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Craving fresh, homemade bread? This Easy Bread Recipe will have you baking artisan-level loaves with a golden brown, crackling crust—no kneading required! That’s right! No special equipment, stand mixers, or dough hooks needed for this easy bread recipe. Imagine that perfect texture as you cut into the loaf: the bread resists just enough under the knife, yielding a satisfying crunch. Bread lovers will adore every bubble and pocket, spreading generous Garlic Butter on warm slices fresh from the oven. In less than three hours, you’ll have this easy bread recipe made from scratch and ready to serve.
Why This Bread Recipe Stands Apart
It looks too good to be true, I know. Fluffy, crusty homemade bread with no effort? No way! But ever since I discovered this truly easy bread recipe a few years ago, I’ve been baking bread just about every week. Now you will too! Beginner bakers rejoice: NO KNEAD to feel intimidated! The mystery happening at night behind the closed doors of a bakery is ready to be brought to light.
You’ll have the choice of dipping crusty bread pieces into a hot bowl of Chicken Soup or Chili for bread soaked in wholesome flavors, or turning your freshly baked artisan bread into Cheesy Garlic Bread. With this easy bread recipe, you’ll experience the joy of baking without the fuss, and every loaf will be a testament to your newfound bread-making prowess.
Easy Bread Recipe: Key Ingredients
The secret to this effortless and easy bread recipe lies in its key ingredients. Each one brings something unique to create a perfectly textured, flavorful loaf. From the protein-packed bread flour to the rapid-rise yeast, every component plays a crucial role. Let’s dive into what makes this easy bread recipe and truly exceptional.
- Flour: For the best results, use bread flour as it contains higher protein content, which enhances gluten formation and gives your bread a chewy, airy texture. However, if you prefer a softer crumb, all-purpose flour works perfectly too. Look for flour that’s fresh and free of lumps for the best texture.
- Warm Water: Ensure your water is warm, but not hot—ideally around 110°F (43°C). Too hot, and it may kill the yeast; too cold, and it won’t activate properly. A quick check with a kitchen thermometer or a touch test (warm but comfortable) will do the trick!
- Dried Yeast: Use instant or rapid-rise yeast for convenience and quicker rising times, just as we did for these Soft Dinner Rolls. Make sure the yeast is fresh—check the expiration date on the packet. Store unused yeast in an airtight container in a cool, dry place to keep it potent.
- Olive Oil: Oil adds a rich, nutty flavor to your bread and helps keep the crumb moist. Use a good-quality olive oil for the best taste. If you’re out of olive oil, feel free to substitute with vegetable oil, but keep in mind the flavor will be slightly different.
*Note: Please see Recipe Card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Additions And Substitutions
When it comes to baking Easy Artisan Bread, versatility is your best friend. Even if you’re looking to elevate the flavors, there are plenty of delightful additions that will keep your bread delicious and satisfying. Let’s explore how you can make this easy bread recipe work with what you have on hand, while still achieving that perfect crust and fluffy crumb.
- Add Seeds: Enhance the texture and flavor by sprinkling sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, or poppy seeds into the dough. Not only do they add a pleasant crunch, but they also boost the nutritional value of your bread.
- Incorporate Herbs: Fresh or dried herbs like rosemary, thyme, or oregano can transform your bread into a fragrant masterpiece. Mix them into the dough or sprinkle them on top before baking for a delightful aroma.
- Cheese Lovers: Fold in some shredded cheese, such as cheddar, Parmesan, or Gruyère, to create a cheesy twist on your artisan bread. The cheese melts into the dough, creating pockets of gooey goodness in every bite. Ever thought of using this bread to make Pull-Apart Stuffed Bread with Chipotle Carne Asada?
- Garlic and Onion: Minced garlic or finely chopped onion can add a burst of savory flavor to your bread. Sauté them lightly before adding to the dough for an even richer taste.
- Olives and Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Chopped olives or sun-dried tomatoes bring a Mediterranean flair to your bread. They add a tangy, savory note that complements the rustic crust perfectly.
*Note: Remember, these additions should be incorporated gently into the dough to ensure they enhance rather than overpower the classic bread flavors.
Bread Recipe Made Easy: Step-By-Step Guide
Ready to bake the perfect Artisan Bread? Follow these simple steps with images to guide you through the process. You’ll achieve a golden, crackling loaf with a tender, chewy interior that’s sure to impress and delight. Let’s dive in and create an easy bread recipe that will become a staple in your kitchen!
- Combine Ingredients: In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add water and oil, mixing until the dough is wet, sticky, and shaggy.
