Iโve been making no-knead homemade artisan bread for the last 15 years, and itโs always been good but never quite what I hoped it would be. It just wasnโt quite right.
Of course, it was still delicious, and we enjoyed the homemade bread, but it always left me thinking it could be better.
Iโve experimented with different quantities of yeast and salt. Iโve added sugar, honey, and other types of flour to the recipe in my quest for the perfect no-knead bread recipe.
One day, I was watching a sourdough bread video. It was way too much work for a loaf of bread, but the technique used to knead the dough intrigued me. So, I thought I would try that method with my much easier-to-make no-knead bread recipe.
And it was amazing! The results finally yielded the bread Iโve been hoping to make for the last 15 years. It does require a small amount of kneading, but itโs pretty darn easy to make.
See all those little air holes? Thatโs what Iโve been missing in my no-knead bread all these years! It has a nice crisp crust, a lighter texture, and a wonderful flavor.
Ingredients to make Artisan Bread?
Itโs a very short list of ingredients to make this perfect loaf of homemade artisan bread. All-purpose flour, sea salt, yeast, and sugar are the only ingredients you need.
I use Sherpa Pink Himalayan Salt in my kitchen. The other products I use are King Arthur Flour, Active Dry Yeast and Natural Cane Sugar.
Why do I need sugar in my Bread Recipe?
Thatโs a good question and one I had pondered until I spoke with a master baker about what each ingredient did to make the end result in the bread I wanted.
Sugar has quite a few jobs and provides substantial improvements to yeast bread. Itโs not an essential ingredient, but it helps make a better loaf of bread.
- Sugar provides an additional source of food for the yeast. The yeast converts this food to carbon dioxide and alcohol
- Sugar (like salt) enhances the flavor of the bread
- Sugar helps give the crust that golden color we love
- Sugar improves the crumb texture of the bread
- Sugar helps retain moisture in bread and slows down the formation of gluten strands, which helps keep the bread fresher longer
Will sugar make the bread sweet?
Thatโs a great question, and the answer is no. We are not using enough sugar to make this sweet bread. You wonโt even notice itโs in the bread.
Why do I need salt in my homemade bread?
- Salt regulates the rate of yeast activity. It provides a slow and steady rise, which is even more crucial in this semi-no-knead bread. The slower rise gives the yeast time to develop the characteristic bread flavors we love
- Salt also strengthens the gluten structure of bread dough. It keeps the trapped carbon dioxide bubbles from expanding too quickly
- Salt makes bread taste better
How to make Artisan Bread
The process is fairly simple. It only takes about 10 minutes to make the bread dough and set it up for the first rise.
Following the recipe, add the salt, sugar, and yeast to the flour, whisking it all together to ensure equal distribution.
Then in a stand mixer (or by hand) add in the water. Depending upon the brand of flour you use, you may need a little less or a little more water. So start with about ยพโs of the water adding more if needed. The dough should be a little wet and sticky.
The last step is to place the bread dough in an oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Place the bowl on your counter away from drafts for the initial rise.
The rise time will be 12 -16 hours.
When the first rise is done, the bread dough should look like this. The dough may rise a little more than it falls a little. Thatโs normal; donโt worry.
The first step is to lightly flour a countertop and place the bread dough on the floured area. At this point, you will begin adding additional flour until the dough is no longer wet and sticky.
You donโt want the dough completely dry, but it should be easy to work with when youโve added enough flour. This should take you about 5 minutes.
The next steps are the folding process that will give the dough the textures and appearance we want.
- On a floured surface flatten the dough out to make a rectangle
- Fold over โ of the dough to the center (youโre folding the widest part first as shown in the pictures above)
- Fold over the other side of the rectangle overlapping the first fold of the dough
- Continue the folding process by folding the bottom โ of the dough upwards toward the center of the little package youโve made
- Now fold the top part of the dough down overlapping the fold you just made
- Turn the dough over (seam side down) and make a disc or oblong loaf, depending upon what shape of bread you want to make.
A Dough Scraper or cutter will make the process easier and help move the dough around without constantly touching it.
Place the finished dough on parchment paper (sprinkle cornmeal or flour on the parchment before placing the dough)
For the second rise, cover the dough with a bowl or damp tea towel. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. and place the dough on top of the stove.
