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My 4-ingredient artisan bread is simple, rustic, and completely bakery-worthy. With just flour, water, yeast, and salt, you’ll get a loaf with a crusty outside and a soft, chewy center.
Why You’ll Be Loving This Loaf
- Beginner-proof recipe. If you’ve never baked bread before, this is a great place to start, and it’s hard to mess up.
- A texture worth talking about. The crust bakes up crackly and golden while the inside stays light, airy, and perfect for tearing.
- Goes with everything. Perfect alongside soups and stews, dipped in olive oil bread dip, or turned into the best sandwiches.
Artisan Bread Ingredients
- Flour: You can use bread flour or all-purpose flour. Bread flour gives the loaf a chewier texture and more structure, while all-purpose flour creates a slightly softer crumb.
- Yeast: Be sure your instant yeast is fresh and not expired. Old yeast may keep the dough from rising properly.
- Add-Ins: Try adding fresh herbs, shredded cheese, dried fruit, or nuts to the dough for extra flavor and texture.
How to Make Homemade Artisan Bread
Trust me, this is the bread you make if you think making bread is scary! I promise you’ll end up with a crusty, golden loaf that’s perfect with honey butter, homemade jam, or sliced up for sandwiches.
- Mix: In a large bowl, mix flour, instant yeast, and salt. Add lukewarm water and stir to combine. Mix until all the flour is incorporated and a sticky, rough dough forms.
- Let Rise: Cover the dough and let rise for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size. If you would like to do an overnight rise, once the dough is mixed, cover and place it in the fridge overnight.
- Preheat and Stretch and Fold: Preheat the oven to 450ºF and place a Dutch oven with a lid in the oven to heat up. This will take about 30 minutes. Once the dough has doubled, lightly flour your hands and stretch one side over itself.
- Stretch and Fold: Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat 5-6 more times until the dough starts to hold its shape.
- Shape and Let Rest: Pinch the seams together into the middle of the dough to form a round ball. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Sprinkle the top of the dough lightly with flour and cover loosely for 20 minutes.
- Bake: Uncover the dough and lift the parchment, then place the dough in the hot Dutch oven. Cover with the lid and put into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until golden brown. Once done cooking, carefully lift the parchment paper out of the oven. Let the artisan bread cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
Alyssa’s Pro Tip
Don’t have a Dutch oven? You can bake the dough on a baking sheet or pizza stone. Add an oven-safe pan filled with boiling water on the bottom rack of the oven while baking to create steam for a crusty, golden exterior.
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In a large bowl, mix 3 ½ cups flour, 1 package instant yeast, and 2 teaspoons salt. Add 1 ½ cups lukewarm water and stir to combine until all the flour is incorporated and a sticky, rough dough forms.
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Cover the dough and let rise for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size. If you would like to do an overnight rise, once the dough is mixed, cover and place in the fridge overnight.
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Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and place a Dutch oven with a lid in the oven to heat up. This will take about 30 minutes.
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Once the dough has doubled, lightly flour your hands and grab one side of the dough, pull and stretch the dough over itself. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat the process 5-6 more times until the dough begins to hold its shape. Pinch the seams together into the middle of the dough to form a round ball.
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Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Sprinkle the top of the dough lightly with flour and cover loosely for 20 minutes.
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Uncover the dough and lift the parchment, placing the dough into the hot Dutch oven. Cover with the lid and put into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until golden brown. Once done cooking, carefully lift the parchment paper out of the oven and let the bread cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
- Fridge: Wrap bread tightly or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or store in the fridge for up to 7 days.
- Freezer: Wrap tightly and store in an airtight container or bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Make Ahead: This dough can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours. After mixing the dough, cover and let it rise overnight, up to 24 hours.
Calories: 1615kcalCarbohydrates: 337gProtein: 48gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 4681mgPotassium: 536mgFiber: 14gSugar: 1gVitamin C: 0.02mgCalcium: 81mgIron: 20mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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