In today’s post: You won’t believe how easy it is to make this beautiful homemade artisan bread! Only 4 ingredients and about 5 minutes of hands-on time for a gorgeous loaf that looks like it came from a bakery. Perfect for beginners!
Ok, people, I know that baking bread can be intimidating. There’s mixing and kneading and rising and it seems like it’s going to take forever and have a high chance of failure. If you’ve ever thought: “I just can’t make bread” then this easy artisan bread recipe is for you! Seriously, I can’t overstate how easy this recipe is and how beautifully the loaf turns out. Four ingredients, five minutes of work, and no kneading and this is what you’re going to be serving with dinner:
You’ve probably seen loaves like this at your local bakery, often referred to as a “boule”. The outside is crusty and chewy, while the inside is soft and tender. It’s perfect for serving alongside soup, with a creamy dip, or for making hearty sandwiches.
The secret to this incredible artisan bread is a long rise time, so you do have to plan ahead. The nice part is that the dough can rise anywhere between 8 and 24 hours, so it’s very flexible. You can start it the night before you plan to serve, or in the morning before work, and either way it will still turn out great! There is very little hands-on time so I find it’s a lot easier to make on a busy weekday than a traditional loaf.
Plus it just looks fancy, which is fun.
How to make artisan bread
ETA: After lots of happy comments, and lots of questions as well, I decided to make a step-by-step video for you guys showing the entire process for making artisan bread. This should help because you can compare your bread as you make it to what you see in this video:
And if you don’t want to watch the video, here are instructions in text/photos (and a printable recipe card follows the instructions):
You’ll start by mixing 3 cups white flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon yeast, and 1.5 cups of warm water in a bowl.
Use a wooden spoon and just mix until everything’s combined, probably less than a minute. No kneading, and no worries it if looks like a shaggy mess. It’s ok.
Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 8-24 hours. It will get all bubbly.
About 90 minutes before you’d like to serve it, turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Form it into a ball (as shown in the video), and let it rest for 30 minutes.
NOTE: Some readers tell me they form the ball on a piece of parchment paper, and then drop the whole thing (dough and paper) into the baking dish to cook. This makes the transfer even simpler!
In the meantime, turn on the oven to 450 degrees and put whatever dish you’ll cook it in inside the oven to preheat. You can use a dutch oven, or the crock from your slow-cooker, or a casserole dish with high sides, or an oven safe pot…pretty much anything that’s oven safe and has high sides will work. I just ordered this very pretty enameled dutch oven and it works beautifully (affiliate link)! NOTE: A couple of readers have let me know that their crock cracked from the heat in the oven. I have used mine multiple times and it has been fine, but I’d hate for anyone to ruin their crock on my advice! So use a crock at your own risk.
After dough has rested and oven has preheated 30 minutes, use a sharp knife to slash an X across the top of the dough. Spray your baking dish with nonstick spray, pick up the dough with floured hands, and plop it in. Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil, and put it in the oven.
Bake covered for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake 10-15 minutes more until top is nicely browned.
I like to let it cool for at least 15 minutes before I slice it so it doesn’t squish. If you have an electric knife you may be able to cut it sooner; and if you don’t have a sharp serrated knife you might want to wait even longer. It’ll be worth it, I promise!
Artisan Bread Recipe
4 Ingredient Easy Artisan Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon yeast
- 1.5 cups warm water
Instructions
- In a bowl, stir the flour, salt, yeast and water until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 8-24 hours.
- Turn dough out onto a well floured surface and form a ball. (Place on parchment paper if desired.)
- Rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, place an oven safe baking dish with high sides into the oven and preheat to 450 degrees.
- Slash an "X" on top of the bread. Carefully transfer to baking dish and cover. (If using parchment paper, you can pick up the edges of the paper and transfer the dough and the paper together into the baking dish.)
- Bake covered 30 minutes. Uncover and bake about 15 more minutes until quite golden brown.
- Cool before slicing.
Notes
Artisan Bread FAQ
*******YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED**********
Ok, I’ve gotten quite a few questions on this post, so I’ll answer them here. Watching the instructional video in the post above should be very helpful!
- Can I make this bread with all whole wheat flour? No. And yes. If you just substitute whole wheat flour for the white flour in this recipe, you’ll end up with a very dense loaf. However, I now have a post on how to adjust the recipe for a great 100% whole wheat version here.
- Is the first rise 8 hours? or 24? The first rise can be anywhere between 8 and 24 hours, at your convenience. That being said, I think the bread ends up a bit better if you go longer than 12.
- The dough just sits on the counter for that long? Yep.
- My dough rose for a while then fell before I shaped it. Will it still work? Yep.
- After the first rise my dough is so runny that it won’t hold it’s shape at all. What’s wrong? Well, the dough will be very soft, as you can see in the video, but you should be able to quickly pull up the edges and form it into a soft ball. If you can’t even do that, then maybe you didn’t have enough flour to begin with.
- Do I need bread flour? No. All purpose flour works great.
- Can I skip the yeast and use self-rising flour? No.
- Can I add other ingredients to this loaf, like cheese, garlic, or olives? Sure, although you’ll need to experiment and I cannot assure you it will work. Sometimes crushed garlic interferes with the yeast and the loaf doesn’t rise as high, and sometimes adding cheese makes the loaf a little moist. I don’t have a recipe for any add-ins, but you should check the comments because some people have left tips there.
- Can I make this with gluten free flour? I have no idea, since I’ve never cooked with gluten-free flour. However, check the comments because some readers have left tips there.
- Do I need to grease my baking dish? How do I do that if it’s already hot? Many baking dishes actually won’t need to be greased since they are already hot when you put the dough in. However, yours might, and the only way to find out is to try it. So I recommend shooting your baking dish with a quick shot of nonstick spray before adding the dough OR just using parchment paper.
For more questions, please read through the comments because lots of readers have answered each other’s queries there – thanks!
If you want even more info and instructions about artisan bread, check out this book by Jeff Hertzberg M.D. and Zoë François.
Want more bread recipes? Visit these posts:
How to make perfect dinner rolls
The best buttery crescent rolls
Whole wheat artisan bread recipe
Beautiful braided bread recipe
How to make french bread at home
Easy sweet Jiffy cornbread recipe
Jp says
This is my go to! I just live the taste and texture of this bread. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made it because it’s A LOT! I have one ‘resting’ now for baking in the morning, nothing like a nice fresh bread and a cup of coffee on a cold winter (or spring) day.
Rebecca W says
I’ve made this recipe 4-5 times now and we love it! It is so yummy. I do have a question though. Each time I’ve made it, the top and the inside are perfect but the bottom is so hard that I can’t cut through it. Is there a way to avoid that?
Autumn says
You could try cooking it on a higher rack in the oven, or try cooking it in a different container – I know some commenters have mentioned cooking on a cookie sheet and tenting with foil – that might help. Good luck!
James Malcheski says
HI,
I tried making bread for the first time, using your 4 ingredient recipe. I thought everything was going all right until I got it out of the original bowl and tried to form it up. It was pretty squishy, but i finally got it into a “flattened” ball shape. After resting for 30 mins, I baked it covered in a 450 oven for 30 mins, followed by another 15 mins uncovered. It ended up slightly brown in spots with a lightly crispy crust. After 15 mins on a cooling rack I cut off a side piece to taste. I thought it was very tasty, but extremely dense and moist. Later, when cutting it up for dinner, I noticed that there were places (sort of layers) inside that were still almost raw. The next day it had dried out quite a bit but was still heavy and moist.
HELP
James
Jp says
Make sure you are using enough flour and not substituting any other type then what the recipe calls for. It will hold its shape mostly, it’s a bit sticky that some will stick to your hands but not so squishy that it becomes flattened.
NewBreadMaker says
This is a great! Wondering if it works with whole wheat flour as well?
Autumn says
The whole wheat version is here: https://www.itsalwaysautumn.com/whole-wheat-artisan-bread-easiest-bread-recipe-ever.html
Faith V. says
So, I know that this is not the only (by any means) 4-ingredient artisan bread recipe. But it is the BEST one! I’ve tried “fast no knead bread” “fastER no knead bread” recipes, and the flavor of that bread, in comparison to this recipe, is NIGHT AND DAY. And I strongly believe it is the LONG PROOF TIME that differentiates this recipe from others. Bread NEEDS a long proofing time to have a great flavor. When you make bread in 2 hours, yes, you have bread, but the flavor is so bland compared to when you let your bread proof.
Moving on, I’ve made this bread 2 times. Both times I’ve let the bread proof for 24 hours, and it always turns out DELICIOUS. My husband noticed the difference on the first bite! I’m happy I’ve finally found a bread recipe he LOVES instead of simply eats. This recipe is a keeper, and now we both understand and appreciate that great bread takes time!
Autumn Baldwin says
Thanks Faith!
Stephanie D. says
This is the BEST bread I’ve ever had. I’ve made it for 30+ families and they all say the same thing. I have sometimes added the everything bagel seasoning to the bread at the beginning and then sprinkled some on top when it went into the oven and it came out amazing. Thank you for this recipe!!
Autumn Baldwin says
Thanks!
Evelyn Cordero says
I have made this recipe 3 times. The first one I used all purpose flour as per recipe and turned out beautiful. The second time I tried to use Gluten Free all purpose flour and it was a waste. The 3rd time I used Bread flour and it turned out also beautiful. Nice crispy in the outside and soft inside. Good flavor. Tips: best to weight the flour in a kitchen scale. 1 cup = 120g.
I also measured the temp of the water about 100 degrees F
I wait the 30 min to rest that give time for the oven to really get the true temperature of 450.
I wish I can add a picture to this post.
Great recipe for beginners like me.
Dave Bunch says
I’ve been folowing your page and making this bread on and off for about 4 years.
I started back up about 3 months ago using
Member’s Mark Bread & Pizza Flour (25 lbs.) and it was working nicely.
I recently got some Member’s Mark All Purpose Flour (25 lbs.) and my mixture doesn’t
seem to thicken up much like it usually does.
At first I thought it was Yeast which was about 4 years old. So I bought a new pack.
But just made two batches and after 12 hours. I added some flour and was barely able
to get it into the loaf pan to cook. The only other thing I noticed is the flour has some lumps.
Any help or input would be greatly appreciated.
autumn says
Hi Dave! If the dough is too runny to get it into a pan to cook, you can add more flour from the get-go. The dough should look somewhat dry and shaggy at the very beginning, when you first stir it together. You could also try sifting your flour first to get the lumps out – maybe the lumps of dry flour aren’t getting mixed in well? But most people who have thought the dough seemed too runny have had good success with a little extra flour at the beginning. Good luck!
Kristen says
Has anyone ever cut the recipe in half? If so, cooking time difference?
Heather says
Which kind of yeast do you mean in the recipe? Dry active?
Autumn says
Yes, that’s what I use.
Victoria says
My dough, after 22 hours, could not be formed into a ball — it was too soupy. And I couldn’t make an X on it. Fortunately I used parchment paper and could transfer it to bake. It came out looking very amateurish. Waiting for it to cool now.
BTW, my parchment paper says it’s only heat resistant to 420°F. I was hesitant to use it at 450°F. The paper got brown and crispy but didn’t burn.
Laurence Morrison says
Hi Autumn
I love the bread i produce with this recipe.
To help with consistency, can you identify the water temperature required?
Ive bought a thermometer to help me with that issue.
Thanks
Laurence
Sammy says
OMG – it worked. What a great recipe, I used strong white bread flour and was worried it might not work but it was amazing.
I also noticed after i left it on the side for 20 hours, it was very soft when i tried to make the ball form – however reading your advice and watching the video to roll over the sides made it rise a bit more. I plonked it in the hot pan (stainless steele pot) and voila – amazing amazing! Will now try with some raisons.
Jodie Cunningham says
I made the recipe exactly as shown and it came out perfect!! Yum! Yum! Yum! Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe!
