Description
This simple 4-Ingredient Artisan Bread recipe yields a crusty, flavorful loaf with minimal effort. Using just flour, yeast, salt, and water, this no-knead bread develops a beautifully airy crumb and crispy crust through slow fermentation and baking in a preheated Dutch oven. Perfect for beginners and homemade baking enthusiasts, the method requires little active time but rewards with bakery-quality bread.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups (approximately 400g) all-purpose flour (unbleached)
- ¼ teaspoon instant yeast (or ½ teaspoon active dry yeast, proofed)
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt (or kosher salt)
Wet Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (355–360 ml) warm water at 105-115°F (40-46°C)
Instructions
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, fine sea salt, and instant yeast until evenly distributed. If using active dry yeast, proof it separately in warm water with a pinch of sugar before adding.
- Add Water and Mix: Pour the warm water into the bowl with dry ingredients and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until a shaggy, sticky dough forms. Ensure no dry flour remains; no kneading is necessary.
- First Rise (Bulk Fermentation): Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap or a bowl cover and let it rest at room temperature (68-72°F or 20-22°C) for 12 to 18 hours, until it doubles or triples in size and becomes bubbly and jiggly.
- Shape the Dough (Gently!): Lightly flour a clean surface and your hands. Gently scrape the dough onto it, then fold the edges toward the center 4-6 times to form a rough ball without overworking, preserving air bubbles.
- Second Rise (Proofing): Place the dough seam-side down on parchment paper dusted with flour, dust the top lightly with flour, cover loosely, and let rise 1 to 2 hours until about 50% larger and not springing back immediately when poked.
- Preheat Oven and Dutch Oven: About 30-45 minutes before baking, place your Dutch oven with lid inside your oven and preheat oven to 450°F (232°C) to ensure it’s piping hot.
- Score and Bake: Remove hot Dutch oven carefully. Optionally, score the top of the dough with a sharp blade to allow controlled steam release. Using the parchment, transfer dough into Dutch oven, cover with lid.
- Bake Covered: Bake for 30 minutes to trap steam that helps develop a crispy crust and oven spring.
- Bake Uncovered: Remove the lid carefully, bake an additional 15-25 minutes until crust is deep golden and crackly. Bread internal temp should reach 200-210°F (93-99°C).
- Cool Completely: Remove bread using parchment from Dutch oven and cool on a wire rack for 1-2 hours before slicing to set the crumb and avoid gumminess.
Notes
- If you only have active dry yeast, proof it in warm water with sugar before mixing.
- Use unbleached flour for best flavor and texture.
- Be gentle when shaping dough to preserve bubbles for airy crumb.
- The longer the first rise (up to 24 hours), the deeper the flavor.
- A preheated Dutch oven creates steam crucial for a crispy crust.
- Allow bread to cool completely before slicing to avoid gummy texture.
- Scoring is optional but improves oven spring and loaf appearance.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45-55 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: No-Knead, Dutch Oven Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/10 loaf)
- Calories: 135
- Sugar: 0.5g
- Sodium: 275mg
- Fat: 0.3g
- Saturated Fat: 0.05g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 1.5g
- Protein: 3.5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: artisan bread, no-knead bread, 4 ingredient bread, Dutch oven bread, homemade bread, easy bread recipe
