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 bread making 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 just 4 ingredients — flour, water, yeast and salt — it’s a favourite of both novice and advanced bakers alike.
Here’s everything you’ll need to make it
- Bread or all-purpose flour
- Water
- Active dry yeast
- Kosher or fine sea salt
Ideally, you will also have:
- Digital scale
- Dough scraper
- Parchment paper
- Razor blade or very sharp knife
- Covered baking vessel, such as this one or this one
How to make everyday 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.
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 try
Rosemary & Roasted Garlic Artisan Bread
Easy Small Batch Ciabatta Rolls
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!
If you make this recipe, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see!
And of course, feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews. This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you!
Everyday Artisan Bread
Ingredients
- 1½ cups water room temperature (at or near 70°F/21°C)
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 3 cups bread or all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
Instructions
- Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt and let sit for 10 minutes.
- 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. 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.
hello! i was wondering if a four quart dutch oven could be used for this recipe?
Definitely!
I jumped in to ask..I only have a 7 qt dutch oven, is that ok?
Yes, that will work!
Can I just double the recipe for two loaves? Great recipe!
Hi Anthony! Yes, double everything then divide the dough after the first rise when you shape the loaves. Hope you enjoy! K
Hi Kerry,
I made this bread, and added a bit of rosemary and cheddar cheese to it…came out delicious! I used instant yeast, though, and had to end up adding a bunch of flour to be able to shape the bread into a ball after that first rising. It was still quite wet. I used the 1 1/2 cups of water as the recipe called for, and wondered if that was too much liquid to use when substituting instant yeast…? Saying that, it baked up beautifully and was amazing…but if I could reduce the water a bit, that might help! Please let me know what you think! Thanks!
Hi Cathy! The rule of thumb when baking with instant yeast is to add it directly to the flour mixture, then whisk the dry ingredients together before adding the water. That should work without any additional modifications. I’m pleased you enjoyed the recipe, let me know if there’s anything else I can help with! K
Great recipe! My bread turned out perfectly!
Thank you so much Kristen! I really appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad it was a winner! 🤩
Can I reduce the salt in this recipe?
Hi April! It’s really up to you. All my bread recipes sit at about 1.5-2% salt content which is far less than most commercial varieties. Reducing or leaving out the salt entirely will produce a different result, as any modifications can impact all of colour, taste, texture and appearance. Please let me know if there’s anything else I can help with! K
Can I use 2.25 qt covered dutch oven to bake this? Or reduce recipe?
Hi Sara! There are two ways you can approach this. One option is to reduce all ingredients by 30% to accommodate a smaller vessel. A simpler alternative is to divide the dough into two smaller loaves after the first rise when you shape them, then bake them separately. You shouldn’t need to adjust bake time or temperature, but because some ovens run hotter than others, start checking for doneness at the 40-minute mark. Hope you enjoy! K
I’m new to making bread and haven’t had the best luck, until now. This recipe is fantastic! It’s absolutely perfect! I added a bit of honey to the water but really no need to alter this recipe at all. Thank you so much!
Thank you so much Jeff, I really appreciate you trying this recipe and sharing your review! K
Hi Kerry! How would I incorporate an active starter into this recipe for sourdough? I think it would be fantastic.
Thank you for this recipe!
Hi Anthony! Bearing in mind that the consistency of your starter can affect the texture of your dough, in most instances you can substitute ½ cup starter for the yeast then reduce water by ¼ cup and flour by ½ cup to compensate. Thank you so much for the positive feedback, happy baking! K
All I want to know is, how do you get your bread to rise so much? My artisan bread ends up only slightly thicker than a pancake.
Hi Patrick! My recipes are foolproof with plenty of tips to help you along the way. Hope you find something you like! K
Hi I am wondering if I could leave the dough for 24 hours? I don’t see a time when I’d be able to make it and get to the dough after only 8 or 10 hours. I work too much!
Hi Zaya! The baking schedule in the post is designed for just that. I think if you take another look at it you will be able to find a time that works for you. You can also always adjust the cold proof a little to accommodate your schedule if needed. Please let me know if there’s anything else I can help with! K
Hi- I have baked this loaf a few times now, using bread flour and following recipe as is, in a cast iron dutch oven, and very happy with the results, texture, crust, flavor and all. Only negative both times has been a particularly tough bottom crust, compared to other recipes baked in same pan. Any thoughts as to why? Hoping to keep using your recipe, along with some of your variations. Thanks.
Hi Mary! Do you have an oven thermometer? If there is a discrepancy, that will tell you whether you need to reduce oven temperature to compensate. If you don’t have one, I recommend reducing the bake time by 5 minutes. You can also try moving the Dutch oven to a higher rack in the oven if space allows, and don’t forget to heat the Dutch oven in the oven during preheating. Lastly, if your oven runs hot, you can always double up the parchment to add a little extra insulation. Keep me posted! K