add be high quality. Here’s what you need to make my homemade artisan bread!
- Bread flour. Using a bread flour will yield a nicer final result, since bread flour contains more protein than regular all-purpose flour. You will need 3 ½ cups for the bread itself, plus more for dusting your work surface. In a pinch, you could substitute an equal amount of all-purpose flour.
- Yeast. Use instant or rapid rise yeast and make sure it’s fresh and not expired before you get started.
- Warm water. Make sure your water is 115F; if it’s too hot, it could kill your yeast, and if it’s too cold, your yeast might not activate.
- Sugar. This is optional and your bread will be fine without it, but I like to add the sugar because it helps the yeast and also adds a slight subtle depth of flavor (but not sweetness) to the bread.
- Salt. For flavor, of course! Regular table salt works just fine here.
SAM’S TIP: It’s very normal if your dough is sticky, as this is a high hydration dough. Don’t be afraid to be generous with the flour on your work surface and on your hands to make the dough easier to handle.
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Artisan Bread
- Whisk the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt together, then stir in the warm water. Mix until everything is combined, then cover with plastic and let rise until doubled in size (or place in the fridge overnight).
- Form the dough into a ball on a generously floured surface. Add as much flour as you need here to make the dough easy to manage–it will be sticky!.
- Stretch and fold: Grab the top of the dough and fold it over the bottom, then turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat. Do this a total of four times. I demonstrate this in the video below if you need a visual!
- Form the dough onto a ball (you want it nice and round, the taller it is here the taller your loaf will be), then place in the center of a large piece of parchment paper. We will use this as a sling to transfer our dough to our pan. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let sit while your oven preheats.
- Lower your bread into your pan using the parchment sling. Bake for 30 minutes covered, then remove the cover and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- Let the bread cool in its pan for 10 minutes, then carefully remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
SAM’S TIP: If you are using one, place your dutch oven in your oven while it preheats. This will create an ideal baking environment for your bread. Note that you need to be careful handling the pot and lid after it comes out of the oven–it will be very hot!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! While a dutch oven is ideal, you can bake artisan bread in a loaf pan if that’s what you have on hand. I provide instructions for how to bake in a 9×5″ bread pan or on a cookie sheet in the recipe notes below.
Note that I do recommend having two 9×5 loaf pans so you can use one as a lid. Tented foil can also work if you don’t have two pans.
Yes! Make sure to let it cool completely, then wrap it really well and place in a freezer safe bag or container. I recommend enjoying your artisan bread within 3-6 months for best flavor. You can also slice the bread before freezing it to easily defrost one slice at a time (if I do this I usually individually wrap each slice to help ward off freezer burn).
To thaw, let the bread sit on the counter for a few hours to thaw, or toast individual slices in the toaster. You can also warm up in a 350F preheated oven for a few (about ten) minutes.
Unlike many store-bought breads, homemade artisan bread doesn’t include any processed ingredients or preservatives. So yes, you could say it is a healthier option!
What other bread recipes would you like to see this year? Let me know in the comments below!
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! Subscribe to my newsletter to be notified of all the newest recipes, and find my free recipe tutorials on YouTube 💜
Artisan Bread
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups (437 g) bread flour plus more if needed
- 2 ¼ teaspoons (7 g) instant yeast
- 1 Tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar optional
- 1 ½ teaspoons (10 g) salt
- 1 ½ cups (360 ml) warm water 115F/46C
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, yeast, sugar, and salt.3 ½ cups (437 g) bread flour, 2 ¼ teaspoons (7 g) instant yeast, 1 Tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons (10 g) salt
- Add warm water and stir until combined. Dough will be sticky.1 ½ cups (360 ml) warm water
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm place to rise until doubled in volume, usually 2-3 hours. Alternatively, cover dough and refrigerate overnight (no need for it to rise first, pop it right in the fridge).
- When dough has risen, scrape out onto a generously floured surface and form into a ball with your hands. If the dough is too sticky to handle, sprinkle a light amount of flour over the surface, adding more as needed to handle/shape the dough.
- Stretch and fold: Grasp the dough at the top (think 12 o’clock, if the dough were a clock face) and stretch it over the bottom (6 o’clock). Turn the dough 90 degrees and repeat. Repeat this step two more times for a total of 4 stretch and folds. I demonstrate this in the photos above and in the video, if a visual helps!
- Use your hands to form the dough into a ball again (don't be afraid to shape it, you want it to be more round than flat!), place on a large piece of parchment paper (the parchment should be large enough that you can lift it up and lower it into a Dutch oven), and lightly cover with plastic wrap.
- Allow dough to rest, covered, for 30 minutes. As it rests, preheat oven to 450F (230C) and place a 4qt Dutch oven (with lid) in the center rack of your oven.
- After 30 minutes, carefully remove Dutch oven from the oven. Score your bread down the middle, remove the lid off of the Dutch oven, and gently lower the parchment paper and bread into the pot. Place lid on top, and return to 450F (230C) oven.
- Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on, then remove lid and allow to bake for another 10 minutes. I like to check the internal temperature of my bread with an instant read thermometer to be sure it's finished baking, look for an internal temperature of 195-200F (90-93C) in the thickest part of the bread.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool in Dutch oven for 10 minutes, then use the parchment paper to carefully lift the loaf from the pot and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before slicing. Do let the bread cool until no longer warm to the touch or the interior will be gummy.