Kristi says
I love this bread m, delicious and easy to bake. Have you ever preheated Dutch oven for less time? I felt bottom was a little more crusty. Mine didn’t burn or look toasty but it was definitely crusty. Maybe it bakes faster on bottom since Dutch oven is so hot. Thank you.
Beth says
I’ve made this bread successfully three times in the last five days. And I have never, ever made bread before so thank you Autumn! It disappears within a few hours…Everyone loves it. My only thoughts for the people that are having dough issues is I’m wondering what you are baking it in. I used a ceramic 5 quart Dutch oven from Aldie and it’s worked great. I would definitely recommend watching the video. That could yield answers
to the mystery just seeing it prepared in video form. And lastly I do heat up my water in the microwave for about a minute. It’s not too hot to touch but quite warm. Good luck! If I can do it, seriously anybody can!
autumn says
Beth, I’m so glad you’re enjoying this recipe! Thanks for your comment.
Norma says
This is amazing!!! My family loves it. It came
Out perfect!!
Mona Koons says
Tried this for the first time and WOW !! the crust was amazing and the bread was not over dense or heavy! My only advice is WATCH THE VIDEO FIRST then go make the bread. Seeing what to expect makes this an easy go to recipe to have.
Melissa says
Amazingly easy and even more amazingly delicious! Already have made 5 loaves in 2 weeks. Wow! I’d give 10 stars if possible.
Mandy E says
I’m no baker, and I’ve never successfully made bread, so I was a bit skeptical about the simplicity of this recipe, but I threw it together last night on a whim and baked it this morning, and it was SO good!
– I don’t have a Dutch oven, so I baked it on a pan with a tray of water underneath and removed the tray the last 10 minutes of baking. The loaf was crunchy, crispy outside and soft, moist inside.
– I live in Thailand with no cental air and lots of humidity. The dough rose very nicely overnight. I turned it out with lots of flour in the morning, as it was very sticky. Since it was breakfast bread, I folded some cinnamon brown sugar in for good measure. 🙂 It was truly delicious. My family devoured it in about 5 minutes. I’m about to make another batch now for dinner. Thanks for this amazing recipe… I’m sure it will be a daily go-to for us! And I’m thrilled to be able to finally say “I can make bread.” 🙂
Denise A Richardson says
Has anyone tried making this recipe with rye flour and caraway seeds.
Marcela Ecklet says
Super easy and delicious!
Anne says
This bread is always delicious, but other than my first time baking it, the bread never forms into a ball, never mind trying to slash it with a knife! It’s always way too wet! So much wet, sticky dough stuck to the board.What am I doing wrong?
autumn says
Hi Anne! You can just start with more flour. Lots of things can affect how much flour you end up with – how you measure it, how humid it is in your locale, etc. It’s ok to just add a little more at the beginning. In fact, it should looks kinda dry and shaggy when you first mix it together. Good luck!
linda leeson says
Autumn your video/ directions were extremely easy to follow. My bread turned out absolutely perfect!!
It was devoured by two people in an hour.
I always failed at making conventional bread but now I have something to brag about!!!
autumn says
I’m so glad, Linda! Thanks for your kind comment.
Peggy Hoppe says
My dough is a runny, sticky mess. It’s been “rising” for 18 hours. It did rise, but there is no way this soupy mix can be rolled into a ball. Is there any way to fix it, or should I just trash it?
autumn says
Hi! If you watch the video you’ll see exactly how it looks after rising – it is very soft. Just put plenty of flour out on a board and dump your dough onto it. Use flour on your hands and pull up the edges to form a ball. It’s pretty forgiving – if you have to work in a little extra flour it will still turn out fine. Next time you can start with a bit more flour or a bit less water. thanks!
Maria says
I tried you recipe today. It is really very good. Thank you for sharing it. I have a beautiful and tasteful bread on my counter.
Michelle says
Just finished my first attempt at this bread. I used bread flour just because I wanted to use it up. My dough was a really wet blob. I didn’t put down enough flour so it stuck to my parchment paper. I preheated the oven to 450 degrees, but turned the temp down to 425 when I placed the loaf into the oven. I live above 7000 feet, and I didn’t know if I needed any sort of high altitude adjustment. The loaf turned out lovely, crackling as it cooled. I did use a thermometer to test the doneness, but it could have probably gone another few minutes. Happy with the result.
Kathleen Nelson says
This bread is out of this world! Thank you so much for sharing! I let it rise for 20 hours and added a teaspoon of sugar to the mix. It was really, really sticky, but it ended up totally great. I LOVE making bread, and this was definitely the easiest recipe I have ever tried. I forget to cut an X, but it really didn’t matter. The crust is almost cracker-y. I baked the bread in the oven (just like the recipe said) in my Crockpot pot. It was a beautiful bake, and I will definitely make this again. I used active-dry yeast, and I didn’t let it sit in water like some of the yeast packages say to. That was my first time skipping the water step, so I was a little bit nervous. I think the sugar helped the bread rise, and I think it helped the bread rise.
Kathleen Nelson says
OOPS! I meant to say I think that the sugar helped the bread to be less bland (instead I said: I think the sugar helped the bread rise, and I think it helped the bread rise.- haha!) 🙂
This bread was wonderful, and not bland in the least!
Amy says
So a friend of mine lived in Alaska for a summer where bread was super expensive and someone showed her this recipe… which she then showed to me and several others…. and now that we are all quarantined with no school this recipe is spreading like crazy, everyone is making this delicious bread. Thank you 🙂
legend says
5 minutes of my time and no kneading lead to gorgeous bread? Well my friends, it totally worked! The yummiest, prettiest bread that you ever did see. I use this recipe every few days now. It is so quick and easy I prepare it while I am waiting for my bread to toast in the morning.
Ann says
You definitely do not need a mixer for this bread. Just stir until all dry ingredients are wet. It’s so easy and delicious!
Donia says
My Dutch oven is only oven safe up to 400, what would be the correct time adjustment?
Lance says
Donna I’ve even used stainless steel bowls covered with a pizza pan at 500F ! you really cant go wrong 450 or hotter an enamel coated cast iron dutch ovewn works well
Lance Henderson says
at 400F go 40 covered then 10 uncovered 🙂
Sherry says
Wow this bread is amazing and so easy, thanks for the great video to show how easy it is. I have made 3 loaves this week already and gave one as a gift today.
Shaimaa says
Can I add active yeast instead of dry yeast?
Debbie Ness says
My home is on the cool side. Does the dough need to be kept fairly warm during the rise process? what temp should I look for?
autumn says
Hi Debbie! Because the rise is so long I think it’s be just fine even if your house is cool – maybe just plan to let it rise at least 12 hours instead of only 8. You can also try leaving it to rise somewhere that’s a little warmer, like where the sun from the window hits, or over your dishwasher while it’s running. My house is generally 70 degrees F and it rises just great.
Jaclyn says
Please HELP!!! I’ve made bread several times and the crust is prefect but the inside is to dense and not light like bread should be, what am I doing wrong? I’ve tried increasing baking times and have gotten close but still inside too moist and thick and chewy. Should I add more water or more flour? Please help I want to make this bread so bad!
Sharon D says
Can i make several and freeze them? I’d like to give them as gifts. Thank you!
Patricia says
Hello dear Autumn.!
This recipe made me try making home bread for the first time.! Thank you for posting it.!
For a first time ever it went okay I think, but I have to say that it really depends on the oven. My bread turned out okay, just a bit too yeast flavoured…, maybe I have put too much, or I will try dry instead of active.
Other than these small issues, I want to thank you for making me believe I could do it at home.!
Lisa says
Hi. I do not have a Dutch oven. And all of my baking dishes are uncovered ( eg. Pyrex dishes or bread pans). What to use as the recipe calls for covering?
I have a Turkey roasting pan with a cover will that work?
Help!!!
Karyssa says
I know I am a few months late, but I just made this in my Pyrex covered in tin foil and it worked perfectly fine. I let the oven preheat, then put the room temp Pyrex in the oven with the dough. 35 minutes later I have an amazing loaf of bread!
Adrienne says
I just wanted to comment because I just started making bread a few months ago and this was the recipe I started with. I’ve tried several types of bread since but this is still my favorite and probably the best-tasting of all. I get compliments whenever I make this bread and yet it’s so easy!
Ashley says
I have to complain about this recipe. It is way too delicious and easy to make ? I already ate a whole loaf and plan to make another. I added some chopped up olives and it turned out perfect! Thank you!
Rich says
Just tried this Artisan Bread recipe for the first time and it looks ‘perfect’ – will give it a taste in a bit when it cools a little. It has a beautiful golden crust !
Anna Margrét Kristjánsdóttir says
I love this recipe! Super easy and soooo delicious! Haven´t tried out yet to put add-ins but that´s upcoming. I used oven safe stove pot from IKEA 365+. It works like a charm. I was considering buying a special oven pot but I found oven safe pot. If you have one save your money on buying a special cheramic pot!!!
Anna says
I love this recipe! Super easy and crazy good!
Sher from Minnesota says
My son is home from college and was hankering to make some homemade bread. We found this recipe and video and are VERY HAPPY with the step-by-step instructions and especially the results! He used a Pyrex with a lid and it turned out perfect. Absolutely perfect! Thank you so much!
Dulci says
You made this Artisan Bread look so easy to bake — that I’m going to attempt it myself! Thanks!!
Wendy says
If I wanted to give this as a gift…how long would I have? (i.e.,if after it cooled and I wrapped in cellophane). Guess my question is how many days would this be good for? I am so excited to make this 🙂
Paul says
My wife made this and it was delicious, my only comment was I thought it was a bit to wet (doughy). Is it supposed to be? How would she make it so it was not so wet. For example when I cut into the middle the dough starts to roll and bind (the serrated knife is sharp). Thank you in advance.
Bob Spillman says
The last two times I made this, dough was awfully thin prior to cooking. Loaf turned out fine, but wondering about cause.
Wendy Sites says
Can you tell me if I. Could use rapid rise yeast with this recipe and if so how much of the packet would I use? This bread looks yummy. Can’t wait to try it.
Klio says
Hi, can I bake it uncovered in a plain bake dish without top or is it going to get brown very quickly? Thanks
Virginia Bird says
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! Love your explanations and the VDO is simply perfect! I can hardly wait to give it a go! I make my own sourdough starter and will try to add a bit of this to the recipe and see how it turns out. Thank you again! 🙂
Duane Jones says
Can I use Fleishmann’s original Active (not rapid rise) dry yeast? It calls for 1 tsp of sugar in 1/4 cup of warm water to activate.
Thank you!
Duane Jones
Duane Jones says
I am going to try (first time) making this. I couldn’t find the brand of yeast you showed in the video but did find, “Flesichmann’s yeast original active dry yeast. It requiring 1 tsp. with warm water will this work.
Thanks and thank you for the recipes
Duane Jones
Duane Jones says
Would anyone know?
Naomi Kalmus says
Hi. I love this bread. My only issue is that I can never get that nice round shape with the taught skin. I’ve watched the video several times and still can’t figure out the trick. Any suggestions?
Kimberley says
Just tried this, I was very strict following the right amounts but it still came out a soggy mess, not able to form a ball.
Because some of the comments said baking the blob still results in a good loaf I tried that, and it was edible but very dense bread. Not really worth the effort unfortunately 🙁
Bobbi says
This looks wonderful, but you need to add a print button to this.
Ashley says
I’ve made it 3 times now, and each time the dough smells a little sour after sitting for almost 12 hours.
Is that normal?
jamie says
What all (inexpensive) pots, or bread pans can be used?
Rose says
I made this earlier today for the first time. I started yesterday afternoon and let it do its thing all night and all day. It turned out AMAZING! My husband and I devoured it over dinner and I set aside some more so I can bake this again tomorrow. Im going to try adding garlic cloves before I put it in the oven to bake and am hopeful it will turn out just as amazing.
Its a great recipe to play with and customize it with different flavors/herbs/etc.
