Crusty Artisan Bread is a simple bread recipe made with just a handful of ingredients and baked until crisp on the outside and soft inside.
Making your own fresh bread is perfect for a dinner side dish, snack, or toast for breakfast. For more Homemade Bread, try my White Bread and Dinner Roll Recipes.
Why You’ll Love This Bread?
- This delicious bread is made with only 6 ingredients and proves that you don’t need a complicated recipe to make an impressive loaf of bread.
- Artisan bread goes with everything from soups to salads, sandwiches to dinner, or enjoy on its own with a bit of butter.
Sabrina’s Crusty Artisan Bread Recipe
Bakery-worthy, homemade bread is super easy to make by following the straightforward steps in this recipe. It’s a classic loaf with a crunchy crust and an airy, chewy center that’s absolutely delicious. By baking this in a Dutch oven, it simplifies things even more. I especially like this recipe with soup because I can dip the slices in the broth. Try it the next time you serve Italian Wedding Soup or Baked Potato Soup. While bread is easy, it can be fussy, so check out the FAQs section if you need help.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 packet active dry yeast , (0.25 ounce)
- 1 1/2 cups warm water , 110-115 degrees
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3 cups bread flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl add the yeast, warm water and sugar stirring well.
- Let sit for 5 minutes until it becomes foamy.
- Add in the flour, olive oil, and salt, stirring well until shaggy and combined.
- Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in warm place for 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees 20 minutes before the dough is done rising.
- Place a 5-6 quart Dutch oven with a lid into the oven to heat while the dough finishes rising.
- Remove the dough from the bowl onto a floured surface.
- Knead very gently 5 times.
- Cut a large piece of parchment paper.
- Lift the dough carefully and place into the middle of the parchment paper smooth side up.
- Remove the dutch oven from the oven to the stovetop.
- Remove lid and gently lift and place the parchment paper into the Dutch oven.
- Using a very sharp knife slice through the middle about 1/2″ deep.
- Spray with a bit of water (or flick water with your fingers) onto the top of the dough.
- Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove cover and bake an additional 15 minutes.
- Lift from the Dutch oven by lifting sides of parchment paper out.
- Let cool before slicing.
Nutrition
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Chef’s Note
My tip to make sure you have a good rise is to check your water temperature. Too hot of water can kill your yeast. Check that the water is warm to the touch, and if you’re new to bread baking you can use a thermometer to double check that the temperature is between 110 and 115 degrees.
Table of contents
Can this be made ahead of time?
Absolutely. You can par-bake the bread. Bake the dough until it’s partially done (about 75-80% of the total baking time). Once cooled, store it in the fridge or freezer. When you want to serve the bread, finish baking it in a hot oven for 10-15 minutes to restore the crust and color.
How to Store
- Serve: Wait to slice until you’ve given it a chance to cool.
- Store: To keep leftovers fresh, you can keep uncovered at room temperature for about a day. For longer storage, cover the bread in foil or plastic wrap, or place slices in an airtight container. Kept sealed, the recipe will stay good at room temperature for 3-4 days. Don’t keep this recipe in the fridge because it won’t maintain its crispy crust.
- Freeze: You can also freeze the loaf for up to 3 months. Just be careful to wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then put it in a freezer bag and remove as much air as possible before freezing.
Frequent Questions
If the bread collapses, it’s likely because it’s been over-proofed. This happens when the bread has been proofed too long, so the air bubbles pop. A useful test is the poke test. Lightly press a floured finger about ½ inch into the dough. If the indentation springs back quickly, it generally needs more time. If it slowly springs back and leaves a slight indentation, it’s ready to bake.
If you don’t have a Dutch oven or similar pot, you can make the loaves in a regular loaf pan. Though the outside will not be quite as crisp, the Artisan Bread Recipe will still taste delicious. If baking the dough in loaf pans, tent them in foil, then bake for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees.
Artisan style bread doesn’t have an exact definition, but generally, it refers to simple bread without chemical additives. It’s made to be served fresh, and it won’t keep for too long because of the lack of preservatives. But with how wonderful it tastes, this homemade loaf will disappear way before its expiration date.
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