Even if you’ve never made homemade bread or worked with yeast before, this homemade crusty artisan bread is for you. It’s the perfect beginner recipe because it only requires 4 ingredients without any special pans or mixer, there’s no kneading or complicated shaping involved, and 95% of the work is hands-off. Bread masters will appreciate this recipe too because it delivers with delicious flavor, a slightly crisp and mega chewy crust, and those signature soft holes inside like ciabatta or French bread.
Bread Beginners—Start Here
Have you ever wanted to master homemade bread? Real, crusty, chewy, delicious bakery-style loaves that taste incredible with dips, soups, sauces, and comforting dinners? This is where you start. This artisan bread recipe is for beginners, but even bread masters will appreciate its flavor and ease. It’s so fresh, so flavorful, and so surprisingly easy because it basically makes itself.
You only need 4 ingredients without any special pans or mixer, there’s no kneading, no poolish or dough starter required, and you can add herbs, cheeses, and spices to make a variety of bread flavors.
This base recipe will soon be on repeat in your kitchen. After you realize how easy it is to make real homemade bread, you’ll find any excuse to bake a loaf. You can even turn it into garlic bread and homemade croutons.
What is Homemade Artisan Bread?
When it comes to bread, the term “artisan” doesn’t mean 1 particular thing. But, generally, artisan bread is homemade, fresh, crusty, and deliciously rustic-looking. An artisan is a skilled worker, one who works with their hands. But ironically, there isn’t much “work” involved with this recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Bread Recipe
- Easier than you ever imagined
- Soft + flavorful
- Chewy, slightly crisp crust
- Shape however you want
- No special pans, poolish, or dough starter required
- Only 4 ingredients
- You decide the length of time it rests
Like sandwich bread, whole wheat bread, focaccia, homemade English muffins, seeded oat bread, and homemade bagels—the process is surprisingly easy. If you’re new to yeast, reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
Only 4 Ingredients
The crustier and chewier the bread, the less fat in the dough—also known as a “lean dough.” We’re using a lean dough for our artisan loaf today. (If you’re curious, a “rich dough” is a soft bread dough with the presence of fat, such as butter and eggs—the kind we need for overnight cinnamon rolls, sweet potato dinner rolls, brioche, and honey butter rolls.) Without fat, we’re left with the basics.
- Bread Flour: While you can use all-purpose flour in this recipe, I strongly recommend using bread flour. Just like when we make olive bread, pizza bread, and asiago-crusted skillet bread, bread flour produces a stronger, chewier bread and that makes a big difference in a recipe with only 3 other ingredients.
- Instant Yeast: Instant yeast is key in this recipe. While you can use active dry if that’s all you have, any quick rise or instant yeast will produce flavorful results in less time. I use more yeast in this recipe compared to my cranberry nut no-knead bread and no-knead jalapeño cheddar bread. Why? Those doughs rest and rise at room temperature. However, for more flavor and just as much rise, I use more yeast and let this dough rest in the refrigerator. (Cool air slows the fermentation process.)
- Salt: You can’t make good bread without salt and for best flavor, I recommend a coarse salt, such as coarse sea salt. I find the bread’s flavor lacking with regular table salt.
- Water: I normally encourage you to use warm liquid with yeast because warm liquid helps the yeast work faster. However, use cool or room temperature water here. Not freezing cold, not super warm—cool to touch. 70°F (21°C) is great, but the exact temperature doesn’t matter as long as it’s not hot or warm. The cooler the water, the longer the dough takes to rise and, usually, the better the bread’s flavor. (This is important since there are so little ingredients to add substantial flavor!) We use the same cool water method for no knead honey oat bread.
- Optional Cornmeal: Dusting the pan with cornmeal adds a pop of flavor and a little crunch to the bottom crust. This is completely optional. If you have it, use it. If you don’t have it, don’t worry about it.
You can also add herbs and seasonings such as garlic, rosemary, dill, chopped onion, jalapeño, shredded cheese, chopped nuts, dried cranberries, etc. My no yeast bread is the quick bread alternative here—you can add flavors to that loaf, too!
Baker’s Tip: Avoid adding too much flour to the dough as you work with it. The stickier it is—and the longer it sits in the refrigerator—the more likely you’ll have those big airy pockets of air in the crumb.