- Spray and Cover: Lightly spray the top with cooking oil. Cover with plastic wrap and place a dry tea towel over the top.
- Let Dough Rise: Leave in a warm, draft-free place for 2-3 hours until doubled in size. The dough should have small holes or bubbles and be wobbly like jelly.
- Preheat Oven: Place a large Dutch oven or heavy-based pot in the oven with the lid on. Preheat to 450°F (230°C) for 30 minutes before baking.
- Prepare Work Surface: Lightly flour your work surface and plastic spatula.
- Scrape Dough: Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto the floured surface with a spatula.
- Fold Dough: Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour and fold it over itself about 5-6 times using the spatula. Roughly shape it into a round form.
- Form Shape: Roughly form a round shape with the dough.
- Transfer to Parchment: Measure out a large piece of parchment paper. Roll the dough onto the paper, smooth side up, and reshape if needed.
- Rest Dough: Loosely cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest while the oven preheats.
- Transfer to Pot: Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven using oven mitts. Pick up the dough by grabbing the parchment paper from each end and place it into the pot.
- Bake Bread: Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 12-15 minutes until the loaf is beautifully golden brown.
- Cool Bread: Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Enjoy: Slice the bread and enjoy it plain or with a spread of butter or Nutella.
Thank you for baking with us! We hope you enjoy your freshly baked Artisan Bread and this easy bread recipe. While you wait for it to cool, why not explore more delicious recipes on our blog? Check out our Creamy Garlic Tuscan Shrimp for a rich and flavorful dinner idea, or spread over it some of this tasty Sugar-Free Nutella Spread for a delightful snack. You can also use it as bread for this Creamy Beef Stroganoff With Mushrooms, or pair it with a cup of Nutella Hot Chocolate to start your day and spread it on some Blueberry Sauce.
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes, you can use all-purpose flour in this easy bread recipe. It will produce a slightly softer texture compared to bread flour, which has higher protein content and creates more gluten.
Yes, preheating the Dutch oven for this easy bread recipe ensures the dough is placed in a hot environment, which helps to create a crusty exterior.
Yes, you can freeze the bread. Let it cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer bag. It will keep for up to 3 months.
When you are letting the dough rest before baking this easy bread recipe, leave it covered in the dutch oven pot for longer, which should help the bread to form air bubbles
Unfortunately, you shouldn’t freeze the dough from this easy bread recipe as it could kill the yeast.
Other Easy Brea Recipes To Try
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No Knead Artisan Bread
Ingredients
- 3 cups bread flour or plain/all purpose
- 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons dried yeast instant or rapid rise
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Combine flour, sugar, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add water and oil, mixing to incorporate all of the ingredients together. Dough will be wet, sticky and shaggy.
- Lightly spray the top with cooking oil spray. Cover with plastic wrap and place a dry tea towel over the top.
- Leave in a warm, draft-free place for 2-3 hours, until doubled in size. Dough will have a lot of little holes or bubbles and be wobbly like jelly.
- Place a large (10-inch or 26cm) dutch oven or heavy based pot in the oven with a lid. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C) 30 minutes before baking.
- Lightly flour work surface and plastic spatula with up to 1 tablespoon flour. Scrape dough out of bowl onto work surface with spatula. Sprinkle the top of dough with a large pinch of flour and fold it over on itself with the spatula (about 5-6 folds). Roughly form a round shape.
- Measure out a large piece of parchment paper, large enough to transfer the dough into the pot. Place paper next to the dough and roll dough onto the paper, smooth side up. Carefully move it to the centre of the paper and reshape if needed, or shake pan a couple of times to evenly distribute dough. (It will even out while baking.)
- Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rest while oven is preheating.
- Use oven mitts to carefully remove hot dutch oven from oven. Grab the parchment paper from each end to pick up the dough and transfer it into the pot.
- Cover with lid and bake for 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake for an additional 12-15 minutes, until loaf is beautifully golden browned.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Great recipe. . Can you use it for rolls?
Hi Jane,
Just spoke to Karina and yes, you can use this artisan bread recipe to make rolls. Here’s how you can adapt the recipe for rolls:
Prepare the Dough: Follow the initial steps in the recipe to prepare the dough, including mixing the ingredients and allowing it to rise until doubled in size.
Divide the Dough: After the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Instead of forming a single loaf, divide the dough into smaller, evenly sized portions. Each portion will become a roll. You can adjust the size based on how large you want your rolls to be, but typically, dividing the dough into 8-12 pieces works well.
Shape the Rolls: Gently form each dough portion into a ball. You can do this by tucking the edges of the dough underneath to create a smooth top.
