Artisan Bread Recipe
This Artisan Bread Recipe delivers a simple yet classic homemade bread with a crusty exterior and a tender, chewy interior. Using just a few basic ingredients and an overnight rise, you can create a delicious loaf perfect for sandwiches, toast, or accompanying soups and salads. The bread is baked on a preheated stone or skillet with steam to achieve a gorgeous crust.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes to 11 hours 40 minutes (including rise time)
- Yield: 1 large loaf or 2 medium loaves 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Dry 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)
Wet Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups warm water (105°F)
Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients. In a large bowl, mix the flour, kosher salt, and yeast until evenly distributed.
- Add warm water. Pour the warm water over the dry mixture and stir to combine until the dough is sticky but manageable.
- 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 overnight for best flavor development.
- Shape the dough. Wet your hands to prevent sticking and turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently fold the edges into the center to form a round loaf or divide the dough to create two loaves, tucking the ends underneath neatly.
- Prepare for second rest. Place the shaped dough on parchment paper, dust the top with flour, and score 1 to 4 lines on its surface with a sharp bread knife. Let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes to relax and rise slightly.
- Preheat the oven. Heat your oven to 450°F (232°C) and place a baking stone, pizza stone, Dutch oven, or heavy iron skillet inside to heat thoroughly.
- Transfer dough and add steam. Carefully slide the parchment paper with dough onto the preheated surface inside the oven. Add 1 cup of hot water or 5 ice cubes to the bottom of the oven to create steam, which helps form a crisp crust. Quickly close the oven door to trap the steam.
- Bake the bread. Bake the loaf for 25 to 30 minutes, until it turns golden brown and develops a crusty exterior.
- Cool before slicing. Remove the bread from the oven and cool it on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes to set the crumb and make slicing easier.
Notes
- Use warm water at about 105°F to activate the yeast without killing it.
- The long rise time (up to overnight) enhances flavor and texture.
- Scoring the dough allows controlled expansion and creates an attractive pattern.
- Adding steam in the oven improves crust crispiness and creates a glossy finish.
- Letting the bread cool completely prevents gummy texture inside when slicing.
- You can experiment with whole wheat or other flours but may need to adjust water amounts.
Keywords: artisan bread, homemade bread, no-knead bread, crusty bread, simple bread recipe, bread baking
Find it online: https://zarameals.com/artisan-bread-recipe/