Thanks Autumn!
brian mclaughlin says
tried this artisan bread recipe. yes it’s easy! yes the bread is great! yes it did damage the enamel on the outside of my dutch oven! it didn’t harm the inside though so it’s stil usable. i am going to try baking it next time on a pizza stone just to see how it comes out.
darlene says
hi brian ….
when you bake it on a pizza stone, the dough will not rise as high, as there is nothing to contain the sides … it’s not the same …
Claire says
Would this work in a loaf pan as well?
Linda says
Has anyone doubled this recipe and if so did it work?… how long did you have to bake it? (longer than the 30 + 15 min?) I know we can just make 2 loves, but would like a LARGE loaf! Hope someone can help, thank you!
Linda says
It works!… my daughter tried doubling the loaf… she made 2 separate single loaf recipes and combined them for baking! (combined before folding up the edges) It worked great and the bread was totally done inside and out. It’s so beautiful! Very large loaf… she said she left it in the oven about 5 min. longer than suggested for single loaf. Thank you Autumn for this awesome recipe! We love it 🙂
Lori says
This bread is amazing, so easy, the crust comes out just right and the inside is light.
Aimer says
I used 1c cup4 cup (brand) wholesome gluten free flour 1c Pamala’s gf all purp flour 1c cup4cup gf all purp flour. I only used the combo cause I didn’t have enough of one. Followed the rest of the intructions & HOLY COW I had a beautifully yummy bread tastes like “real” bread, brought one to work, fresh out of the oven & it was gone in 15 mins & no one could believe it was gf. I win when the “regulars” can’t tell.
Gordana Medved says
Love this bread
Sooo good 🙂
Although every time I make it by 30 min the bread is so dark… and then I don’t do the uncovered part and then the crust is not that crusty… what am I doing wrong?!?!
Cat says
If I’m not able to bake until about 31-32 hours of sitting (6-7 hours past the 24 hours given), is that still safe or should I scrap it and start again? I hate to waste but want to bake safe. Thanks!
Barbara Karr says
Twenty- two years ago I was diagnosed with MS and forced to leave my job. I always said when I retired I would make bread. I had to use a bread machine for the kneading. The last step was done in the oven. There is no way to get that taste without baking. Yesterday I watched a wonderful video by itsalwaysautumn. I watched her make artisan bread so effortlessly that I got the courage to try again. It went just as the video showed. This afternoon I baked this bread and am so proud it is shameful. At 72 I made my first bread from scratch. I would never have been brave enough without your video Autumn! Thank you so very much. You truly inspire others. Tomorrow I am making your rolls. Lookout world a monster is loose. Again thank you for the awesome video. Barb
Erin says
I’ve made this bread many times and it always turns out amazing. I started adding roasted garlic (smashed with a little truffle oil) and fresh rosemary. It still turns out wonderful. I live in a high altitude state and have played around with lowering the temp and baking it longer. Today I’m trying it at 440 for 40 mins and then baking it for 10 mins with the lid off. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I now feel confident enough to try baking other things. 🙂
Naomi says
Love this bread. So easy to make. However, I have hard time getting the “X” to stay open when I slice it. Any suggestions?
Gordana Medved says
Following
Lucy Wynne, Kent ~ England says
Thank you so much Autumn for this recipe.
Recent Illness has rather knocked me back recently and made me rethink my gift giving as I’ve not been
well enough to make gifts as normal.
I wanted to try something different for Christmas, so using the basic recipe quartered I made this using mincemeat (as in mince pies) with chopped basil.
second trial, 1/4 basic recipe, sultanas and chopped apricot soaked overnight in apple juice then drained, chopped dates, toasted almond slivers, pistachio nuts
third trial also using quarter of basic recipe was smoked salmon trimmings, lemon zest and sugar snap peas. Brushed egg wash over when lid came off and ground pink Himalayan rock salt and black pepper over
Fourth trial, 1/4 basic recipe smoked salmon trimmings, lemon zest, finely chopped fennel. Egg wash and salt/pepper as previously.
All were gorgeous and will make lovely gifts into the bargain.
Many years ago before disabling illness made it impossible I used to make “allday breakfast rolls” I tried these with the basic recipe and add ins of mushrooms, tomatoes, sausage, bacon lardons and egg all coarsely chopped. With the addition of unsalted butter while still warm and a mug of herbal tea.
They were gorgeous and had appreciative comments from all who tried them.
autumn says
Sounds amazing!
Amber G says
Ok second time making… this time I don’t have plastic wrap, so I’m covering with a baby towel…. I hope it works out just as well!!! Also I’m tempted to make the switch to beeswax paper anyways, has anyone tried this instead? TIA (first batch I rigged a gallon size plastic bag and packing tape, I’m out of those too now lol)
shelly says
I used a tall cast iron skillet. The high temp started to melt the handle of my cooking pot lid so I replaced with foil. It came out great. Crust is a little hard on bottom but the bread is super-tender inside. Maybe I will cook a little less time as I did 15-18 minutes uncovered.
I’m already mixed up the batter for the next loaf with lots of dill.
Awesome recipe and so easy!! Thanks for sharing it!
S says
I never rate anything or comment on others posts BUT THIS! OMG! So, I took the bread out of the oven 30 minutes ago & the house smells incredible! The bread was popping while on the cooling rack providing a beautiful crunchy outside crust and looks a heavenly golden brown. Slicing, the aroma was literally making my stomach alert and anxious. Lol. The center as promised is so light and airy. This is perfection! Simple. Easy. Delicious. YES!
Tara Bazata says
This is DELICIOUS! I made it exactly as the recipe indicated. The initial dough is pretty dry, but I didn’t get tempted to add more liquid. It perked up beautifully overnight – I let mine sit for about 21 hours. I am keeping this in my “staple recipe” file…thank you, Autumn!
Lynne says
You mean you let it siit for 21 hours prior to baking?
Kerry says
I follow this recipe exactly as written. It turns out perfect every time. I can’t tell you how many times I have served it for company and get compliments every single time. People don’t believe me when I say how easy it is to make. Thanks so much!!!
Katt says
I think people are traumatized by early bread epic fails and they tend to overthink this recipe because of it. I am a simple home baker–going on twenty five years worth now and I make baked goods for both the ‘typicals’ and ‘GF’s’ in my home. The best way not to ‘fail’ with this is to make it at night before you go to bed–you will fuss over it less if you let it rise while you sleep. If you followed the recipe exactly and did not substitute any flours and your dough looks dry after mixing–try ignoring it. Just cover it and go to bed. When you get up, you will probably find it is just fine. If it seems a bit too loose or gloopy come morning and seems as though it won’t hold together–I suggest ignoring that too. Use parchment paper to transfer the gloopy blob into your baking dish and bake as directed. You will probably be happy with the results.
***GF*** Okay for all you poor souls, my daughter included who are GF…yes you can make a version of this with GF flour. I suggest either Namaste or Bob’s cup for cup baking flours available online and at Whole Foods, among other places. That being said–several gluten free mums and I found that you will use 1/2 up to 1 cup LESS flour depending on your flour mix. Whatever you do, use a gf baking flour that INCLUDES the gum. Don’t add any to this recipe. Also, when you first start making it, put very warm water in bowl, add 2 TBLSP honey, stir. Add yeast and let sit 10 minutes. Then proceed as recipe directs–just watch that flour–it will be a bit of an experiment for you…try it with 1/2 cup less flour the first time, and if that doesn’t work, try 1 cup less on the next batch. The GF version WILL be more dense, but not so bad if you lower the flour. Personally i found the Namaste flour worked best and gave a pebbly slightly chewy crust and a soft spongy inside with some small bubbles. Also, it’s not going to rise as high as the typical version, but that is a small price to pay for something close to rustic bread. Some of us found that brushing the top of the bread LIGHTLY with oil can help with tender/chewiness of crust–but some didn’t like it. Also most of us lowered the temperature to 425F and kept the baking time the same or just a bit more depending–again, it will come down to the gf baking flour you used–its unfortunately trial and error. (We didn’t try adding other things like baking powder or yougurt, etc…because we wanted to keep this the simple bread it was intended to be) When you slice the GF bread, I would wait until it is good and cool…once sliced you can toast or heat it back up in the microwave–though toasted was voted best with us. Good Luck.
autumn says
Thank you so much for your fabulous tips and information!
Aurélie Canther says
Has anybody ever made this recipe with a homemade starter?
Tina says
I’ve never made bread and didn’t have a Dutch oven but your tips were great. I used a casserole dish and foil and it turned out perfect.
Kara says
Wow!! Not only is this bread super easy to make, it is absolutely DELICIOUS!! Everyone in the family loved it! I will definitely be making this on a regular basis. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Jennifer @ Because food is love says
Thanks so much for this recipe! We loved it! I’ve been wanting to make artisan bread for awhile and I just hadn’t gotten around to it. I’m so glad I finally decided to look at recipes. I can’t believe how simple it is to make. My kids thought the bread came from the store. I’m actually going to make it again this weekend. My kids loved it with a little almond butter. So tasty!
Gina Droege says
Can you reduce the salt in this recipe?
autumn says
I think you probably could – I don’t believe the salt does much other than accent the taste. I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure, but I think it would be worth a try.
Chad says
Be careful using the enameled cast iron. The first attempt making this we used a Lodge enameled cast iron dutch oven. During the pre-heating stage, all of the enamel on the inside spider cracked. After a little research, found out that it is never supposed to be heated empty. No longer usable for cooking, but my wife has a very unique red planter on the patio now.
Sandra Richards says
It was great and just as easy as you said! Will def make it again.
Ashley s says
This recipe is so perfect! I’ve never made bread before but this was so easy and so yummy! I made it to go with beef barley soup and it was so good that I couldn’t stop eating it! Thanks so much for posting this! I will make it again and again!
Isabel says
Are the degress in celsius or fahrenheit?
Also what brand of yeast do you use?
Sharon says
Are you sure half teaspoon yeast is correct
Marcella Icovino says
Just made this bread, amazing!! Thank you so much for sharing! I did read through the comments and got some good information and tips. I will try adding flavors and gluten free flours next! Yay!
Marcella Icovino says
Just made this bread, amazing!! Thank you so much for sharing!! I will try adding flavors and gluten free flours next!
Liza says
I have never made bread because it seemed time consuming and ultimately a waste of time if it didn’t work. This was my first attempt ever at making bread and the recipe is simple and tastes great! I made it once using the minimum 8 hours specified but I also made it a couple times after that and only let it sit for about three hours. Only difference was that it didn’t rise as high while cooking. Still tasted great! Thank you for posting this recipe!
Lance says
Instead of using a floured counter-top i lightly flour parchment paper that is good in the oven to 500 F ..i do this because the heated dutch oven is easy to burn yourself while placing the ball in it … but on parchm,ent just lift from alternate corners and lift straight in … saves u spraying pot too and easy to remove once it is cooked … just make sure its good parchment or it wont take the heat or lift out without tearing
Virginia says
I’ve made this three times now and it’s awesome. So easy! Just follow directions to a T and it will be great. I wish I could add a picture here.
Lory says
I have made this recipe quite a few times now, and never really twice the same way. The bread turns out perfect every time, it’s so forgiving and delicious!! It has become a family favorite already! Thank you so much for sharing!! I have created a link to your site for others to find it. Thanks again!!
Katee says
I made this bread for the first time tonight and it turned out wonderfully though I added more flour than called for because I am not used to such a sticky bread dough. I plan on doing it again soon but leaving it more sticky and letting the dough sit longer (I only had about 8 hours). I used my camping dutch oven to make the bread and it was perfect. Thanks Autumn! I love how easy it was.
Colleen says
To avoid the crock cracking, place it into a cold oven and allow it to preheat along with the oven.
Melissa says
I started this recipe yesterday evening and baked it to go with dinner tonight. This was my second time. So yummy! I made two loaves this go-’round because my family inhaled the loaf I made the first time in minutes. It is easy to make, beautiful in all its bread-y wonder, and delightful to eat.