Second Rise: Place the rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving some space between each one. Cover them loosely with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let them rise again for about 30-45 minutes until they’ve puffed up slightly.
Bake the Rolls: Preheat your oven to the same temperature, 450°F (230°C). If you have a Dutch oven large enough, you can keep the rolls inside it, covered for the first part of baking, just as with the loaf, or simply bake them directly on a baking sheet. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until the rolls are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
Cool and Serve: Once baked, let the rolls cool briefly before serving.
These rolls will have the same delicious crust and soft, chewy interior as the original artisan bread loaf. You can enjoy them plain, with butter, or alongside your favorite soups and dishes.
It was kind of tasteless. I tried adding some seasoning but it was still tasteless. Also it was way undercooked in the middle even after I baked it for an extra half an hour.
Hi Amaya,
Thank you for your feedback on the No Knead Artisan Bread recipe. I’m sorry to hear it didn’t turn out as expected. Here are a few tips that might help:
Flavor: It sounds like the bread could use a bit more seasoning. You might try increasing the salt slightly, as this can enhance flavor. Alternatively, incorporating herbs or garlic into the dough before rising could add more depth of flavor.
Baking and Texture: The issue with the bread being undercooked in the middle might be related to oven temperature or dough consistency. Make sure your oven is fully preheated, especially since part of the baking relies on the pot being very hot. Using a food thermometer to check for doneness might help – the internal temperature should be around 190°F (88°C). If the dough seemed extra sticky or wet, adding a bit more flour during shaping could also improve the texture and help it cook through evenly.
Yeast and Rising: Double-check that the yeast is fresh and ensure the dough is rising properly – it should double in size and form bubbles throughout. If your environment is cool, it may need a bit longer to rise.
I hope these suggestions help improve your experience. If you try it again, I’d love to hear how it goes!
I’ve been making this bread for years and it is my go to recipe. I’m not sure where you live because the climate may impact taste but I highly recommend adjusting the measurements to find the perfect loaf for you because this has been a family favorite for years!! Definitely worth the trial and error to find the right measurements for you because it’s so easy and so delicious!! Good luck!!!
Hi. Can this dough be refrigerated after initial 3 hour rise, until next morning?
Hi Paula
Yes, you can refrigerate the dough after the initial 3-hour rise until the next morning. The cold environment will slow down the fermentation process, which can enhance the flavor of the bread. Just make sure to cover the dough well to prevent it from drying out. When you’re ready to bake, let it come back to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe. Enjoy your baking!
Thank you Tom! I want sure. Makes life much easier.
You are more than welcome, fellow food lover!
Amazing recipe!! So happy I found it! Followed Recipe exactly as written and I think it might be the best bread I’ve ever baked! Definitely will be making over and over! Thank you!
First tike attempting this type of bread,it turned out awesome. Look and taste great!
Hi. I love making this bread. My question is after the initial 3 hour ride, can I place dough in refrigerator overnight? Thank you!
Hi Paula,
Yes, you can definitely place the dough in the refrigerator overnight after the initial 3-hour rise. This slow fermentation will enhance the flavor and texture of your bread. Just be sure to cover it well to prevent it from drying out. When you’re ready to bake, take the dough out of the refrigerator, let it come back to room temperature, and then proceed with the recipe as instructed. Enjoy making your bread!
I’ve made this bread now probably 12 times in the past couple months. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong though- the last few times it’s not doubling in size and when it’s done baking it seems uncooked in areas. I haven’t done anything different from the first half a dozen times it came out perfectly and now it’s not working for me.
Maybe your yeast is old?
This is my go to artisan bread recipe. It’s delicious and wonderful and so easy to make. How do you store your bread. My husband usually eats ours within two days but I would like to make some to give to family and I know they will ask me. Thanks
I’ve made this bread a few times, now – at seventy-six my hands don’t knead, well, without lots of pain. This bread is amazing, and it is what I will always make, from now on. It is super easy, and the end results are great. Thanks for such a good recipe.
i NEVER comment on reciped and ive been baking for a very long time. this is my first ever artisan loaf of bread and ive impressed everyone in my family, my friends… its so good with everything ive tried it with. jam, cheese, LAYS CHIPS… it might be the most delicious thing ive ever made. this recipe seems intimidating at first if youve never made an artisan loaf (like me), but it is SO easy. SO SO EASY AND WORTH IT!!!
if youre reading this and wondering if u should try it, literally do it. theres no going back after. i didnt have a dutch oven, so i did it in a cast iron and did a pan of water for steam. be very careful of letting steam out if you choose to follow my way.