Everyday Artisan Bread
Published: September 14, 2020 | Updated: April 17, 2024.
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NOTE: This recipe has been updated to include an additional step in which the dough is cold proofed in the refrigerator prior to baking.
This foolproof, no-knead Everyday Artisan Bread recipe is mostly hands-off and such a great alternative to more labour-intensive artisan bread recipes. A yeast bread, it doesn’t require a starter and results in a golden, crisp crust and a light airy crumb.
I think we can all agree there are few things better in this world than the smell of fresh bread baking in the oven. And eating it while it’s still warm? The best!
This simple recipe, as well as my other artisan bread recipes, is for those either intimidated by sourdough breadmaking or who just want a simpler method for making delicious artisan bread at home.
With minimal effort, this approach produces a rich, flavourful loaf every time. Made with only 4 ingredients — flour, water, yeast and salt — it’s a favourite of both novice and advanced bakers alike.
Here’s what you’ll need:
bread or all-purpose flour
water
Ideally, you will also have:
razor blade or very sharp knife
How to Make Artisan Bread in 5 Steps
Mix the dough.
Cover and let it rise until it has doubled in size.
Shape your dough and dust with flour.
Cover and proof the dough in the fridge for 1 hour or as long as 24 hours.
Turn dough out onto parchment, score and bake.
A whole wheat loaf made with a 2:1 unbleached bread flour to whole wheat all-purpose flour blend.
How This Artisan Bread Recipe Differs from Others
Unlike most artisan bread recipes – including previous versions of my own – this recipe calls for a long cold proof.
When I first got into artisan bread, I went with the most common approach of leaving the dough to rise somewhere warm for 8-24 hours until it had doubled in size (or until I was ready to bake it).
While the overnight method definitely works for me, I’ve found the added step of a cold proof makes for even better bread.
My #1 Artisan Bread Making Tip
Knowing your optimal rise time and cold proofing the dough in the refrigerator are key to producing a better loaf.
Some of the most common questions I’ve received from readers have been about rise time. Even with optimal conditions, an 8 to 24-hour window is fairly open-ended. For many, your dough will be ready to bake much sooner.
At the same time, it can be all too easy to mix your dough, set it aside and forget about it only to discover that it has tripled in volume and turned into a sticky mess. It also assumes that you’ll bake your bread right away, and what if you can’t?
So, with these questions in mind I went in search of a solution that would allow me to produce an even better result, one that would rely on a more controlled method and work under almost any conditions. The answer was to be found in my artisan pizza dough recipe.
Putting the dough in the fridge once it has completed its first rise and been shaped has been a game changer.
The Benefits of Cold Proofing Bread Dough
Better browning.
Improved structure due to strengthened gluten formation.
Bubblier, softer, chewier crusts.
A more complex, richly flavoured loaf.
More flexibility in terms of when to bake it.
It makes scoring your loaf a lot easier.
The added step of cold proofing the dough results in a much lighter, open and airy crumb with the added benefit of reducing the risk of over-fermentation.
The longer the cold proof, the better the result. And whether you choose to bake your loaf after a 1-hour cold proof or a 24-hour cold proof, once you remove it from the fridge all you have to do is simply score it then bake. There’s no need for a second proof.
More Yeast Bread Recipes to Make
Rosemary & Roasted Garlic Artisan Bread (link to recipe above).
Baking Schedule
This everyday artisan bread is a two-day process where the bread is mixed and prepared on day one, cold proofed in the fridge overnight, then baked on day two.
I love the convenience of this type of schedule. The dough is mixed together and set aside to rise on the first day, then left in the fridge until the next day when it can be baked in the morning, afternoon or even in the evening.
This is what it looks like:
Friday morning: Mix dough, cover and let rise.
Friday afternoon or evening: Shape dough, cover and put it in the fridge.
Saturday or Sunday morning: Remove dough from the fridge, turn it out, score it and bake!
Everyday Artisan Bread
Makes 1 loaf; Prep time: 18 hours.
Ingredients:
1½ cups water (360 grams), room temperature (at or near 70°F/21°C)
1 teaspoon (3 grams) active dry yeast
3 cups (390 grams) bread or all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher or fine sea salt
Instructions:
Add the yeast to the water and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. While the yeast is activating, whisk together flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Add water and yeast to the bowl then use a rubber spatula to mix it together just until combined. The dough will look a little sticky and stringy and there should still be a little flour around the edges of the bowl.
Cover and let rise somewhere warm (see note below) until it has doubled in size, about 8-10 hours.
Once the dough has doubled in volume, use your hands (or a dough scraper if you have one) to pull the dough out onto a floured surface. With floured hands, gently fold the dough into itself several times until a soft, flour-covered ball is formed. Seam side up, lift and place it into a flour dusted proofing bowl like this one. Dust with flour, cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour or as long as 24 hours. You can even leave it for as long as 48 hours at this point if you’re not able to bake it right away.
When you're ready to bake your bread, preheat oven to 450ºF (232ºC) with a Dutch oven or covered baking vessel inside the oven.
Uncover then invert the bowl to turn the dough out onto parchment paper seam side down. If needed, gently turn it with your hands and nudge it into the shape of a loaf. Score the top with a razor blade or the tip of a sharp knife with a design of your choosing. This will allow steam to escape while it’s baking.
Once the oven is preheated, remove the Dutch oven from the oven and transfer the dough, still on the parchment, into the Dutch oven. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the cover and bake for 15-20 minutes more. Your bread will be done once the top is browned, and it sounds hollow when you tap the top.
Using parchment edges, lift bread from Dutch oven and transfer it to a wire cooling rack to let cool for up to an hour before slicing.
Notes:
Rise time and temperature: An ambient rise temperature somewhere between ~70º-75º/20º-23ºC is ideal but even high 60's/18º-19ºC should work if the dough is kept away from drafts. You will know your loaf is ready to bake when it has doubled in size, and this can take a minimum of 2-3 hours or as long as a full day. With a little experimentation, you will find the time frame that works best for you.
Scoring: Scoring is the process of using a lame, razor blade or sharp knife to score/slash the top of your loaf before baking. Bread dough expands when first placed in the oven (an effect known as “oven spring”) and scoring controls this expansion by allowing steam to escape. While entirely optional, without scoring the steam will find its own weak point and burst through the crust as it hardens. The advantage of scoring, therefore, is to guide the expansion of the dough to maintain the shape of your loaf and achieve optimal oven spring. When scoring your loaf, aim to cut between 1/4" and 1/2" deep. There is no need to press hard, but the cut does need to be deep enough that it won’t fill back in when baking.
Allow to cool before slicing: You can slice your bread right away if it will be consumed immediately. Letting it cool for at least 60 minutes, however, will allow the internal cooking process to complete and seal in moisture to prevent your bread from drying out too quickly.
Storage: This bread will store well in a plastic bag or airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days and in the refrigerator for up to a week. Sliced bread will freeze well for up to 3 months.