Notes
Video Note
I accidentally say to return the pot to the (350F) oven once the bread is added. I misspoke! You want the oven to remain at 450F the entire time.Baking in different dishes:
A 4 qt Dutch oven works best for this recipe, but you do have some other options that will work, too: 9×5” bread pan: After the “stretch and fold” process, gently roll dough into a loaf shape, tucking the ends under. Place in a greased bread pan and let sit, covered, for 30 minutes while oven preheats. After 30 minutes, score bread, cover pan with an inverted loaf pan (or tent with foil) and bake in 450F (230C) oven for 20 minutes, then remove the “lid” and bake another 10 minutes. Bake on a cookie sheet: After dough has risen, (step 3) scrape onto a generously floured surface and divide into two pieces. Form each into a ball, and follow the “stretch & fold” instructions in the recipe for each. Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet, cover lightly with plastic wrap, and sit for 30 minutes while oven preheats (space the dough as it will increase in size). After rising, score each loaf and bake in 450F (230C) oven for 17-20 minutes. Larger Dutch oven: Baking time will likely be reduced and bread will be flatter.Flour
An equal amount of all-purpose flour could be substituted in a pinch.Storing
Wrap tightly or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Bread may also be tightly wrapped (or sliced and individual slices wrapped) and frozen for several months. To thaw, let sit at room temperature for several hours or toast individual slices. Whole loaves may also be rewarmed in 350F/175C oven for several minutes.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Bill E
Has anyone used sprouted wheat flour for this recipe?
Deb
This recipe is so easy and delicious. I made it for my family this weekend and was very surprised at how easy it was. Thank you for a recipe that is not only simple, but very tasty.
Kerri Marie Hansen
I used a baking sheet with parchment paper. After 13 minutes the bottoms were burned.
Sam
Hi Kerri! Was it a very thin baking sheet? Does your oven run hot? Did you spread it out a whole lot?
Michelle B.
Placing a layer of uncooked rice between the the pan and the parchment paper will prevent the bottom from burning.
carol stewart
hi! I haven’t made it yet but will soon! I just wanted to thank you for such a well written recipe and I love that you have the ingredients with their amounts below in the directions as well! I am ADHD and I wish all recipes were like this! super appreciative for it Ty!
Casey @ Sugar Spun Run
Thank you Carol! So glad you appreciate the recipe, we hope you love it!🙂
Hannah
I used to scoff at but now always weigh my flour, and thankfully I did here too because the recipe calls for 3.5 cups / 437g. I got to 3 cups and it was 472g…already over the recipe weight. Weigh your flour 😂
Cindy Buckley
Haven’t purchased my Dutch oven yet, I’m getting comments from people that any size from 3qts all the way to 7qts. Can you tell me exactley what size I should get. I think you said no bigger than a 4qt? And should it be a Lodge brand? I just want the correct oven!
Sam
Hi Cindy! The one I use for this bread is 4qt. It’s made by Staub. I actually link to the exact one I use right above the instructions. 🙂
Bailey
So easy, coming from someone who has never made bread before. Turned out so delicious!!
Carolyn
This is my go-to bread recipe! I’ve made it at least a dozen times and it hasn’t failed me yet. I even made it when I traveled, in a climate completely opposite of mine, and it still turned out well!
Maddy
If I put it in the fridge, do I need to let it rise in the morning or can I put it in the oven in the morning?
Sam
Hi Maddy! It will rise in the refrigerator overnight so no time to let it rise in the morning. 🙂
Sarah
I have made this with AP flour before but I’m having dinner with a friend who is celiac. Can this be made with a 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour?
Sam
Hi Sarah! I honestly am not sure how it would turn out. If you do try it I would love to know how it turns out. 🙂
Jena
This is the best bread recipe! Plus it’s only a handful of ingredients.
I made the dough yesterday into baguettes and it turned out great! I’m in the process of making it again in loaf pan now with some chunks of cheddar cheese to go with your vegetable soup for dinner tonight!
Ashley
Can wax paper be used instead of parchment? Snowed in and out of parchment!!
Sam
Hi Ashley! I wouldn’t recommend using wax paper. 🙁
Joel K Cure
Where’s the video?
Sam
Hi Joel! It should be showing just above the recipe card. If you are running an ad blocker it will also block the video, but you can always find my videos on YouTube as well. 🙂
Leslie
I was looking to make bread for the first time this weekend and stumbled across your recipe. Would you happen to know what adjustments would need to be made for a 5 quart dutch oven? Thank you in advance!
Sam
Hi Leslie! The baking time will likely be reduced and bread will be flatter, but the 5 qt dutch oven will work. 🙂
SunnyH20
This is the easiest bread recipe I’ve ever made!!! I added cheese in the dough and sprinkled some on top before baking. I’m making another batch right now because the bread I made yesterday was devoured!!!
Anne
I was just going to ask if anyone had tried adding cheese. Thank you for posting this. Trying it today.
Magdy
I love this recipe, I have done twice in less than a week!, the only issue that I’m finding is that my breads ends with a hard bottom. After a day it goes soft and it feels better. Any advice for it to not get hard on the bottom?
Sam
The bottom of the bread should be firm on the bottom. Artisan bread is crispy, crusty bread. Is it burned? You could try adding an extra layer of parchment paper and placing it on a baking sheet before baking.
Carey
GREAT RECIPE!! We have been using it for pizza dough and it’s delicious! I’ve never made a baguette before, wondering if I could use this same recipe? If so, how would I do this?
Sam
Hi Carey! It wouldn’t be quite like a baguette texture. It could prove to be tricky to get it into a baguette shape, but you could do it. 🙂
Dee
hi there I can’t wait to try this recipe! can I add cheese i to the bread?
Sam
Hi Dee! That should work just fine! I would incorporate it during the stretch and fold process. 🙂