The rise time will be 30-40 minutes for the second rise.
When the bread has finished rising, it should have a pillowy appearance and feel. When you shape the dough, donโt handle it any more than you have to.
The next step is cutting a design (if you want to) on the top of the bread. I used one of my kitchen knives, but they never really make great cuts, so I ordered a Bread Lame and Scoring Tool from Amazon. You donโt really need this, but you know what they say about a boy and his toys.
The last step before placing the bread dough in the oven is to brush it with water. Water helps crisp up the outer crust of the bread, making it crusty, which I love.
- Brush with olive oil for a smooth chewy crust
- Dust the bread with flour for a rustic look and chewy crust
- Brush with melted butter for a softer crust and appearance
- Brush with egg to get a shiny brown crust
**If you want to add seeds to the bread, any of the wet methods will help the seeds stick to the bread.
I use an Emile Henry Cloche to bake my bread in. You can also use a Dutch oven for this Artisan Bread.
What size dutch oven should I use to bake this recipe?
To make one loaf from my recipe, you will need a 7 qt. dutch oven or bigger. If you have a 5 qt Dutch oven, you can reduce the recipe by one-third or make two loaves.
What if I donโt have a cloche or a Dutch oven?
If you donโt have a cloche or a Dutch oven, a heavy metal cake pan (round or oblong) will work. If you use a cake pan, you will do your final rise in the pan. The bread will come out a little darker because it wonโt be covered.
Recipe FAQ
Bread that is mass-produced using large machines is referred to as Supermarket Bread. Artisan bread is usually made by hand using longer and more traditional processes.
My side-by-side tests showed that my folded no-knead bread had a rounder, more appealing flavor and had a better balance between acid and sweet than the loaves without folds.
The main reason your bread isnโt crusty is moisture, which comes from inside the bread. When cooling, you must give your bread enough room to breathe. Keep your bread on a cooling rack with enough space under it.
after my bread has cooled, I give it 7- 10 minutes and place it directly on the center rack in a 350-degree oven. This crisps the outside of the loaf nicely.
Yes, you can, but not using this recipe. Bread flour has a higher protein count which means the ingredients would have to be adjusted to accommodate using bread flour.
The finished bread is golden brown, crusty, and delicious. Once you get the hang of it, the process will only take minutes.
I keep a ziplock few bags of flour and other ingredients measured out ahead of time. That makes it super easy to make the bread after dinner so itโs ready to bake in the afternoon.
Eva
Really enjoyed reading your bread recipe, thank you for that. I have recently bought my first Dutch oven (Iโm a late bloomer) and started baking bread, so I get hooked on all bread recipes I find!
Karen
I think a small pinch of sugar in the dough makes a difference โ thanks for making this bread look so easy to make!
Cory Varga
Great bread. The pictures show such nice and fluffy interior. I love making bread at home and I canโt wait to try it
rika
The bread looks so good! I love homemade bread, always taste fresh and delicious!
Swathi
Beautiful no knead bread. Love that it is an easy to follow recipe. Great bread.
Lizzie Lau
This artisan bread recipe is awesome! Iโve had a bread revelation recently too. Iโve been baking sourdough for years and had no idea I could do a no knead version. My bread baking has leveled up.
Kita Bryant
I have got to try this recipe! I love baking homemade breads.
Barbie
Yummy, making me hungry. The shrimp looked so yummy too.
Tayo
I love all the very helpful tips you gave and the process shots also. This is one recipe Iโll definitely print out to try. Thank you!
Kathy
This bread looks amazing. Iโve been wanting to make some bread too. I will certainly be giving this one a try. I bet itโs going to be so good.
Heather
This bread turned out delicious! I served it with some soup and it was perfect!
Lynndee
I actually just had artisan bread with my coffee. I didnโt bake it, though. I got it from a restaurant. Going to try your recipe soon.
Agnes
I am planning to bake bread and this is the help that I need! Thank you for this post.
Catalina
Oh my goodness! This bread is everything I need right now! The homemade bread is always irresistible!
Rena
This looks amazing! Iโve only recently gotten my nerve up to try to bake bread, but I have to try this one!