Crusty Artisan Bread

Beautiful, crusty artisan bread is so much simpler to make than you might think! And for this one you don't even need a dutch oven!

*This post has been updated with additional notes

I'll admit, the recipe is long so it seems daunting and involved. But I can promise you it isn't! The first time I made it I had to check it multiple times because it's such a basic recipe yielding such a wet, sticky dough that I had to confirm all was as it should be. But after making it a few times, I got the hang of it and so will you! I tried to be thorough in the directions so that you'll have success. Just make sure your scoring knife is sharp!

This quickly became my easy go-to throughout pregnancy, busy days, and the baby/toddler stages. I've easily made this recipe at least 50x or more. I do sometimes miss my other recipes - golden wheat, mixed grain, French baguettes, babka, white - but they're all way more involved and not suitable for this season of life. 

I've been branching out more with artisan bread though! I've done wheat, rosemary-garlic, jalapeño-cheddar, cinnamon-raisin.. I am still testing and tweaking those recipes before posting, and trying more- I'm sure you'll love them!

Here is a link to the printable, or you can keep reading for the recipe below.

Enjoy!

Troubleshooting & Notes: I’ve heard from a couple of people that they have had some issues with their loaves, and my husband pointed out that this may not exactly be a beginner’s recipe you can just jump into. I tend to jump in after some research then try the recipe a few times til I get the hang of it and learn, so let’s address a couple of things.

When I first tried this recipe I was skeptical- I have years of experience making all kinds of bread, I’m familiar with feeding yeast with sugar and killing it with too much salt or heat, and yet this recipe calls for mixing salt & yeast together with warm water..? But it did work, and I got better there more I made it! I just had to trust the recipe and get used to working with it. 

Here are some things I have learned

1. Yeast: use active dry yeast. I made the mistake once of accidentally using instant and it messed up my bread!

2. Water: it should be heated between 120°-130°F, but I’ve found the sweet spot is 125°F. I prefer to use a kettle so that i can use filtered water, and so that I know it’s heated evenly.

3.  Baking: I always put my hot water in the bottom of the oven before I preheat, because this allows more steam to build up before baking and helps my bread. I do 3+ cups of hot water so that I don’t have to worry much about it evaporating. Don’t open the oven due as you bake or you’ll lose the humidity!

4. Color; you want your loaves to be a lovely golden brown color, like the pictures. Of the recommended time tells a paler loaf, bake a little longer. I remember making them once for dinner when at weren’t feeling well, and thinking I could take them out earlier.. nope, they were underdone!

5. Scoring: I don’t use anything special, just a really sharp knife. The best too I’ve found is to have plenty of a good dusting of flour on top to prevent the dough from sticking to the knife. Make one clean slice across the top, about1/4”-1/2” deep. Don’t go back and forth when you slice, it will cause the dough to stick together.

6. Atmosphere: this may or may not be common knowledge, but atmosphere totally affects all baked goods. If it is an overcast, rainy, or more humid day then they won’t rise/bake properly. I’ve run into this issue multiple times over the years!

7. Plastic wrap: always use plastic wrap to cover your dough! It providers the best humid environment for it to get nice and bubbly and to rise.

Crusty Artisan Bread

You will need: 

stand mixer   |   flex edge beater or dough hook   |  rubber spatula   |   candy thermometer kettle  |   plastic wrap   |   Baking sheet   |   roasting pan or glass pan

Ingredients:

• 6  cups all-purpose flour

• 1 Tbsp, slightly heaping, coarse kosher salt*

• 1 package active dry yeast (2 ¼ tsp)

• 3 cups warm water (125° F)

• Cooking spray 

• Cornmeal
  

*we prefer ours slightly less salty, but if you want a stronger salty flavor measure out 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp coarse kosher salt

Directions:

1. Prepare water: using a kettle, heat water to a gentle boil, measure out 3 cups in a glass measuring cup and then insert candy thermometer to check temperature..*

2. Using the flex edge beater* in your stand mixer, combine all dry ingredients.

3. Gradually add in the water and stir to combine. Scrape the dough off of the beater.

4. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap, let stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours.*

5. Prepare the baking sheets: Spray well with cooking spray, then coat in cornmeal.

6. Turn dough out onto a well- floured surface, scraping any extra dough out with a rubber spatula. The dough will be very sticky and webby-looking, this is good! DO NOT KNEAD OR PRESS. Sprinkle flour over the top of the dough.

7. Using a sharp knife or dough cutter, divide the dough into 3 equal portions. Gently shape the portions into balls, tucking the bottoms as necessary.. Remember, DO NOT APPLY PRESSURE. It is unnecessary and detrimental to knead or punch down dough.

8. Add each loaf to a prepared baking sheet, gently coat with flour, then cover and let rest for 20 minutes

9. Place a 9x13” pan on the bottom rack of your oven and fill with 3+ cups of hot water. Then set oven to preheat to 450°F.

10. After 20 minutes, uncover loaves and score the tops deeply with a sharp knife.

11. Bake each loaf for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

12. Allow to cool before cutting into it..

Notes:

I use organic, unbleached flour

*temperature should ideally be 125°F, but anywhere between 120-130°F will work. I find that a gentle boil will usually get me closest to the right range, but I usually have to adjust the temperature or wait for it to cool slightly.

* if you choose to use your dough hook instead, just be sure to constantly scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula 

* I prefer 4-6 hours