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Artisan Bread Recipe

Artisan Bread Recipe
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★★★★★

5.1 from 4 reviews

This artisan bread recipe produces a crusty, golden loaf with a soft, chewy interior. Using simple ingredients and a long fermentation process, it delivers bakery-quality bread at home with minimal effort. Perfect for sandwiches, toast, or enjoying plain with butter.

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

  1. Combine Ingredients: In a large bowl, mix the flour, kosher salt, and yeast until evenly distributed.
  2. Add Water and Mix: Pour the warm water over the dry ingredients and stir until the dough forms a sticky but manageable mass.
  3. 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 preferably overnight, to develop flavor.
  4. Shape the Loaf: Wet your hands to prevent sticking, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and gently fold the edges into the center to create a round loaf. Alternatively, divide into two smaller loaves by tucking the ends underneath.
  5. Rest the Dough: Transfer the shaped dough onto parchment paper, dust the top with flour, and score 1 to 4 lines on the surface with a bread knife. Let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
  6. Preheat Oven: Heat your oven to 450°F (232°C) with a baking stone, pizza stone, Dutch oven, or iron skillet inside to create a hot baking surface.
  7. Prepare for Baking: Slide the dough on the parchment paper onto the preheated surface. For a crustier bread, add 1 cup hot water or 5 ice cubes to the oven bottom to generate steam, then quickly close the oven door.
  8. Bake: Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes until the crust turns golden brown and crispy.
  9. Cool: Remove the bread and allow it to cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing to set the crumb structure.
  10. Storage: Store the cooled bread in a paper bag to maintain the crust’s crispness while preventing it from drying out.

Notes

  • Using bread flour will result in a chewier texture due to higher protein content.
  • A longer rise time develops a better flavor and texture, so overnight rising is recommended if possible.
  • Scoring the dough controls expansion and creates an attractive crust pattern.
  • Creating steam in the oven helps form a crunchy crust by keeping the surface moist during the initial baking phase.
  • Letting the bread cool completely prevents a gummy texture inside.
  • Store the bread in a paper bag rather than plastic to keep the crust crisp while avoiding moisture buildup.

Nutrition

Keywords: artisan bread, homemade bread, crusty bread, simple bread recipe, no-knead bread

Find it online: https://lucabites.com/artisan-bread-recipe-2/