Description
This Four Ingredient Artisan Bread is the ultimate beginner-friendly recipe for home bakers seeking a rustic, crusty loaf straight from their own oven. With just flour, water, salt, and yeast, you can create bakery-worthy bread with a chewy interior and crisp golden exteriorโno kneading or special equipment required.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
Wet Ingredient
- 1 1/2 cups (360ml) lukewarm water
Instructions
- Mix Dough: In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and instant yeast. Stir in the lukewarm water until a shaggy dough forms and all flour is hydrated. The dough will be sticky, but thatโs expected.
- First Rise: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and let the dough rise at room temperature for 8 to 18 hours, until it is doubled in size, bubbly, and has a slightly domed top.
- Shape the Dough: Flour your hands and a piece of parchment paper. Gently turn the dough out onto the floured parchment, folding it a few times to form a round loaf. Cover loosely with a towel and let rest for 30 minutes while the oven preheats.
- Preheat the Oven & Dutch Oven: Thirty minutes before baking, place a Dutch oven with its lid inside your oven and preheat to 450ยฐF (230ยฐC). This creates the steamy environment needed for an artisan crust.
- Bake: Carefully transfer the dough (parchment and all) into the hot Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until the crust is deep golden and crisp.
- Cool: Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing to maintain its structure and crumb.
Notes
- Use bread flour for a chewier crumb if you prefer, though all-purpose flour works beautifully.
- Adjust rising times for warmer or cooler kitchens; warmer spaces will speed up fermentation.
- A cast iron Dutch oven works best, but any heavy, oven-safe pot with a lid will do.
- Letting the bread cool fully prevents it from becoming gummy inside.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 loaf)
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 440mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 0mg