Having fresh Artisan bread loaf in your home can feel overwhelming if you have never made it before. What happens if you mess up? What if it doesn’t look pretty? What if it tastes weird? These are all valid concerns, but they shouldn’t stop you from trying to learn.
I often think that homemade bread is the equivalent to chickens. Chickens are the gateway to starting a homesteading. Whereas bread is the gateway to a homemade household.
If the thought of sourdough, starters kitchen scales intimidate you, this recipe will be good for you.
Because this was my go to recipe at the beginning of my homemade bread journey, I felt I needed to share it with you. It helped me practice my bread making techniques and it makes a great base to experiment with flavors.
Flour
When leaning to make this artisan bread loaf, I like to use an all purpose flour. You can experiment with other flours. If you are a beginner, I recommend sticking to all purpose flour to get familiar with the feel of bread making.
Sweeteners
This recipe uses honey or sugar to add a bit of sweetness to your bread. Although they are not necessary for this recipe to work, they can easily be decreased or omitted.
Oil
Having olive oil for this recipe is also optional. However, I do recommend using any oil you have to grease your bowl before proofing your dough. If the oil you choose has stronger flavor, it make be tasted in your bread.
Do You Need a Dutch Oven to Make an Artisan Bread Loaf?
Certainly not! When making an Artisan bread can absolutely be made without a Dutch oven. While a Dutch oven helps create a steam filled environment for you bread while it bakes. You can easily recreate that steam filled space in your oven without one. Our sourdough recipe to learn how to make a crusty loaf of bread without having a Dutch oven.
What Flavors Can You Put In Your Artisan Loaf?
Once you get comfortable with making a standard, plain Artisan loaf, you can start to experiment with different flavors and ingredients.
Our Favorite Artisan Loaf Flavors
- Cinnamon raisin
- Cranberry and orange zest
- Cheddar
- Cranberry and Brie
- Jalapeño and cheddar
- Cheddar and dill
- Jam swirl (any jam that needs to get used up in the fridge)
Dutch Oven Artisan Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups warm water
- 2 ¼ tsp instant yeast
- 2 tbsp honey or white sugar optional
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp olive oil
Instructions
- Add yeast, warm water and honey (sugar) to a bowl. Allow to bloom until frothy.
- Mix together flour and salt in a large bowl.
- Incorporate dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. If your dough is sticky, sprinkle small amounts of flour and knead dough until it doesn't stick to your hands.
- Add your oil to a large boil. Place your dough into the bowl and roll in the oil so that it is completely coated.
- Cover and let rise for 1½ to 2 hours.
- Uncover. If does has doubled in size, punch down the center and reshape into a ball again. Be careful not to tear your dough.
- Cover and allow to rise for another 45 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 450℉.
- Place your Dutch oven into your oven so that it can warm up. I place mine in the oven at the beginning of the preheat and leave it in there for 45 minutes.
- Gently punch down dough, reshape into a ball again. Score/cut the top to allow your bread to expand.
- Place in Dutch oven with lid on.
- Bake for 30 minutes with lid on, And 15 minutes with the lid off. 45 Minute total.
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