Karla says
Wonderful recipe! After make this several times, I’ve discovered that kitchen temperature makes a huge difference in the consistency of the dough after rising (as does rising time). A warm kitchen makes the dough turn out practically like a batter. The cooler the kitchen is, the more “normal” the dough is. But the first time I made this, even though it was almost pourable, certainly did not make a ball, it still turned out amazing after baking. The last couple of times, I’ve stirred in a pat of soft butter, and that makes it even better. Love this recipe! Thank you.
Ruth Sublett says
Glad to see this comment as I also had pourable dough. And I had tried to keep the stove top where the dough was sitting warm thinking it would help it rise. Next time, I will keep the kitchen at normal temp. Thanks for the tip.
K says
Love this recipe. Don’t use your crockpot bowl! It cracked mine and isn’t usable now. I changed the recipe to be 2 cups whole wheat (soft white freshly ground) and 1 cup white. I then folded in some fresh crushed garlic right before I baked it. It is delicious!
Marilyn says
Has anyone ever tried to add cloves of roasted garlic to the dough?
Nadya says
Yesterday I made beautiful and yummy bread for the first time in my life! And today, I made my second bread, with Parmesan and rosemary. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe ❤️
dougInATX says
Thanks for your writeup and photos, it called me to try this recipe. Not only was it easy but it turned out wonderful. I’ll make this some more. I weighed the flour (125g /cup) and the mix was the perfect wetness. I only had dry active yeast so I proofed it for 10 min in 3 Tbl of the warm water before I combined everything together. I also increased the yeast to 3/4 tsp. I used King Arthur unbleached AP flour.
I got to mixing it up late last night. I’m glad it was so quick and easy. If it took 5 minutes, I would be surprised. I heated the oven about 3pm today and I put it in the Lodge Dutch Oven using a parchment sling and it baked 30 min @ 450 covered and 10 min uncovered. Perfection! Thanks again.
Stef says
HI! I have made this a few times and every time it turned out great! Everyone in my family loves it. However, I have a huge family and I wanted to know what the cooking time would be if I double the ingredients. Thank you!!!
JaneR368 says
I made this yesterday and also had to add a little more water. It rose brilliantly and I baked it today. For some bizarre reason, I left the lid off during the first 30 minute bake, and then realised .. covered it for the last 10 minutes of baking and it still worked. I haven’t baked bread in years but this is going to be a staple recipe for a long time! Awesome!
Clark Brady says
My first batch was all wet and unformable and thought this was going to be a flop, but the crockpot was already preheated and the oven hot so I thought why not continue on with the experiment. OMG! This flat glob of soft mass cooked up to look just like the best pictures of artisian bread! I let it cool and took it to a potluck where I sliced it up into thick small pieces so people could try it and not take too much and waste it. Everyone raved over the bread and asked me all about it. It was such a success. I made my batch 4:00pm then cooked it the next day at 1:00 pm. WOW I love this bread. Leftovers can be sliced up and used in the toaster and resembles english muffins to a tea! Thank you for the recipe!
Peggy Friend says
Could this bread be be changed up a bit by adding cinnamon sugar and raisins for a cinnamon loaf?
Sonja Middleman says
I love this Bread make it all the time especially now with fall and winter.I use a crock pot insert to bake it .Great recipe .
Maria B says
Just made this this morning! So incredibly good and so simple! Thank yoU! My family loves it!
Jacquie says
Two questions
1. Do you use Fast-Acting yeast or brewers yeast?
2. Can you substitute the 1.5 cups of warm water with 1.5 cups of warm buttermilk (sourdough) or 1 cup warm water + 0.5 cup of warm buttermilk?
Jenn says
This bread recipe is the most amazing bread recipe I have ever made! It is foolproof and easily adaptable. I have added cinnamon and raisins; 1/3 whole wheat with some ground flax seed and feel you could add just about any herb combination or dried fruit, seeds, nuts. I have made this to share at work multiple times and have since printed off the recipe for many of my coworkers. I place the dough on parchment paper rather than greasing the baking dish for easy clean up and usually check the loaf for doneness during the uncovered cook time after 5 minutes.
Thank-you for a lovely recipe!
Annie says
Hey I have a question. If I wanted to split this recipe in half and make two loaves out of one recipe, how long would the bake time be? 15 mins? Unsure. Please reply! 🙂
Have made this recipe many times. Love it.
Alyson says
I made this bread yesterday and baked it up today OMG so scrumptous.
I split the recipe in 2.. 1 herb/cheese/garlic …. I original
and then made a GF one for my husband
My favorite is the herb one 😎
Michelle Kennedy says
Is there a chance that gluten free flour would work for this recipe?
Laura says
Has anyone ever tried the recipe using gluten-free flour?
Lorraine says
How do you know how long the recipe needs to sit? You give the option of 8-24 hrs. How do you know when it’s ready?
Anne henkes says
Is rising time less with instant yeast?
Nat says
I just finished my first batch. The dough was very wet but had lots of bubbles. I had to add a lot of flour to get it to form a ball and even then it was very sloppy.mi naked it anyway and it turned out great.
Not sure if it should be so crusty though.
Kara says
So just made my very first loaf following the directions just as they were and so far so good! May I add that this is the very first time EVER making bread by hand, I’ve always wanted to but was to lazy I always used my bread machine!! Thanks for sharing!! You’ve changed my life can’t wait to play around with adding some flavour to the dough!!
Audrea says
Oh my gosh! This is the easiest bread I’ve ever made and it’s flat out delicious!
ANNA WILLIAMS says
I even made this bread, but put in a little too much yeast, i live in london UK and we use LBS instead of CUPS so trying to find the correct measurements and Weights, but good all the same, will keep trying for that perfect loaf… one question….
how to store? how long will it keep?
Thanks
Anna
BYron says
Problem I had was translating US cups to UK cups, I tend to prefer grams. I’m halfway through making this, also in the UK. Like others I have found that following the recipe results in a very sloppy batter-like dough after fermentation. I have added about 100g or more flour to bring it round. I wonder if this is due to not packing down the flour when measuring out 3 cups, or the soft water where I am (Yorkshire). General rule is the longer you ferment, the longer the bread should last. I would say about a few days if kept in a sealed bag in a bread bin.
Kimberly says
With you pot or Dutch oven already hot you do not have to use the spray before you put the dough in. I’ve made this bread easily over 100 times and have never used the spray. Just let the bread cool for about 5-10 minutes in the pot and then invert. Comes out easily every time. You can also speed up the process by using warm water, and 1/4 TSP red wine vinegar. The rise time shortens to 8 hrs and then you cook it as you did before.
Jennifer C says
I made your artisan bread recipe multiple times. The first time as written and using my crockpot insert in the oven (which works great for me). The other times I’ve changed things up a bit with different flour types. And it’s worked great every time! Even when I thought it wouldn’t because the flour was too wet or too dry or the temperature too humid. It’s amazing. The latest bread I made I used half regular white flour and half rye flour. I used the same measurements as for the regular recipe and the mixture seemed drier than the others I made before. I let it sit for 18 hours and it still seemed too dry but I followed the rest of the directions and baked it as usual. It still turned out perfect! Crispy crust on the outside and moist springy bread on the inside. Perfect with a bit of butter and Brie or as a Reuben Sandwich. Thanks for sharing this great recipe.
Karen says
It is gloopy but she said it would be. I scraped it onto my baking mat and pulled it up the way in the video with flour. It doesn’t make a hard, firm ball; it stayed round but spread out a bit. I used Ghee butter to coat my pan and plopped it in; came out absolutely delicious!
Louise says
I have made this bread and it is fabulous! I make it with wholemeal flour. However – outside the USA a cup measures 250 ml unlike an American cup which is 225 ml. This makes a huge difference when measuring cups of flour! Took me a while to realis my bread was a bit heavy! Please let the rest of the world know when you print weights that it is different in other countries
Many thanks
Rachel says
My dough came out very wet after rising for 24 hours. Help!
Julie says
I’m trying this recipe with one cup of white flour and 2 cups of bread flour…Hope it works? I also added a lil extra water…mine was so dry it would not bind.
Cheryl Hank says
I need to be gluten free I wonder if I did this with the gluten free all purpose flour if it would turn out or do you need the gluten to make it work.
Liz reid says
Sooo good thanx for sharing this recipe
Liz says
Love this recipe ,have given it to almost all my family .So easy and soooo good ,thanx for sharing
Pam says
Just made this recipe and it is FABULOUS. I read all comments before starting and was a little leary of what to expect but here are my comments. I followed the recipe exactly. I let the dough set on my kitchen counter for almost 24 hours before baking. I used the crock from my Rival crockpot although was hesitant as some said their crock cracked. Mine didn’t. I put crock in oven while it was preheating to 450 and left it in there for 30 minutes. At the same time, I had dumped out dough onto well floured breadboard. I didn’t cover it. Right before baking, I pulled crock from oven and sprayed with PAM as someone had commented their bread wouldn’t come out of crock. I tried to slice an “X” into the dough but it wouldn’t stay; the dough filled in over it. When done, the bread fell right out of crock when I dumped it out. It made a beautiful loaf. After baking for 30 minutes covered, I only cooked it for 10 minutes uncovered; next time I will cook for 15 and let it get a little more brown on top. I took pics and e-mailed to my friends. I “staged” the bread with various items to try to make it look like a magazine photo. My friends couldn’t believe their eyes. That bread is so beautiful! And…it tastes delicious! I served to husband with real butter and orange marmalade and he said it was fabulous…and it was. I just broiled some cherry tomatoes sprayed with EVOO and a little balsamic vinegar with a shake of kosher salt and will eat those on a slice of this bread for dinner tonight…if there’s any bread left by then he he he! This is going to be my go-to recipe from now on when I want to give someone a gift. They will definitely be impressed. Love Love Love this recipe. Thanks for posting.
Amanda says
I made this using 2 cups of whole wheat bread flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour and it came out very good. However I found 1.5 cups to be far too much water and ended up adding a whole other cup of whole wheat flour and still had a very wet and sticky dough which made it hard to form into a ball and get in the dutch oven. Nonetheless the whole loaf is gone after only a few hours… nothing like some freshly made bread with some jam and butter. Will definitely be making this again!
Marie says
Can you use bread flour instead of regular flour
Amanda says
I used whole wheat bread flour and it turned out delicious
Laurel says
I have sour dough starter. I’m thinking about adding some to the ingredients. Has anyone tried this?
Also, I love the bread, your instructions were perfect.
I forgot warm water and it turned out beautiful anyways.
Thanks.
Cristina J says
For those of you that saw only a stinky yeasty soup, and then sent your dough down the disposal, I have a question and a comment. Question: You got that far, why wouldn’t you just try to bake it?
Comment: I’m a professional pastry chef but am sad to say that I haven’t worked with a lot of bread. I’ve made several varieties and types of bread, but do not consider myself an expert in this category. I do think there is an ideal proof time for bread and perhaps 24 hours is too long. I let my dough rise for 13 hours but not because I planned it that way. I think 8 is probably the ideal time if I had to guess, but you could still make a serviceably good bread at 24 hour proof time. My dough at 13 hours was pretty wet and not easy to shape. Putting it into the Dutch oven, I thought it would start drooping down around my fingers if I didn’t make the transfer quickly enough. I understand your apprehension, but from a pro to a novice the only advice I can give is you don’t know what it will be like till it’s baked. I had some doozies, and sometimes they work out in the bake. And sometimes not. But once you’ve come that far, your only spending a little bit of electricity and little more time. Take it all the way, and then determine if it’s a flop.
Clark Brady says
My first batch was all wet and unformable and thought this was going to be a flop, but the crockpot was already preheated and the oven hot so I thought why not continue on with the experiment. OMG! This flat glob of soft mass cooked up to look just like the best pictures of artisian bread! I let it cool and took it to a potluck where I sliced it up into thick small pieces so people could try it and not take too much and waste it. Everyone raved over the bread and asked me all about it. It was such a success. I made my batch 4:00pm then cooked it the next day at 1:00 pm. WOW I love this bread. Leftovers can be sliced up and used in the toaster and resembles english muffins to a tea! Thank you for the recipe!