How to Make Homemade Artisan Bread in 5 Steps
- Mix the dough ingredients together. At first the dough will seem very dry and shaggy and you’ll question if it will even come together. But it will. Use a spatula at first, then switch to your hands to ensure all of the flour is moistened. The dough is actually a little sticky after it’s thoroughly mixed.
- Let it rise at room temperature for 2-3 hours. Cover the dough and let it rise at room temperature for about 2-3 hours until doubled in size.
- Use right away or refrigerate. After 2-3 hours, you can immediately continue with the next step. However, for ideal flavor and texture, I strongly recommend letting the dough sit in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours and up to 3 days. Yes, 3 full days! I usually only let it rest for about 18 hours. During this crucial step, the cold air slows the fermentation process and adds so much flavor and texture. So, you can bake bread in 2-3 hours or in 3 days. The longer it sits, the better it tastes. 🙂
- Shape into 2 loaves or 1 boule. Rest as oven preheats. You can shape the bread into a round loaf (boule) or two longer loaves. I usually make two longer loaves side-by-side on a flat baking sheet, about 9×3 inches each. Preheat the oven to a very hot 475°F (246°C). The extremely hot air will immediately set the crust so the bread rises up instead of spreading all over. Score the loaves on top right before baking. Scoring also helps control the bread’s expansion. To help ensure a crispier crust, after the oven preheats, pour boiling water into a metal or cast iron baking pan on the bottom oven rack. Immediately place the baking sheet inside and shut the oven door to trap the steam. The steam will help create that coveted crisp crust.
- Bake until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Gently tap the loaves because if they sound hollow, they’re done.
Look at those deliciously soft holes inside! Reminds me of ciabatta or a French baguette, both of which can be a little more complicated to make.
Serve Artisan Bread With
- Slather with homemade honey butter or cinnamon butter
- Slice and dunk in crab dip, beer cheese dip, garlic & bacon spinach dip, or even homemade Italian dressing
- Serve alongside slow cooker chicken chili or pumpkin chili
- As a dunker for homemade tomato soup, creamy cauliflower potato soup, minestrone soup, creamy chicken noodle soup, crab soup, or slow cooker creamy chicken & corn soup
- With a big bowl of mac & cheese or spaghetti with slow cooker turkey meatballs
- Use for my goat cheese & honey crostini
- It’s the perfect starch in breakfast casserole or baked apple cider French toast
- Use it to make homemade garlic bread or homemade croutons
- With anything because homemade bread is everything’s best friend
Homemade Artisan Bread Recipe
- Prep Time: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours, 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 8-inch loaves
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Even if you’ve never made homemade bread or worked with yeast before, this homemade artisan bread is for you. Watch the video tutorial below and review the recipe instructions and recipe notes prior to beginning. If you’re new to working with yeast, reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
Ingredients
- 3 and 1/4 cups (about 430g) bread flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for hands and pan
- 2 teaspoons (about 6g) instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons (about 9g) coarse salt (see note)
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) water, close to room temperature at about 70°F (21°C)
- optional: cornmeal for dusting pan
Instructions
- In a large ungreased mixing bowl, whisk the flour, yeast, and salt together. Pour in the water and gently mix together with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. The dough will seem dry and shaggy, but keep working it until all the flour is moistened. If needed, use your hands (as I do in the video tutorial below) to work the dough ingredients together. The dough will be sticky. Shape into a ball in the bowl as best you can.
- Keeping the dough in the bowl, cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and set on the counter at room temperature (honestly any normal room temperature is fine!). Allow to rise for 2-3 hours. The dough will just about double in size, stick to the sides of the bowl, and have a lot of air bubbles.
- You can continue with step 4 immediately, but for absolute best flavor and texture, I strongly recommend letting this risen dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours and up to 3 days. Place covered dough in the refrigerator for 12 hours – 3 days. I usually let it rest in the refrigerator for about 18 hours. The dough will puff up during this time, but may begin to deflate after 2 days. That’s fine and normal—nothing to worry about.
- Lightly dust a large nonstick baking sheet (with or without rims and make sure it’s nonstick) with flour and/or cornmeal. Turn the cold dough out onto a floured work surface. Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut dough in half. Some air bubbles will deflate as you work with it. Place dough halves on prepared baking sheet. Using floured hands, shape into 2 long loaves about 9×3 inches each (doesn’t have to be exact) about 3 inches apart. Loosely cover and allow to rest for 45 minutes. You will bake the dough on this prepared baking sheet.
