Print

Artisan Bread

Artisan Bread
Print Recipe

★★★★★

4.8 from 26 reviews

This artisan bread recipe yields a crusty, golden loaf with a chewy, flavorful crumb—perfect for sandwiches, toast, or accompanying your favorite meals. Made simply with flour, yeast, salt, and water, it requires minimal hands-on time but benefits from a long, slow rise to develop its signature taste and texture.

Ingredients

Scale

Main Ingredients

  • 3 cups (395 grams) all-purpose flour or bread flour
  • ½ tablespoon kosher salt
  • ¼ ounce instant or active dry yeast packet (or 2 ¼ teaspoons)
  • 1 ½ cups warm water (105°F)

Instructions

  1. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flour, kosher salt, and yeast thoroughly to ensure even distribution.
  2. Add Water and Combine: Pour the warm water (ideally 105°F) over the dry ingredients and mix until the mixture forms a sticky but manageable dough.
  3. First Rise: Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature for 2 to 10 hours, or preferably overnight to enhance the flavor and texture.
  4. Shape the Loaf: After rising, wet your hands to prevent sticking, then turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently fold the edges into the center to form a round loaf or divide the dough into two smaller loaves, tucking the ends underneath to create tension.
  5. Second Rest: Place the shaped dough on parchment paper. Dust the top with flour and score 1 to 4 shallow lines across the surface with a bread knife to allow for expansion during baking. Let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
  6. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 450°F, positioning a baking stone, pizza stone, Dutch oven, or an iron skillet inside to heat thoroughly.
  7. Create Steam and Bake: Slide the dough on its parchment paper onto the preheated hot surface. Add 1 cup of hot water or 5 ice cubes to the bottom of the oven to create steam, which helps develop a crustier crust. Close the oven quickly to trap steam.
  8. Bake the Bread: Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the loaf is golden brown and crusty.
  9. Cool: Remove the bread from the oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing to allow the crumb to set properly.
  10. Storage: Store the bread in a paper bag at room temperature to help maintain crust crispness while preventing moisture buildup.

Notes

  • Using bread flour will result in a chewier texture due to higher protein content compared to all-purpose flour.
  • Longer rising times improve flavor and texture; overnight rise is ideal.
  • Scoring the dough helps control expansion and contributes to the classic artisan look.
  • Adding steam during baking is critical to developing a crisp, crackly crust.
  • Allow bread to cool fully before slicing to avoid gummy texture.
  • Store in paper bags rather than plastic to maintain crustiness.

Nutrition

Keywords: artisan bread, homemade bread, crusty bread, easy bread recipe, no-knead bread, bread baking

Find it online: https://liamjayne.com/artisan-bread/