Debbie says
I have made this bread many times and it turns out amazing!!! No one can believe it isn’t from the store. I live at 6800 feet and is perfect.
Sarah says
Just wondered how long you preheat baking dish
andrea says
Thanks! I had read that I shouldn’t, but because it’s the flour I keep on hand, I made this recipe entirely with “white whole wheat” flour, let it sit for 24 hours, and, although I had no white flour version for comparison, I’d have to say that it’s still a right nice loaf of bread with a great crust and lots of air holes. I’ll be making this a regular addition to our meals. Couldn’t be easier.
andrea says
Also, I baked it in 2 qt. round glass baking dish.
alexe says
This is THE best bread I’ve ever made! Thank you for this fantastic recipe! Would you mind if I shared it in French on my blog? With links to your recipe and video, of course! 🙂
Paula says
I made this recipe & the printable one doesn’t mention greasing the pan. Now I can’t get it out of the crockpot. I expected it to be higher/taller, but in the pictures here, it doesn’t look very tall.
JoAnn Ward says
Just made this Artisan bread. May just eat the whole thing myself! So easy, so yummy! THANKS!
Isabelle says
Hi there! I just found your recipe a little over a week ago and we’ve already made 5 loaves since then. It’s unbelievably simple and delicious. Love it! Actually, my family enjoys so much that I decided to share it on my blog. You can check it out here: https://gatherlovegrow.wordpress.com/2016/03/31/making-bread-for-beginners/
Have an awesome day and thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Dean says
I was wondering can you use whole wheat flour for this recipe ?
Christine says
Did you ever get an answer? I live at 6200 ft and was wondering the same thing. Thanks?
Rose McD says
I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong…both times I’ve made this, my dough is watery and won’t stay in a ball to rest….first one was dense, this one’s in the oven now…I REALLY want this to work right. Please help!! Thanks. 🙂
Wanda Cabrera says
Everything looked good until this am when I was going to bake it, it was too watery, Couldn’t form a ball. It was too sticky
Anh says
For those bakeware that got cracked: you should preheat it with the oven so it doesn’t get temperature shock and crack.
Dough doesn’t hold the shape: Right, it is very moist, just use a scraper and fold a few times then put in a bowl lined with parchment paper if your baking vessel is round. Even a large silicon spatula is great for fold the dough. You won’t have to touch it with your hands at all to shape.
For a longer loaf (I have an oblong clay baker) I just scoop the dough on tho the parchment paper then put a box on either side of the dough (with parchment paper against the boxes) and drape over loaf with a towel to prevent from drying.
I added rosemary and lemon zest to the flour before adding room temp. water.
For cheese and jalapeno I also added in the beginning but the cheese has more flavor when I folded in while shaping before leaving it to rest for 30 minutes.
This is the easiest bread recipe, ever!
Nat says
Had the same experience and added lots of flour. Never did form the x when slashed but it baked and tasted fine.
Tracy Slintak says
I am wondering if anyone has tried making rolls with this dough? I see that someone used a baking sheet and tented aluminum foil over the loaf. Guess I’ll try something similar with rolls.
Tracy Slintak says
Made the rolls, and they were good, but I would have liked them to brown more. I shortened the baking time, but I also need to play around with the temperature.
LYN BORDO says
I just recently found this recipe. I have been baking bread for 40 years and have never been able to get a good crusty bread like I desired. This recipe is the bomb! I have made it many times in the few weeks since I first tried it! I have told everybody who will listen.
Josi says
Me too! This is what I Have been looking for all these years. And it’s not the ingredients at all…it’s the “techniques” !
ina ralston says
Good morning: I followed the recipe and cooked the bread in the crockpot insert as shown on the video. My crockpot cracked and I had to toss it. Just wondering if any one else had this happen.?
autumn says
I’m so sorry about that! I’ve updated the post to let people know that’s a concern. Again – sorry!
LYN BORDO says
I use cast iron, both a dutch oven and lodge 4 in 1.
Cari says
“All Crock-Pot® Slow Cooker removable crockery inserts (without lid) may be used safely in the microwave and the oven set up to 400°F. If you own another slow cooker brand, please refer to your owner’s manual for specific crockery cooking medium tolerances.”
http://www.crock-pot.com/service-and-support/product-support/product-faqs/help-and-how-to-use/oven-and-microwave-safety/help-and-how-to-use-oven-and-microwave-safety-faq.html
Mrs. Gamgee says
HI! Came across your recipe on Facebook and I’m so glad you shared it. I used it to make bread for communion at our church this weekend. Got lots of compliments. I was a little bit concerned initially because my dough looked really dry (almost like biscuit dough) when I first mixed it, but about 18 hours later when I went to bake it, it looked just like your video. Have you ever tried to increase the recipe? The loaf was a bit small for what I needed, and I’m thinking I might try making it 1.5x (rather than a full double).
autumn says
I actually did increase it once, and it ended up a little too moist in the middle. If you do make a larger loaf, you’ll probably want to cook it until it’s a little more brown on the outside to make sure it’s done on the inside!
Lyn Gilbert says
Just pulled my 2nd loaf out of the oven and it looks and smells delicious. This is actually easier than driving to the store and purchasing a loaf from the bakery. It tastes wonderful and cost less than 50cents. And it makes the best toast. I can see myself baking this every 3-4 days and skipping the store bought stuff altogether.
Lorene holbrook says
Oh.my. Gosh! I made bread! I have tried for 40plus years to make bread. My hubby LOVES homemade bread. His mom makes yummy bread. She tried so hard to teach me. I made hockey pucks. Flat and hard. THanks for this terrific recipe. I called my husband and he came home. 3 slices later he said it was awesome! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Your recipe is amazing. So easy. Plus my home smells delicious! Rah, I am doing the happy dance.
Kylie says
Just made this and it’s awesome? Thank you for sharing this recipe. My question is how to store it and reheat it a few days later?
Mike says
I wonder what this recipe would be like if you used beer instead of water? Hmm….
Bev says
I didn’t read all the comments to see if others had noticed that the PRINTED RECIPE CARD does NOT include “Spray your baking dish with nonstick spray”. That could make a difference for someone using only the recipe card making the bread. On my way to check out more yumminess. Thanks.
Stephanie Scofield says
Just made this today & it is delicious!!! Used 2 c AP flour & 1 c whole wheat flour & added flax seed meal. Should have waited a bit longer to cut but my hubby just couldn’t.
Mark says
How high do sides of baking pan need to be?
autumn says
Hi Freda. Right above the recipe card in the post there’s a link that says “click here for the printable recipe card.” Click that link, which will take you to the card, which you can then print. Thanks!
Alexandra says
You are so awsome!!!
And the bread is divine )))) The first bread in my life )))
2 comments, though… I’ve made 2 loaves by now, both were tasty. I measured the same ways (as far as I remember), but the first time dough was dry, the second time it was watery and after it risen I had to add some flour, because it was not forming into anything! ))) It was somewhat like the pancace batter… Very runny.
I have several questions^_^
1) Can you premix the dry ingredients and store in a jar, so you could just measure the right amount and add the water?
2) Is it crucial to use a saram wrap to cover? Or a lid will do too? Should the dough be like in aitight… container?
3) Could you double the ingredients to make a bigger loath?
4) My oven doesn’t go 450 degrees, so I bake about 45 minuts under the lid at as high temp as it will go, wich is about 400. So… if you can doudle the indredients, for how olng would you bake a big loath in my oven? :))))
5) I would like to try and make this bread in a multicoocker, but mine doesn’t go higher the 350, for how long would you bake a small/big loath in the multicoocker?
Here ))))
Thank you for this gourgeus recipe!!!
You are fantastic! Please, stay the way you are, and keep doing what you’re doing :)))))
Alexandra says
Oh! And I’ve forgot another one!!! :)))
I have a cupboard that has heating pipes going through and in the winter, when the heating is on, it’s way warmer there then on the countertop. Is it better/worse to put the dough there?
Lotus says
I made this recipe and it turned out beautifully. The rise was great and the texture was perfect but it tasted terrible, kind of like a bad fermentation or something like that. I used good flour/ 2 cups unbleached white, 1 cup King Arthur whole wheat. The aftertaste was bitter . I prepared the dough the night before I cooked it and left it in a cool kitchen to rise about 13 hours total. Do you have any experience with something like this happening with this recipe. I’m so disappointed since it seemed so much easier than my sourdough artisan bread recipe.
Carol Lepard says
I just made this bread…and OMG! It is DANGEROUS! I live alone and don’t think I will have a problem eating it all in just a few days! Some of the best bread I’ve eaten in a very long time!
Burnice says
You could use homemade onion soup mix. I posted this recipe at http://www.food.com recipe #110331. Ingredients are available at any Bulk Barn store. Makes 1 packet which is equal to 1-1/4 ounces. I would only use 1 or 2 teaspoons of the mix for this recipe.
4 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
8 teaspoons dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon seasoned pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery salt (optional)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
1. Cut a 6-inch square of heavy duty foil.
2. Place all ingredients in center of foil.
3. Fold foil to make an airtight package.
4. Label with date and contents.
5. Store in a cool, dry place.
6. Use within 6 months.
Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Just don’t know if you spray the baking dish before preheating, or after preheating just before adding the dough.
Kat says
After heating, just before plopping the dough in.
LindaRR says
This bread is DIVINE. I am in love. The hardest part is thinking ahead to start it. Loved your idea of using the crock from your slow cooker. That worked great. MMmmmmm
June Hess says
I was glad to see your post (145) as I was wondering what to use with high sides. Thought it looked like the crock from Crock Pot but was afraid to try it. Wasn’t sure it could take the 450 in the oven. So didn’t want to break my crock. So it should work for me. Thanks for posting. AND thanks for the gal who posted the recipe.!!! Can’t wait to try!!
Cara says
I’ve never made bread before and when I tried to form mine into a ball, it just kept spreading out and losing it’s shape, I was also unable to cut through it to slash the X, it just kind of stretched and went back together. I eventually plopped it into my pan and it cooked up nicely, but ugly – although I prefer to call it a bit more rustic. Just wondering if I had too much water? Or flour? Or how to get mine into a nice ball that stays in a ball?
Nat says
Mine did exactly the same thing. I added lots more flour and it never did cut the c into it but it looks and tests fine.
Doyal says
Recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon yeast. I have 1/4oz envelopes. The instructions on the back of envelop says “1 PKG instant yeast measures about 2 1/4 teaspoons”. Does anyone have a conversion for this? Also is there a high altitude adjustment?
As to the question how warm the water for resolving yeast should be this package says 105 to 110 F
Thanks
autumn says
Just use a quarter of the yeast in the envelope and you’ll be fine!
Doyal says
Thanks, I tried just measuring out the yeast into 1/2 tsp. and went from there. The dough seemed dry and not sticking together so added more water. Let stand overnight and didn’t seem to rise though there was a slight condensation on the inside of the plastic wrap covering. I had the same experience trying to form a ball as described by others in the above posting. Baked for 10 min and wasn’t very brown so baked another 10 min. Still not overly brown and crust is very tough. Inside is moist, dense and not very bubbly. Maybe too much water and baked too long??? Will try again after I eat this one.
All comments/advice welcomed.
Thanks
Christine says
If you do a search on high altitude baking you will find suggestions for general adjustments. Not sure whether they will work with this type of recipe. One thing I read was increasing the temperature by about 20 – 25 degrees but that seems like it might not work here. If you find a solution, please post it?
Lucy says
I want to say a big THANK YOU for the most amazing bread. Dough and I don’t get along very well, but this recipe looked so easy, I decided to give it a try. The worst I could lose was 3 cups of flour. It turned out perfect! It was so easy to make, but somehow I feel so accomplished to have made it. My boyfriend and I accidentally (not accidentally at all) ate the whole loaf. I have to double and triple the dose now to give all my friends. I don’t think I will ever buy bread again. Thank you!
