This homemade artisan bread recipe is a cinch to make, and it only requires four ingredients - bread flour, instant yeast, salt, and water. Its soft, chewy texture and crusty edges make it perfect for sandwiches and toast, and will quickly become a staple on your dinner table!
3¼cupsBread flourabout 430g, (spoon & leveled), plus more for hands and pan
2teaspoonsInstant yeastabout 6g
2teaspoonsCoarse salt
1½cupsWater360ml, close to room temperature at about 70°F (21°C)
optional: cornmeal for dusting pan
Instructions
Preparations
Mix the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl and gently pour the water in, mixing with a spatula until you have a sticky dough.
Start to massage the bread dough into a ball with your hands. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours.
Once the bread dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and cut the dough in half.
Shape the dough into 2 loaves and place them on a baking sheet dusted with floured/cornmeal. Loosely cover them with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let them rise for 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit (246 degrees Celsius).
Cooking instructions
Once the loaves have risen slightly, score them across the top (½ inch deep) with a sharp knife or blade.
Place the loaves in the preheated oven on the center rack for 20-25 minutes. When the bread has a golden brown crispy crust, and the center temperature reads 195°F (90°C), it's ready.
Remove the fresh bread from the oven and let it cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before slicing the baked bread and serving it with butter, jam, or cinnamon honey butter.
Recipe Notes
Refrigerate the dough overnight!If you leave the bread dough to rise overnight in the fridge (maximum 18 hours), it will develop a more robust flavor.Don't use too much flour!If you want to avoid the mistake of creating dense bread, be sure to measure the flour. It is important not to add more flour to the dough to make it easier to handle when it is sticky because it will make the bread dense in texture.Don't over-knead the dough!If you knead the dough for too long, it will become tough. It is important to knead the dough until it just about comes together and then stop.Scoring the doughWhen you score the dough before baking, it allows for the steam to escape and helps give the bread its distinctive shape. Make sure to use a sharp knife or bread lame when scoring the dough and make shallow cuts about ½ inch deep.Let the dough rest before baking!It is important to let the dough rest for 45 minutes before baking. This allows the gluten to relax and helps create a more flavorful bread.Super crusty bread recipePlace a skillet or shall pan half full with hot water on the bottom oven rack below the bread to create steam during baking. The steam helps to create a crispier crust.