Artisan Bread
Artisan Bread is the perfect recipe for novice bakers who have never made bread before. This bread is delicious for sandwiches, swiping up spreads and dips or our personal favorite, butter and jam.
Ingredients
- 4 cups bread flour, fluffed, spooned and level
- 1 ¾ cups lukewarm water
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast see note below if using active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons corn meal for coating the bottom of the loaf
Click between "US Customary" or "Metric" button above to switch between conversions. For precise results, it's recommended to weigh your dry ingredients using a digital scale in grams as measuring in cups can have uncertainties.
Instructions
Before you start
- I highly recommend using a kitchen digital scale for measuring flour and liquids as both are easily over-measured.
Make the dough
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, yeast, salt and sugar. See note below if using active dry yeast. Add warm water and use a Danish dough whisk or the neck of a wooden spoon to combine. As you mix, the dough will continue to hydrate and become wet and sticky. This may take 1-2 minutes and will be the hardest part of this recipe. Resist the urge to add extra water or flour. Note: Instant yeast can mixed directly with dry ingredients and active dry yeast must be dissolved in warm liquid first to be "activated" before use. Measure out water from the recipe, stir in the active yeast with a pinch of sugar. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until its foamy or bubbly.4 cups bread flour, fluffed, spooned and level, 1 ¾ cups lukewarm water, 2 teaspoons instant yeast, 2 teaspoons sea salt, 2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- Keep mixing until the dough completely sticks to the bottom of the bowl and no flour is visible. Then, use a dough scraper or very wet hands to clean the sides of the bowl with excess dough and cover with cling wrap and a tea towel. Leave on the counter in a warm spot for 30 minutes.
Stretch and fold
- After 30 minutes, perform a set of stretch and folds. To do this, wet your hands before proceeding as it will make it easier to handle the dough. Pull the dough up and over to the other side of the bowl. Work your way around the dough like you are looking at clock - you want to perform a fold at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock. Form into a round shape. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a wet scraper or your hands.
First rise
- Cover again with plastic wrap and tea towel. Let it sit in a warm spot for at least 1½ hours or until doubled in size. If the dough needs more time, let it rise for up to 2 hours, until bubbly and wobbly.
Shape the dough
- While the oven is pre-heating, form the dough. First, use a dough scraper or very wet hands to release the dough from the sides of the bowl, pulling inwards to form a shaggy, round shape. Then, dust and rub the entire top surface of the dough with flour. Flip the dough onto the counter, flour side down.Note: I know the dough is sticky when shaping and folding. Please use flour only as needed.
- Fold into third, pinch the seams and then flip seam side down.
- Use your hands to pull the dough towards you, using resistance from the clean working surface to shape into an even more round shape.
- Place the dough ball into a floured banneton, seam side up. Pinch the seams together and sprinkle corn meal over the top. This is my secret for minimizing burning on the bottom of the loaf.
Second rise
- Place in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours or as little as 30 minutes, while the Dutch oven is pre-heating.
Pre-heat the oven
- Once the dough is proofed, place the Dutch oven inside the oven with the lid on. Pre-heat at 450°F for at least 30 minutes prior to baking.
- Flip the dough onto the parchment paper with sprinkled corn meal. Dust the top with flour and use a bread lame create an “x” score on top.2 teaspoons corn meal
Bake
- Place the bread with the parchment paper into the pre-heated Dutch oven, pull the paper away from the side and add an ice cub in each corner. Bake for 30 minutes COVERED with the lid. Remove the lid. Bake for an additional 20-30 minutes UNCOVERED or until desired browning. Depending on the strength of your oven, bake time may vary.
- Remove from the Dutch oven and allow time to cool on a rack before slicing.
Video
Notes
- I highly recommend to weigh your dry and wet ingredients for best accuracy. Toggle between the US Customary and Metric tab in the ingredients section above for weight in grams. Shop my exact scale here. (affiliate link) If you don't have a scale, fluff the flour with a fork in its container, and then spoon it into the measuring cup before leveling off with a flat edge. Do not scoop directly into the flour bag. This will add way too much flour to the batter, making it dry!
- Instant yeast can mixed directly with dry ingredients and active dry yeast must be dissolved in warm liquid first to be "activated" or proofed before use. First, heat up your water until its lukewarm. Stir in the active yeast and a pinch of sugar. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until its foamy or bubbly. For extended instructions, see Active Dry Yeast vs. Instant Dry Yeast blog post.
Nutrition
Calories: 190kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 7gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.2gSodium: 467mgPotassium: 74mgFiber: 2gSugar: 0.2gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 0.01mgCalcium: 9mgIron: 1mg
The provided nutritional value above is an estimate per serving. 100% accuracy is not guarenteed. Please see Nutrition Information Disclaimer in our Privacy Policy.
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