- During this 45 minutes, preheat the oven to 475°F (246°C).
- When ready to bake, using a very sharp knife or bread lame (some even use kitchen shears), score the bread loaves with 3 slashes, about 1/2 inch deep. (“Score” = shallow cut.) If the shaped loaves flattened out during the 45 minutes, use floured hands to narrow them out along the sides again.
- Optional for a slightly crispier crust: After the oven is preheated and bread is scored, place a shallow metal or cast iron baking pan or skillet (I usually use a metal 9×13-inch baking pan) on the bottom oven rack. Carefully and quickly pour 3-4 cups of boiling water into it. Place the scored dough/baking pan on a higher rack and quickly shut the oven, trapping the steam inside. The steam helps create a crispier crust.
- Place the shaped and scored dough (on the flour/cornmeal dusted pan) in the preheated oven on the center rack. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Gently tap the loaves—if they sound hollow, the bread is done. For a more accurate test of doneness, the bread is done when an instant read thermometer inserted in the center reads 195°F (90°C).
- Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving. Store leftovers loosely covered at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The dough can sit in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, so this is a wonderful recipe to begin ahead of time. You can also bake the bread, allow it to cool, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving. You can also freeze the dough. Complete the recipe through step 3. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-friendly container. To bake, allow dough to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, or for 2-3 hours at room temperature. Continue with step 4 and the rest of the recipe instructions.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls | Silicone Spatula or Wooden Spoon | Baking Sheets | 2-cup Measuring Cup | Bread Lame | Instant Read Thermometer
- Flour: For absolute best flavor and chewy texture, I strongly recommend using bread flour. You can use a 1:1 substitution of all-purpose flour in a pinch with no other changes to the recipe. I recommend avoiding whole wheat flour in this dough. If necessary, use half bread flour and half whole wheat flour. The bread will taste dense.
- Yeast: You can use instant or active dry yeast, but I highly recommend an instant (aka “rapid rise” or “quick rise” yeast). The bread will rise faster. I usually use Platinum yeast by Red Star, which is an instant yeast. 2 teaspoons is a little less than 1 standard packet. If using active dry yeast, there are no changes needed to the recipe. The rise time in step 2 may take longer.
- Salt: Use a coarse salt, such as coarse sea salt, in this bread. I find the flavor slightly lacking when using regular table fine salt. If you only have fine salt, reduce to 1 and 1/2 teaspoons.
- Water: Use cool water. 70°F (21°C) is great, but the exact temperature doesn’t matter as long as it’s not hot or warm.
- Round Loaf: If you want to shape the dough into a boule (round loaf) simply shape into a round ball instead of 2 loaves in step 4. Baking instructions are the same, but the loaf will take a few extra minutes in the oven. If you want to bake the boule in a dutch oven, see next note.
- Using a Dutch Oven: Follow this dough recipe through step 3, then follow the simple shaping/baking instructions (steps 2-5) in my Cranberry Nut No Knead Bread recipe including using the parchment paper. If your parchment paper can’t withstand heat this high, you can either lower the oven temperature and bake the bread for longer or grease the Dutch oven instead.
- Using a pizza stone: If you want to bake your bread loaves on a pizza stone, place pizza stone in the preheating oven. In step 8, place the shaped and scored dough on your preheated pizza stone. If the bottom of the shaped dough is pretty sticky, dust the hot pizza stone with some extra cornmeal. Bake as directed.
- No Nonstick Pan: If you don’t have a nonstick baking sheet, line it with parchment paper instead. Coat with a dusting of flour and/or cornmeal before placing the dough on top. Parchment paper can burn, so it’s best to check the box to see how much heat yours can tolerate. Lower your oven heat if necessary and bake the bread for longer until golden brown and when gently tapped, sound hollow.
- Flavor ideas: Before pouring in the water in step 1, add any of the following ingredients/combination of ingredients to the dry ingredients in the bowl: 4 cloves minced garlic + 3 Tablespoons chopped rosemary, 3 Tablespoons your favorite fresh herb (chopped), 1 cup your favorite shredded cheese, a diced jalapeño, 3/4 – 1 cup dried cranberries and/or chopped nuts, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, etc.
- Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
- Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour & Red Star Yeast, similar method originally from Jim Lahey.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 slices
- Calories: 136
- Sugar: 0.1 g
- Sodium: 389.8 mg
- Fat: 0.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 27.2 g
- Protein: 4.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Reader Comments and Reviews
I have tried a number of bread recipes but this one I really like! I like the fact that it makes two small loaves, one to eat and one to freeze. Super good recipe!
This recipe is a great lesson in baking fundamentals. With just four ingredients, it shows how technique, fermentation, and patience matter more than complexity. Understanding dough, time, and heat is what truly turns flour into good bread.
Hi there,
I made twice the round loaf option and I love it. I was wondering how to get it to rise more.
I’m not using a ditch oven, and I’m using steam.
It rises ok but not like your pics.
What’s the secret? (:
Hi Gane, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. This is a denser-style bread (than say, sandwich bread) due to the no-knead method. However, make sure to handle the dough very carefully to prevent compressing the air bubbles. Be sure to not over-measure your flour, which can make the bread dense and flatter (here’s more on how to properly measure baking ingredients). Are you using instant yeast or active dry? Active dry can take a little longer to rise. Finally, a digital thermometer is helpful for ensuring the water temperature isn’t too hot, which can kill the yeast and prevent optimal rise. Hope these tips help for your next batch. Thanks for giving this bread recipe a try!
This came out absolutely incredible!! And it was so easy!!! Thank you!
What do you think about doing the ~2 hr room-temp rise, then splitting in two and putting the loaves into floured cloth-lined bannetons, then covering with plastic and putting in the fridge overnight? That way, the shaping is kind of done for you and you don’t need to manhandle the loaves before baking, just dump the bannetons out onto the pan and bake?
I was so worried about overhandling my dough, that they came out extra weird and ugly because I did almost no shaping lol.
For your lemon bars, will a sugar substitute still work, i.e. Stevia. Thank you, your book is amazing, love all the recipes.
Hi Marianne, We’d love to help but we are not trained in baking with sugar substitutes. For best taste and texture (and so you don’t waste your time trying to adapt this recipe since it may not work properly), it may be more useful to find a recipe that is specifically formulated for sugar substitutes. Thank you!
I’ve used swerve before. It’s more 1:1 than stevia or a different substitute.
I made the dough yesterday. Sat it on the counter for 3 hours and then in the fridge for about 18-20 hrs. Brought to room temp while oven and Dutch oven were heating up. Baked it today (at 450 F covered for 35 min and then uncovered for 10 min). Smelled and tasted amazing. Would like to try to get a thicker, crispier crust. Something a little more crunchy but I don’t have room to have a pan of boiling water in the bottom of the oven due to the size of my Dutch oven (the lid handle is a bit large and hits the oven burners unless the rack is on the 2nd to lowest setting). Appreciate any thoughts.
Can you turn your lid upside down so the handle is inside? I do this sometimes when I put a large pot in my fridge.
I’ve started to get back to baking bread again as the shelf breads are no longer satisfying in taste and storage. Plus it reminds me of my childhood when all mom’s baked bread.
This recipe is so simple for a senior like me and the result was perfection.
I made this bread once before and it came out quite well after just the room temperature rise. I will be baking this again and this time, I plan to do the additional rest in the fridge. I do have a question, though. Can I do the mix in my stand mixer and refrigerate in the mixer bowl (metal)? However I mix (by hand or mixer), can I transfer the dough to a plastic rising bucket?
One last question. Can I bake the bread on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat? My parchment paper is only safe to 428F and I didn’t want to go that much lower than the recipe temp so that I can get a crispy crust.
Thanks for the wonderful recipes. They have been a staple in my house for years!
Hi Shelly, we’re so glad you enjoyed the bread! We do not recommend a mixer for this particular dough– it’s very loose and sticky. A mixer wouldn’t be doing you (or the dough!) any favors. It’s best to use the mixing bowl & spoon method outlined here. You can move the dough to a plastic rising bucket if preferred. Yes, you can us a silicone baking mat under your bread. Hope this helps!
