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The Best Artisan Bread Recipe

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4.4 from 44 reviews

This Best Artisan Bread Recipe yields a crusty, flavorful homemade bread with a tender crumb. Using simple ingredients and an easy no-knead method, this recipe is perfect for beginners or seasoned bakers who want fresh, artisan-style bread with minimal effort. The long fermentation enhances flavor and texture, and baking on a hot stone with steam creates a deliciously crisp crust.

  • Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes (including rise and resting time)
  • Yield: 12 servings (one large loaf or two smaller loaves)

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 3 cups (395 grams) all-purpose flour or bread flour
  • 1/2 Tablespoon Kosher salt
  • 1/4 ounce instant or active dry yeast packet (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups warm water (about 105°F)

Instructions

  1. Make dough: In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and yeast. Pour the warm water over the dry ingredients, ensuring the water is not too hot to avoid killing the yeast. Mix everything together using a dough whisk, spatula, wooden spoon, or your hands until a wet and sticky dough forms. Add a bit more flour if the dough is too sticky to handle.
  2. Rise: Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap sprayed with nonstick spray. Allow the dough to rise for 2 to 10 hours at room temperature, or leave it out overnight. The longer rise time develops more flavor through fermentation.
  3. Shape: Wet your hands and gently transfer the sticky dough onto a lightly floured surface without punching or kneading it down. Fold the dough’s sides into the center to form your preferred shape, typically a French boule (round loaf) or two smaller loaves. Tuck the ends underneath to create surface tension.
  4. Dust and rest: Place the shaped dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Lightly dust the top with flour. Score the dough with 1 to 4 slashes using a bread knife. Let the dough rest for 20 to 30 minutes to relax and rise slightly before baking.
  5. Bake: Preheat the oven to 450°F and place a baking stone, pizza stone, Dutch oven, or iron skillet inside to heat thoroughly. Once ready, slide the dough on parchment onto the hot stone or into the hot vessel.
  6. Create steam: To achieve a crustier bread, place 1 cup of hot water in a small broiler pan or 5 ice cubes at the bottom of the oven and quickly close the door to trap steam during baking.
  7. Finish baking: Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes or until the crust is deeply browned and crisp.
  8. Cool and serve: Transfer the bread to a cooling rack and let it cool completely for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Store the bread in a paper bag to maintain crustiness and prevent softening.

Notes

  • Do not punch down or knead the dough aggressively; gentle folding maintains the airy texture.
  • Using a baking stone or Dutch oven helps to achieve oven spring and a crispy crust.
  • Adding steam during baking is key for a shiny, crackly crust.
  • The dough can ferment overnight for deeper flavor and convenience.
  • Store bread in a paper bag rather than plastic to keep the crust from becoming soggy.
  • Author: ELLA
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Bread
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Artisan

Find it online: https://ellarecipe.com/the-best-artisan-bread-recipe/