Bela says
I was impressed by the simplicity of this recipe so I gave it a try. Found the recipe last night, quickly mixed everything together and baked it the next afternoon (so it sat on the counter about 16 hours). Turned out phenomenal and I am amazed at the cost for the ingredients versus what a bakery or grocery store charges for a product like this.
I am going to start experimenting with garlic, as one of my favorite artisan breads has multiple cloves baked in. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! Will definitely update here. Thank you. This is a keeper. And I am not even a person who consumes much bread!
Venus says
Thank you so much for this recipe! I have already made one loaf which turned out just as I have seen at my local grocery store and tasted just as good. The second loaf is waiting to be baked. My son is a bread lover and only likes fresh bread so this will be my go-to recipe from now on!!!
Jennifer phillips says
Can Bread Flour be used in place of all purpose, or is all purpose the way to go?
Bela says
I used bread flour and it turned out great. I find that most recipes do just fine substituting bread and all purpose.
Shirley says
Couple of questions – (1) Does it matter what type of bowl I make this in (glass vs plastic? (2) I had the film wrap on the bowl tight – should it be loose? (3) Can I cover with a dish towel instead (as my mom did way back in the day)?
Sterling Rose says
Great questions! Would love to know the answer to those myself!
Shirley says
Rats, mine flopped as well. It rose about an inch last night, but this morning it was all flat and more liquid than solid. Even rolling it in flour, lots of flour, it was still a wet mess. Okay, off to try again. Ugh.
Shirley says
SUCCESS!! I measured the water temp to 112 degrees, and this time the bread came out perfectly! I let it rise overnight (10 hrs), then baked it this morning. Try temping your water, because I know that the first time, my water was barely warm. Warm is subjective unless you have an actual temperature of “how warm.” I placed it in a big glass pyrex bowl, covered it with plastic wrap (not as tightly this time). After flour prep on the board, I washed and preheated the same bowl. At 30 minutes rest, I sprayed the bowl with nonstick spray, literally plopped it in the bowl, covered with foil, and baked 30 minutes. Took off the foil and it browned in 10 more minutes. For a gal who can botch the best of “never fail” recipes, I’m patting myself on the back.
Candace says
For anyone who has added cheese, jalapenos, etc. do you have any guidelines as to how much? Do you just add it in with the flour, water, yeast and salt before you let it rise? Thanks for the help!
Shirley says
She used the removable crock in the oven, not in the crockpot base itself.
Jill says
Tried this and it was very wet when I put it on the board to rest. Didn’t rise much but still have to taste it yet; looks a bit heavy. Lots of bubbles when I tipped it onto the board. Not sure why it went wrong, been making bread for years and really wanted this to work for something different.
Sterling Rose says
I had the same problem. Can’t form it into a ball, just spreads right out. Going to try to bake it anyway & see how it comes out. I was here looking to see if others had the same issue that I did. Hope Autumn will give us a hint as to what went wrong?
J says
Seems like this recipe could do with a shout out to Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery, who created and popularized this at home artisan method (both in the New York Times and through his book). Glad you’re sharing it but good source sharing would be better, since tracing sources helps people get more info (you can find a lot of extra help, troubleshooting, and variations by searching for the Lahey bread method – leaving readers without this does not serve them best).
Tara says
Do you think it is possible to switch the white flour to gluten free flour and it would still turn out the same?
KATE says
MY HUSBAND – WHOSE CULINARY TALENT BEGINS AND ENDS WITH REHEATING FOODS – MADE THIS TODAY ALL BY HIMSELF AND IT WAS VERY GOOD. HE SAID THAT HE BAKED IT TENTED WITH FOIL ON A COOKIE SHEET. I AM EXCITED TO EXPERIMENT WITH ADDING VARIOUS FLAVORS TO THIS EASY, EASY RECIPE.
Liz reid says
So the least amount of time is 8hours and the most is 24 hours right?Thanx for the recipe I love this bread but have never seen a recipe for it .I make bread all the time so I just wanted to make sure on the time
Theresa says
Can this be done in a bread machine for mixing the dough? Then bake it in the oven. I’m guessing this is for a 1lb loaf. Is that correct?
Patty says
You are genius! Made this and LOVE LOVE LOVE it! I totally amazed and inspired my friends!! Looking forward to glancing at your other recipes! <3
Kandy says
This looks like a lovely recipe and I will be making this soon. I wish that people would read all the comments before they make their comment because many times their question has been asked and answered.
Rosie says
Got excited about this recipe. Followed it to a T. Complete failure. Didn’t rise and jar of Fleishman’s quick rise yeast was unopened and expires in Dec /16. I tested it and it’s fine. Solid and doughy in centre but the crusty sides were chewy and delicious. Trying again, this time used 1 tsp yeast with half tsp sugar dissolved in warm water(yeast tester) added to make 1.5 cups of warm water.
norma picinotti says
I made this several times & we love it!! if I use high gluten bread flour – I add 3 tablespoons more water, sometimes I add powered buttermilk for a little tan. looking forward for more of your .
Carla says
Fantastic recipes.
Susan says
I live in Denver and my loaf looked more like ciabatta bread, a little flatter, but it was DELICIOUS. Everyone was very impressed.
Jim Morgan says
Would 1 tsp. sugar help in reducing the rise time?
Karl P Mitchell says
I was wondering the same thing. As I’m impatient, I put about 1/2 tbsp of honey in. It’s been on the counter for about 6 hours now and not really noticeable rise. So, I’ll see in the morning.
Conni says
To answer the question as to if you could use coconut flour, google it as coconut flour absorbs liquids so can NOT be used in place of any kind of flour cup for cup, and if you find a recipe for using the coconut flour don’t try to substitute just any old flour to replace it. Kind of tricky. Good luck.
Jerry says
Although I used self rising flour, 1.5 cups of water did not make the dough wet enough.
Kandy Kappler says
You cannot use self rising flour for this recipe…you have to use the yeast and regular flour. There were comments in the posts regarding the use of self rising flour.
Regina says
Wondering if you can substtitue Gluten Free flour and this still work?
Terri Speer says
I just took this bread out of the oven and it looks and smells yummy!
Kathy says
I was so excited to find this recipe to use with my High School Culinary class. Because of the 24 hour rise time, I’m able to have them prep it one day and bake the next! I made it a day ahead of them and it is WONDERFUL! I baked it in the large crock covered in tin foil. My students are excited, and their dough is currently in my FCS kitchen rising! The website directions were great for my beginner bakers. I hope for good results tomorrow for them! Thank you so much for sharing…as now I’ve had the ability to share with about 20+ young minds!
Kathy the Baglet Lady says
Just made this in our motor home this morning while on holiday in Portugal. Thanks for an amazingly easy and very clear recipe. I look forward to trying out the others!
Liz says
Can you double this for a larger bread and would the cooking time be the same?
Carol says
I’m not a bread maker for sure. But this can’t be much simpler. I’ve read a lot of the pots. The recipe you gave has got to be delicious on it’s own. Then I have a question. Could I add raisins and cinnamon possibly? Tanks for sharing this recipe.
Maryann says
Then make a salad!
Jenny says
HAHAHA! Awe Maryann! XOXO
rshanna says
Or you could use just onion powder. I use that with my homemade corn tortillas.
Chris says
About self-rising flour: It is not a substitute for yeast! Use it for biscuits, leaving out some of the baking powder.
Debbie says
Can I use wheat flour instead ?
Cant wait to make this
rshanna says
Yes, it will just be more dense.
I also have used sprouted whole wheat and it turns out great…just a bit more dense.
Janet Venable says
I got the recipe off of my timeline in FB. I have never made bread. I am trying to make spaghetti sauce and someone told me to add brown sugar. I did that and now it is TOO sweet. I don’t know how to do it right. I don’t want to throw it out but it is so sweet. I had a recipe for sauce with sweet peppers , garlic , tomato paste, puree and diced tomatoes. I added mushrooms also. Cooked it in the crockpot all night. It sure would be nice to eat this bread with it. But of course…………I am a horrible cook. Now, I made the bread but it looked like it needed a speck more water. I added a little more. Knowing my luck it won’t turn out. I am an older person and just have never cooked anything good. I am surprised my kids got through those years of me cooking. I have the bread in a bowl , now, with plastic wrap over it.
Narda says
Sounds yummy – the sauce and the bread ! An elderly lady once told me that you can never mess up bread !
Everybody will eat it, and if it didn’t work well, try, try again.
🙂
Kendra says
There were a couple others that asked this. Do you need self rising or all purpose flour?
Chris says
NOPE self rising flour is for biscuits!
sarah sherman says
Hi, I read through all the notes and first, thank you! I have made peasant bread, which is very similar but I like the hints you gave for making it better, such as preheating the pan and covering with foil! My question is, can I make it the day before, It seems it is all about making it just before you want to eat it, but I wonder how it is the next day if made a day a head then taken to a potluck, etc… thank you so much!
Fran says
You can put the ingredients together the night before, let it rise overnight (needs at least 8 hours) and bake it anytime the next day. I mix just before I go to bed and then bake it just before dinner so that we have warm bread with butter melting on it as a side dish! Yummmmm!
Kristina says
Thanks, but how long does the bread keep after baking it? I want to make about 15 loaves for my co-workers for Crispy and there no possible way to bake that many before work one morning.
Sue McGee says
If you cover this with a lid, such as a dutch oven lid, will it still be able to rise? That’s the only part I am a little confused about-the lid part.
Jul says
Re: Covering with a lid.
During the resting time of 8-24 hours you want to cover with plastic wrap or something semi-permeable, so that some of the gas can escape. I found this out when I made it last night and used the plastic lid to my bowl to cover, it popped (blew) off a couple of times ! But the bread came out just fine.
During the cooking time I used a cast iron dutch oven with lid and it came out perfect !
So, yes if you use a lid ( instead of foil) it will still rise .
Abigail says
I live in SE Asia where it’s very hot and humid (usual temps are in the 90s and humidity is high!). Do you have any suggestions for how high temps and humidity will affect this recipe? I am so excited to try this recipe as there is NO bread like this available locally! I hope it turns out okay! Thank you!
nancy says
I lived in Indonesia for three years and made delicious yeast bread. I just left it out on the counter to rise as the room was always warm. I made bread recipes that needed two separate risings, kneading in between, which makes a finer grain. If it rises too fast, just put it in the refrigerator to slow it down, or just let it rise in the fridge overnight. Good luck!
Andrea says
Do you use plain flour or SR Flour ?
Karen says
I am a newbie at the bread baking thing, so can you tell me about the rising “at room temperature.” Our house is on the cool side (about 62 degrees) so will the bread still rise adequately, or should I put the dough in the furnace room?
Liz says
It will still rise even in a cool house. When I make my pizza dough, I put it in the refrigerator and take it out a half hour before I use it. It rises in the refrigerator, and the dough is moist and pliable. When I am in a hurry, I put on the light in my electric oven, cover the dough and let it rise there for a half hour.
Karen says
Thank you, Liz!
I’m getting the flour out now and am excited to try it!
Kristine says
We have the same issue–I just put ours closer to a heat return and it did just fine!!! See if you can find a “warm” spot in the house. I’m actually baking a batch right now!
Pattie says
Just wondering if you knew how to make this with gluten free flour????
sallyz says
I tried using coconut and almond flours instead of any flours with gluten (wheat, spelt, white, etc). It is very difficult to get the same texture w/o using gluten. You have to get used to a much heavier bread (does not rise as much even tho’ you use yeast) and it takes longer to get the center done. If you really can’t have gluten, it’s better than no bread at all, but a far cry from what artisan bread tastes like when you use a flour with gluten, in my opinion.
mike says
I know my way around the kitchen….fridge….sink…oven. Typical male, I guess.
But I DO love bread and am going to try this recipe and amaze my friends and family.
I case it fails, I also know where the trash can is. Wish me luck 🙂
Sheila says
Absolutely amazing bread. Mixed two batches of dough before I went to work this morning. Second loaf is in the oven now and am going to run a couple pieces of the first loaf to my mom–love this recipe!!!!
dick says
can you use self raising flour and not the yeast?