Quick question: Following the instructions to a tee but finding my loaves are very heavy and dense vs. airy. Also, my bread also won’t score nicely – before baking it’s like a mushy blob but it bakes up looking gorgeous. I feel like I’m /soclose/ to getting this right. How do I correct this? Thank you for making me such a super-star in my house!
Hi Joy, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. This is a denser-style bread (than say, sandwich bread) due to the no-knead method. However, make sure to handle the dough very carefully to prevent compressing the air bubbles. Be sure to not over-measure your flour, which can make the bread dense and flatter (here’s more on how to properly measure baking ingredients). Are you using instant yeast or active dry? Active dry can take a little longer to rise. Finally, a digital thermometer is helpful for ensuring the water temperature isn’t too hot, which can kill the yeast and prevent optimal rise. Hope these tips help for your next batch. Thanks for giving this bread recipe a try!
Hi Sally, I’ce made this bread a couple times already and it’s amazing! I didn’t realise it was so easy to make bread until I found your recipes, and I love them. Quick question, if I wanted to have this bread fresh baked for the morning (say 8am) and didn’t want to get up at the buttcrack of dawn, would I be able to shape the bread and then cover with plastic wrap overnight or similar? Or would that make it rise/deflate too much? Thank you!
Hi Olivia, we don’t recommend that for this particular recipe, but you can always reheat the loaves or toast individual slices in the morning for warm bread. We’re so glad this is a favorite for you!
Hi Sally!
I love ALL your recipes. I just made my first 2 loaves and am about to put them into the oven. I used wholeheat bread flour that’s milled locally. My loaves seem denser and less sticky than the video. Could this be because of the wholewheat flour? Do you recommend more water? I also used active dry yeast and let rise in the refrigerator as you suggested for over 12 hours. I’m eager to see the result but also worried given the density of my raw loaves…. Thanks for the tips!
Hi Murray, we do not recommend whole wheat flour for this recipe since it would yield a very dense loaf (as you’ve seen already with the dough). Let us know how yours bake up!
It’s not bad! Definitely more dense than the one in the video but still had a nice crispy crust and chewy interior and flavor was nice! I’m pleasantly surprised :).
Hey Sally, I have made this bread several times with great success and now would like to try freezing loaves for future use; any suggestions? Thanks for the great site!
Hi Susie, you can certainly freeze these loaves! Bake the bread, allow it to cool, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving. So glad you enjoy this bread!
Really love the flavor of this bread, but it is coming out more dense than indicated (not at all bad by any means, but just not what recipe intends). I can tell after the rise that something is off, just not as vigorous as the pics and video. Bread is new to me and I know the error it is on my end. All my ingredients are weighed, my flour and yeast are new and stored properly. I’m thinking I am not incorporating the ingredients adequately (maybe too much worry of overmixing). Any ideas as to the issue? Honestly, we would make it over again as I did it, but I know it can be better.
Hi Katie, we’re happy to help troubleshoot! This is a denser-style bread (than say, sandwich bread) due to the no-knead method. However, make sure to handle the dough very carefully to prevent compressing the air bubbles. Be sure to not over-measure your flour, which can make the bread dense and flatter (using the spoon and level method or using a kitchen scale like you’re doing helps with this!) Are you using instant yeast or active dry? Active dry can take a little longer to rise. Finally, a digital thermometer is helpful for ensuring the water temperature isn’t too hot, which can kill the yeast and prevent optimal rise. Hope these tips help for your next batch. Thanks for giving this bread recipe a try!
Thanks! Now, that you’ve said it, I am totally manhandling the risen dough compared to what you say – very helpful for next time. That said, my husband has already finished the first loaf – toasted with peanut butter for breakfast and dipped in chili at dinner, sooo I’d say it is still successful lol.
I love this bread and make it often but its only 2 of us so I need to store the other loaf. Do you have a recommendation for a good bread storage bag? I see a lot online but not sure which ones are the best. Thanks!
Hi! My convection oven only goes until 425 how long should I cook it for?
Hi Max! We’re unsure of the exact time needed, but you can bake at 425 and extend the bake time until it’s done (and sounds hollow inside).
I love this bread recipe! I’ve done it a few times and separated the dough into two loaves. If I want to make one boule, how long should I bake the dough in the oven? I did it 30 minutes at 425 the other day and it was underbaked. Thanks!