Diane says
Self-raising flour only refers to a mixture of flour, salt, and leavening (baking powder/baking soda) that gives baked products “fluffiness” (like biscuits, pancakes, etc.) , but you will still need yeast to ferment the dough. Otherwise, it won’t really rise, despite the name of the flour 😉
Narda says
I haven’t tried using self-rising flour, but I have a yeast bread recipe I’ve used a lot…it uses yeast with self-rising flour.
You just leave out the salt,
It should work. Experiment !
Barbara Parker says
Why do you let it sit for so long? Also, is there ANY WAY to make this “Sour Dough” flavor???
Diane says
Check out “no-knead” or “wet dough” recipes – after an initial room temperature rise, you pop the dough in the fridge for up to 7 days (although, to be honest, I’ve left it longer) before baking. The longer you leave it in the fridge, the more of a sourdough flavor you get.
Tedward says
I have not baked bread in years. You got me thinking and wanting to try this recipe. What about adding some raisins and maybe some cinnamon sugar?
Belen Fry says
I bake a lot of bread and love this recipe. For the warm water I use filtered water heated in the microwave to 105 degrees. I use my baking thermometer to check the temperature. Works great. Thanks for the recipe!
Chris says
For instant yeast you need the water between 120 and 130 degrees in order to activate the yeast. Fot standard dry yeast 100-110 is about right
Barb in NJ says
How big is the crockpot insert you are using?
rshanna says
I used both a large oval one and a round insert and both worked well!
Betty Rich says
In all the breads I’ve baked, sugar was an ingredient. I thought it had something to do with the chemical reaction for the yeast to rise. But there is none in this recipe, correct?
autumn says
No sugar. I think because the rise time is so long here the yeast is actually able to feed on the gluten in the flour. It’s certainly different than other breads I’ve made, but it works!
Rosie says
My first bread didn’t rise and the yeast was fine. The second batch I proofed the yeast first in half cup warm water and 1/2 tsp sugar. The loaf came out beautiful. Then I made two loaves at the same time: one without sugar as per the recipe and one with, both were beautiful loaves but the one with sugar baked bigger and higher.
jane says
Made the bread and it came out great!!! Thanks so much!
Wendy says
One thing that’s always stumped me: how “warm” should the “warm water” be that you mix with the yeast? I’ve been taught never to use hot tap water to cook with, as the hot water heater has a lot of minerals and sediment, etc. from storing the water, that you don’t want to add to your food. Rather, start with cold water and heat, either on the stove or in the microwave. What do you recommend for reaching the right temperature to activate, but not kill, the yeast? Thanks very much in advance for any help you can give me. 🙂 <
Phil says
I use 1 part boiling water to 2 parts cold water from the faucet.
So, 1/2 cup boiling water to 1 cup cold water.
autumn says
The rule of thumb my mom always taught me is that the water should feel warm to the touch, but not too hot to comfortably put your finger in it. I’m sure there’s an actual temperature that’s best, but that’s what I’ve always done and I’ve never killed yeast yet!
Ellen Landreth says
I’ve always used the rule of the warm water being the temp of babies milk. I test it on the inside of my wrist, just like I used to do the babies bottles. Has worked great for me for 50 years,
sally zubyk says
105-110 degrees or warm to the touch on your wrist
Gail says
Making this soon.
pat says
I made it exactly as directed and placed it in an 8 inch cake tin to cook. It was delicious.
I sliced what my husband and I didn’t eat and froze it. Today I had some of the frozen bread (thawed!) at lunch. It was a little more chewy but very tasty. Reminded me of ciabatta bread.
Go ahead! Make it!
autumn says
Thanks, Pat!
Sharon Dunn says
Just wondering, I have a large group of people I am making chili for and was going to buy buns, but I would like to make this instead looks great, and nothing is better than homemade bread. How does it hold up if I make 4 loaves on Friday, and it’s not being served /eaten until Saturday? If put the bread in a zip lock do you think it will stay fresh? thanks again for posting this 🙂
Joan says
I make this a lot and overnight is fine. If you want it to be crusty, don’t put it in plastic. When I make four loaves I mix each in a separate container and bake two at a time, because that’s how many baking containers I have. It really is very easy and forgiving. This recipe was perfected by Jim Lahey and is in his book “My Bread.” It became very popular after Mark Bitman featured it in his New York Times column several years ago. Lahey’s book is great and contains several other breads using the same procedure.
Joyce says
How did you cover the cake tin for the first 30 minutes or did you bake it uncovered?
Linda Simpson says
I am looking forward to trying this. I haven’t tried to make bread in about 40 years ago and what a flop it was!
Peggy says
I see a lot of questions here but no comments about anyone trying this recipe.
I picked up some yeast and was going to start it tonight but would like to know if anyone has made it and how it turned out. Thanks.
Liz says
I’ve been making this bread for years and it turns out great every time!
Dawn says
I just made it this morning (after letting the dough rise overnight) and I think it is DELICIOUS! It is definitely a keeper recipe for me. Can’t wait to try adding Kalamata olives and herbs to it for variety. The dough is sticky to work with, but the bread is as good as anything I have bought in a store.
Kim Shaw says
I did and it didn’t rise
Lisa says
Try testing your yeast. It may have expired and no longer active.
Lisa says
The yeast you used is most likely expired and therefore inactive. Always be sure to keep yeast in the fridge once the jar is opened.
Lisa says
Forgot to say that you can test the yeast to see if it’s active or not. “dissolve 1 teaspoon sugar in 1/2 cup warm water (110°-115°). Sprinkle with 1 packet or 2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast. Stir and let stand for 10 minutes. In 3-4 minutes, the yeast will have absorbed enough liquid to activate and begin to rise to the surface. At the end of 10 minutes, the yeast should have produced a foamy layer on the surface and can be used immediately.” (copied from tasteofhome.com)
Dee says
Thank you for the water temp. I was just going to ask. I have tried to make bread several times without success. The water may be too hot. I can’t wait to try this recipe. Thank you.
Claudette FV says
I have a ways kept my yeast in the freezer.
Barb says
I mixed it up this morning and it turned out great. I used my Lodge cast iron dutch oven. You really need the 15 minutes baking with the cover off. I removed the cover and when the oven got back to 450 I shut it off. Worked great. The bread is crusty with a slightly chewy center. Really east to make. I can’t wait to try it with craisins and nuts, be sure to spray or carefully grease the HOT pan.
djmckent says
I baked a loaf yesterday and we liked it so much I’m making a 1/2 wheat loaf today (most of the first loaf is gone!) I have all kinds of ideas to try it with bread flour, 1/2 rye flour, and herbs. The only problem I ran into was when I sprayed the casserole. The spray immediately turned brown and looked like it was burning! I wiped out as much as I could and it baked just fine. I’m going to try a light wipe with Crisco today instead. I may need to buy some more baking dishes so I can make more than one loaf at a time. I’m using a Corning deep-dish casserole that’s 40 years old and the perfect size. Thank you for such a great, easy bread recipe!
Sharron Arnold says
I normally just sprinkle a handful of course semolina on the bottom just before dropping the ball of dough in. It acts like ball bearings and the bread just falls out. Otherwise lightly oil the dish (with a pastry brush, ) dust the dish with flour then drop in the dough.
Sharron Arnold says
This is the ONLY bread we eat….after reading about it on www. See Jim Lahey No Knead Bread. It works EVERY time. Nice with sun dried tomatoes and olives through also. I heat my glass Pyrex bowl without a lid, place a circle of baking paper in the bottom then drop in the dough and cover. Bake for 30 mins, remove the lid and paper then bake for another 20 minutes. PERFECT!!!
Cindy says
I’m wondering how many quarts the baking dish needs to be.
Breadyum says
Perfect. Absolutely the best bread recipe ever.
Ron says
I have made this exact bread using this exact recepie and it works great every time. I bake the bread in a La Creuset 5 qt. pot with the lid on for the first 30 min.
Therese says
Looking forward to these experiments! Especially GF for my relatives!
Ivy says
I love baking breads. This is a great recipe. Thankyou for posting.
Laura says
Do you place the dough in a WARM baking dish? I guess I don’t understand the step about putting the dish in the over while it’s heating.
autumn says
Yep! You want the baking dish to be very hot, so warm it in the oven for 30 minutes (just let the dough rest for this time), and then drop the dough in, cover, and bake!
Tena says
Watch the video
Amy says
Have you tried this with dry onion soup mix instead of salt? I was thinking of trying it……..
autumn says
I think that sounds delicious. You’d just need to compare sodium content to 1 teaspoon of salt so it doesn’t end up too salty, but I bet the onion flavor would be amazing!
Amy says
Nevermind. I answered my own question. It’s fabulous with a packet of Lipton onion soup mix. I held the salt.
autumn says
I seriously cannot wait to try it with onion soup mix now! Thanks for the great idea! Did you use an entire packet?
Ellen Landreth says
It sounds like you used a whole packet of onion soup. Did you or just the 1 teaspoon to replace the salt amount. Sounds wonderful though. I’m going to go mix some up tonight for supper tomorrow night.
Loftan Miller says
Did you bake this bread in a crock-pot insert? I’m so intrigued! Why not just a baking sheet? Thanks so much! 🙂
autumn says
I did use a crockpot insert. You cover the bread for most of the baking so it will get steamy and develop a crusty crust, so you need to bake it in something with high sides. Most people use a dutch oven, but I don’t have one so I used a crockpot insert instead! You could use any oven safe dish with high sides.
Britta Ahlkvist says
MY CLAY POT WITH A LID SHOULD BE PERFECT FOR THIS. SHOULD I SOAK IT AS USUAL BEFORE PRE-HEATING IT?
Mary Ann Gurnack says
No , don’t soak it.
Amanda says
I don’t have a Dutch oven, and I’m scared to crack my crock pot insert. Would it be possible to just use a baking stone and just put an aluminum pan filled with some water in the bottom rack to produce that needed steam?
autumn says
Sure! It might end up spreading a little bit wider but it will work just fine.
RENEE says
The high heat cracked my pot, even though I preheated both the oven and the crock together. ‘( I would recommend using a high-sided *high* heat-proof pan. I used my anodized aluminum pan after that and it worked like a charm.
Emily P says
I have made this twice now using my crockpot insert. The first time I had no problem at all, but the second time my crockpot insert cracked as well. Don’t think I did anything different. I preheated both together both times, so not sure why it cracked. Anyway, not big deal, the bread was delicious!
Jenn says
Funny. I was using a Pyrex bowl, and when I took it out of the oven, I must have set it on a wet spot. It EXPLODED all over my kitchen. Going to try my cast iron Dutch oven next.
Cathy says
I have baked this on a stone and put a cookie sheet with water in the oven to add the steam in the oven. I have never baked in a Dutch oven, but going to try that today. I’m loving all the comments!
Connie says
Can you use cup for cup (gluten free blend) in place of white flour
autumn says
I don’t have any experience baking with gluten free blend so I don’t know. Let us know if you try it out!
Becky says
Yes this will work with Glutin free flour ( Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1) I used 2 cups of glutin free flour and 1 cup of oat flour (i used rolled oats and ground them in my blender) I add a little extra sugar and salt and it was a little flatter than my usual artisan bread, but it tasted pretty good.
Elyse DeWyngaert says
Thanks for addressing the gluten free flour question- so appreciate it. I’ve never attempted bread before, very excited to give this recipe a try.
Patrick Wingert says
I think you need to add some xanthan gum to at as a binder in place of the gluten. Exact proportions need research. Xanthum picks up moisture really easily so I think you would probably mix it into the dry ingredients first to ensure even distribution
Cheryl says
The cf flour I use for my daughter has xanthum gum already in it. I got mine from Vitacost. It is called Vitacost gluten free multi blend flour. I made a home made angel food cake with that. Turned out good.