Is it possible for the bread to reach a real tanginess if I leave it in the refrigerator long enough? I miss the very tangy sour dough bread from San Francisco in the 70s and 80s.
Hi Janeene, you risk the dough fermenting if left for too long. The dough can sit in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let us know if you give it a try!
This was just perfect! I let it rest in the refrigerator about 19 hours. Could definitely tell a yummy taste difference with that method. Love it! Thanks for the great recipe!
Thanks for giving this bread a try, Theresa. We’re so glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve made this bread several times and I love it. The only complaint I have is the dough spreads a lot and it’s hard to handle. I follow the recipe to a “T” so I’m not sure if there’s anything I could do differently. I’d like it to come out taller and not so flat. Any suggestions you may have would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Coco, this is a very wet dough. There are a lot of variables that can go into the consistency of dough, down to even the weather/humidity. If you find your dough is especially wet/loose, you can certainly add more flour (1 Tablespoon at a time) until the dough comes into a workable consistency. This should also reduce the spreading. Hope this helps for next time!
Hi, I wanted to clarify what happens after using the refrigerator method. Does it go into the oven cold right away or come back to room temperature before baking?
Hi TJS, it will come back to room temperature as it rests on the baking sheet while waiting for the oven to preheat (step 4/5).
Made this and it turned out fantastic! I have a big household that can put away a lot of bread — is it okay to double this recipe and just cut it into four loaves, would the rise be ok/should I change anything else?
Hi Ash, we’re so glad the bread was a hit! For best results, we recommend making two separate batches rather than doubling.
I enjoyed making this and loved the flavor from the long cold ferment, but my loaf turned out a bit dense. I followed the recipe as written and weighed all ingredients.
After about 24 hours in the fridge, I let the dough sit at room temp for the suggested 45 minutes before baking, and I’m wondering if that timing may be short in some cases and if the dough should look more noticeably puffy before baking rather than relying strictly on the clock?
I also had a question about process clarity: if the dough is planned to go into the fridge for a day or two, does it still need the full initial room-temperature rise, or can that be adjusted since fermentation continues cold?
Thanks! I look forward to your thoughts and giving this another shot soon!
Hi Carrie, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. This is a denser-style bread (than say, sandwich bread) due to the no-knead method. However, make sure to handle the dough very carefully to prevent compressing the air bubbles. Be sure to also spoon and level your flour (or use a kitchen scale) to ensure it’s not over-measured, which can make the bread dense and flatter. Are you using instant yeast or active dry? Active dry can take a little longer to rise. Finally, a digital thermometer is helpful for ensuring the water temperature isn’t too hot, which can kill the yeast and prevent optimal rise. To answer your specific questions, you can try extending the room temperature time, but the dough won’t puff up a whole ton during this time. We do recommend a room temperature rise before placing in the refrigerator. Hope this helps for next time!
The lid on my Dutch oven is safe to 350. Should I lower the baking temperature or leave the lid off and bake at 450?
Hi Diane, it would take a while to bake at such a low temperature, so we’d recommend baking without the lid. The crust may be slightly less crispy, since the lid is what helps to create the steamy environment, but you could use the metal pan + water method outlined in the optional step 7, if you want. Enjoy!
Wow! I never made bread before until I tried this recipe. Followed instructions carefully, watched the video . Beautiful golden crust and airy center . It was delicious ! Thank you Sally !
Can I cook the dough in the Dutch oven after it’s been in the frig for 18 hours? Also, can I lower the heat when cooking in the dutch oven to accommodate parchment paper with a high temp of 425?
Hi Susan, yes, absolutely. You can bake the refrigerated dough in a Dutch oven. See recipe Notes for details on using a Dutch oven. You can also lower the baking temperature, keeping in mind that you will need to extend the baking time a bit. Hope this helps!
Hi, I live in an old home, that stays on the colder side. Even with the heater on, it’s colder side. Is there some other way to proof the bread? Thanks!
Hi Cheri, you can use a slightly warm oven, and here’s how: Preheat the oven to 150°F (65°C), then immediately turn the oven off. Wait a few minutes, then place the covered bowl of dough inside the oven with the door cracked open. This will be a warm environment for your dough to rise. After about 30 minutes, close the oven door to trap the air inside with the rising dough. Happy baking!