Chelsea says
I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong but both times I tried this recipe the dough was still raw in the middle after 45 minutes. I kept putting it in longer for 25-30 minute increments and finally after about 3 hours of baking the inside is finally cooked but the outside of course is rock hard. I don’t think it’s my oven because it’s onky a few years old and bakes everything else just fine. I’m clearly doing something wrong, please help!
Vanessa says
Hi Chelsea!
Mine turned out somewhat similar, it was not raw in the middle, however the bread turned out quite dense. Still trying to figure out why…
I also had to up the amount of time. The 30 minutes ended up being 45 minutes and the 15 minutes turned into 25 minutes.
My bread did not come out with nice holes like in the recipe.
Did you ever figure out the answer for this?
Thanks 🙂
Janet Nguyen says
Bread is fully cooked at 200 deg F in the center. Stick your thermometer in the center to avoid raw dough.
If you cannot find yeast, you can make your own on your counter top. Google for a recipe. Its easy.
Ellen bornstein says
I was going to ask that also. There are specific “for baking” GF flours.
Brenda says
Did you happen to make this bread w/GF flour? If so, how did it come out? Thanks! 😀
Anita L. says
I made this bread last nite with GF flour. It turned out pretty well. It looked exactly like the Artisan bread that you buy in the store and the crust was nice and chewy. The inside was a bit doughy though. I did have to add a little bit of extra water as the dough was a little dry and it didn’t do the ‘bubble thing’ At that point I thought what the heck I might as well bake it. I will definitely make it again, but I will bake it a little bit longer to see if that takes care of the doughy part. It tasted really good and my hubby was so excited. He is totally GF and has NEVER had Artisan bread and was thrilled!!!
Lynne says
Anita; did you use anything else different besides the Gf flour? Just extra water? And did you use a particular brand or blend of Gf flour? Can’t wait to try this!
Karin says
I guess I should have either read the comments or just thrown it in the oven like you did, but when it didn’t bubble at all, I tossed it. Hm. Maybe I’ll try it again because I’ve definitely been consuming way too much gluten since I started making this bread!
Jenny says
Keen to try this recipe! For converting wheat recipes to gluten free the general rule of thumb is to replace 1 metric cup of wheat flour with 140g gluten free flour. GF flour weights differently to wheat flour and cakes can be stodgy if you don’t do this. I never have a problem with cakes and other baking when I use this ratio. I will do the same with this bread recipe.
For the people who’s pots cracked when pre-heating them, I wonder whether putting some water in the bottom of the pot would prevent this? Just tip the water out when it’s time to cook the bread.
Jenny says
p.s. I’m guessing this is an American website – the conversion for American measurements is 1 cup wheat flour to about 4.7 oz gluten free flour.
Diane Robinson says
Lower the oven temp just a bit and increase cooking time with GF flour.
Ann says
Gf bread needs 60-70 min in the oven
Randi says
Usually yes but a tablespoon of vinegar should be added. It helps the gluten free flour bind
Rhonda Fenn says
What type of yeast?
autumn says
Dry yeast – either instant or active dry is fine!
Juliet says
Do I follow instructions on yeast jar and dissolve yeast in water and sugar first then add to the dough?
Kath says
Have you tried this with whole grain flour?
autumn says
I haven’t tried it yet. I bet if you replaced part of the flour with whole wheat you’d be ok, but I’m not sure how it would work with all whole wheat flour. Whole wheat flour usually requires more kneading or added gluten, neither of which this recipe has, so I’d worry that all whole wheat flour would give you a heavier bread. But it never hurts to try – if you do try it, come back and let us know!
Rita says
2 cups wheat flour and 1 cup regular all purpose works well for making wheat bread.
Jenn says
I’m trying this right now!
[email protected] says
I just tried it with half unbleached flour and half whole wheat. It came out amazing! A beautiful loaf! I posted a pic on my Instagram (@rainbowplate). I’m excited to try different versions now. Thanks for inspiring me!
kwinger says
I tried a 50/50 mix of white and wheat flours. Bread was VERY dense and heavy.
Dix says
I make this with white whole wheat flour. It’s dense but delicious. I only bake for 25 minutes though and don’t bake it uncovered at all.
Greg says
EXACTLY the info I was looking for! Thanks! I’m a recent vegan convert, and also border diabetic, so I need a bread that’s dairy- and egg-free, and low GI. So trying this with whole grain flours is going to happen ASAP! I’m thinking of experimenting with whole grain wheat flour, oat flour, and some flax. Can’t wait!
Allie says
Could you add herbs and other kinds of flavoring to this? I feel like rosemary or basil could be a nice addition, but I feel like yeast breads can be kind of tricky (for me at least!) so I wouldn’t want to mess with it too much.
Anna says
I added dried rosemary, just eyeballed the amount. It worked out great.
Karin says
I added fresh rosemary, and it, too, worked great.
Nony says
I’m late on this thread but I thought I would add to it. I make artisan bread all the time. When I want to add a little more flavour I add 1.5 tsp of rosemary, 1 tsp of marjoram and one clove of garlic that has gone through my garlic press. The aroma is so wonderful. I have double this recipe and it fits great in a 6 -7 quart enamel coated cast iron pot. I cook it for 35 min. then take the lid off for 10 min.
Catherine says
thanks for the amounts of the add-ins, I’m new at this and I need every bit of precise help I can get! I tried this for the first time exactly as the recipe said but the inside was under cooked. I’m not sure where I went wrong but I will definetly be trying again.
Steve says
I would substitute three quarters of a cup of flax meal and that would be awesome.
Douglas McGregor says
I mixed in dehydrated Jalapenos and shredded parmesan cheese in the dry mixture and it was wonderful
Allie says
I have tried Chedder cheese/ Galic salt and Italian herbs and it is yummy
Chere R says
How much for a loaf do you add of herbs?
Kelly says
Do you add the additional ingredients at the beginning before the first rise? I wasn’t sure if I could let cheese sit out that long.
Annie says
I add all kinds of stuff to this recipe. I add to flour before water. There is one thing you cannot add thought until the end and that is garlic. Garlic will ruin the yeast and the bread won’t rise.
Nony says
I add garlic all the time and have had no problem with my yeast.
Cecyle says
Is dried, shredded garlic ok to add before it rises?
Is it hard to remove from the cooking dish without any butter, oil, etc.?
Shanin Hughes says
Is this dry active yeast or instant yeast?
Milissa says
I find instant yeast works best. But if you only have active yeast add about 25% more and bloom it into the water first. That’s worked for me since right now yeast is harder to come by. 🙂
Jill S. Gabbe says
Ty! I was wondering about the yeast. My first try in the middle of Covid-19 – zero yeast anywhere!
jane a says
Thanks I made this bread 100 times but with dry active yeast,,,and I always just threw it into the flour and it comes out fine..Today I put the yeast in some water for a few minutes, and then added to the flour..Just want to see if there will be any difference. Also I made this bread with chopped walnuts and cranberries too. Came out great but less airy and more dense.
Linda says
I added 2-3 tbsp of dried onion flakes. It’s delicious!
Doreen says
Take a risk and experiment. you won’t know if something works until you try different recipes. Then you can blog and let us know what you found. This is how the great cooks/chefs learned. By trial and error. Hope this helps. TAKE A RISK TO FIND WHAT WORKS.
Anna says
Thank you for being the Voice of Reason! Sanity. Logic. I haven’t made this recipe yet. But I will.
Char says
Does your 1.5 cups of warm water for your easy Artisan Bread translate into 1 and 1/2 cup of warm water? The bread looks delish! Thanks for posting!
autumn says
Yes! And you’re welcome 🙂
Charlene A. Partington says
Thanks!
Linda Mitchell says
Can’t wait to make this bread. My sister in Boston just made one. Can’t wait to hear her review of how it tastes. It looks really YUMMY!
THANKS!
Linda
elizabeth christina Wilson says
Hi Have just made up the dough to bake in the morning. I used measuring cups and found that 1 and 1/2 cups of water did not even bind the flour together I have had to add another half cup and its still very dry (3 cups flour!!!?)
Bett Bee says
From the site http://www.simplysogood.com/2012/08/crusty-no-knead-bread-forum.html . . . “Make sure your dough appears to be dry when you first mix it. It will have more moisture during the rising time.”
jan v says
if you scoop the flour out with no sifting or fluffing when making bread you end up a bit heavy on flour. I use a whisk to loosen it a bit and then measure
Cynda P. says
I made this bread many times, but yesterday I whipped up the dough in the evening and it was a very rainy day. The dough was very juicy. I put a lot of flour on the board and my hands and never thought the bread would turn out. It did! If you have a juicy dough, just keep kneeding in more flour and it will turn out. Love this recipe!
Debbie says
Can this be made with wheat flour? Or can the flour be mixed 1/2 white flour and 1/2 wheat?
Emily Esposito says
I followed this recipe to a T . When I combined it, it looked almost like a batter not on the dry side at all. Whats wrong?
Jamie says
Sometimes I need to add a couple tablespoons of more warm water to get it to fully come together. It works fine and the bread turns out awesome every time.
Ivy Schexnayder says
Yes, you can use whole grain wheat flour. I recommend using as fresh whole grain as you can find. I mix mine half and half with white flour.
Marcela says
I make this bread all the time with add ins. When I make a wheat version, I use 2C wheat flour 1C white flour. It is more dense but still delicious.
Brick says
We made this with nutty wheat flour and ground flaxseed and it still turned out great! Using white flour still has the best “legitimate” taste and look though…. nostalgia points XD
Cindy says
I have made this bread in Montana for a long time but now that I am in Florida, it is not raising right and the outside doesn’t crisp up. Do you have a modification to this recipe for sea level?
Ceci says
Following
Kym says
I also live in Florida and made it this the first time today. Came out perfect! So glad to have this recipe. Thank you
Armande Dagenais-Marchant says
I live in Hollywood Florida and have made it twice, first time a bit too loose second time perfect! Maybe give it another try and make sure you add lots of flour to surface and hands when working your dough! Hope this helps.
Annie says
I live in Pembroke Pines and was wondering about leaving the dough on the counter for 8-12 hours. Did you experience any problems? I guess when it sits the bubbles grow making the bread yummier.
Thank you for any information you can provide.
Annie
Sal says
Would you recommend making this in a cast iron pot ?
Nancy Price Stroosnyder says
1.5 cups IS 1 and 1/2 cups!
jacqueline says
I just took it out of the oven, it looks great, and I also assumed your 1.5 cups was 1and 1/2 cups of water.
Sharon says
Has anyone made an enriched dough with butter,spices n sultanas??
Mimi says
I make it using different fruit juices instead of water, Add 3/4 C chopped walnuts and 3/4C craisens to dry flour before adding liquids. Best breakfast bread ever!!
Charlotte says
Did you heat the fruit juice?
Sue says
1.5 is 1 1/2 cups.
Chelsea @ Life With My Littles says
This looks so goof! And I love how easy it is! I would love to eat broccoli cheddar soup out of this thing!
Sarah Zimmern says
Me too!
Mike Carney says
I have been trying to make Artisan bread for almost a year now, and failure after failure. This recipe is the bomb! The first time I used it exactly as the directions said it was much wetter than stated or seen in thew video. I live in Florida so maybe there is more humidity in the air, I don’t really know. I was ready to throw the soggy mess away and I thought, lets try it anyway. So flat as a pancake, I put the dough in a dutch oven, but didn’t score the top. It came out great! The second time I added another 1/2 cup flour when I was mixing the dough, the day before. I also added rosemary, and garlic powder. About 1 tablespoon of both.
It had the consistency of what was on the video, and it was easy to fold into a ball. I scored the top and put in the dutch oven when heated for 30 mins. This one was so much better, you could taste the garlic and the rosemary. I had the big holes, which you expect in a good Artisan loaf. Try this it really works.
Beth says
How much rosemary & garlic do you recommend?
Melanie says
hi
the bread looks wonderful can i substitute whole milk for the water
Autumn Baldwin says
I’ve never tried it, let me know if you do!