Almost No-Knead Artisan Bread Recipe

Name: Artisan Bread - Easy Homemade Recipe
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour; 2 tbsp sugar (*see notes); 1½ tsp salt; ½ tsp dry active yeast; 1½ cup water (room temperature); 1 tsp olive oil; ½ cup flour (to finish dough and use on countertop); water to brush the bread with ( to brush the bread with )

Published: May 10, 2020 · Modified: Mar 1, 2022 by Chef Dennis Littley. This post includes affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

5 from 147 votes

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I’ve been making no-knead homemade artisan bread for the last 15 years and it’s always been good but never quite what I hoped it would be. It just wasn’t quite right.

Of course, it was still delicious and we enjoyed the homemade bread, but it always left me thinking it could be better.

loaf of homemade artisan bread on a wooden cutting board

I’ve experimented with different quantities of yeast and salt. I’ve added sugar, honey and other types of flours to the recipe in my quest for the perfect no-knead bread recipe.

Then one day I was watching a sourdough bread video, which was way too much work for a loaf of bread, but the technique that was used to knead the dough intrigued me. And I thought I would try that method with my much easier to make no-knead bread recipe.

side view of cut loaf of homemade artisan bread

And it was amazing! The results finally yielded the bread I’ve been hoping to make for the last 15 years. It does require a small amount of kneading but it’s pretty darn easy to make.

See all those little air holes, that’s what I’ve been missing in my no-knead bread all these years! It has a nice crisp crust, a lighter texture and a wonderful flavor.

Table of Contents:

Ingredients to make Artisan Bread?

Ingredients to make homemade artisan bread

It’s a very short list of ingredients to make this perfect loaf of homemade artisan bread. All-purpose flour, sea salt, yeast and sugar are the only ingredients you need.

I use Sherpa Pink Himalayan Salt in my kitchen. The other products I use are King Arthur Flour, Active Dry Yeast and Natural Cane Sugar.

Why do I need sugar in my Bread Recipe?

That’s a good question and one I had pondered until I spoke with a master baker about what each ingredient did to make the end result in the bread I wanted.

Sugar has quite a few jobs and provides substantial improvements to yeast bread. It’s not an essential ingredient but it helps make a better loaf of bread.

Sugar provides an additional source of food for the yeast. The yeast converts this food to carbon dioxide and alcohol
Sugar (like salt) enhances the flavor of the bread
Sugar helps gives the crust that golden color we love
Sugar improves the crumb texture of the bread
Sugar helps retain moisture in bread and slows down the fomation of gluten strands, which helps keep the bread fresher longer

Will sugar make the bread sweet?

That’s a great question and the answer is no. We are not using enough sugar to make this a sweet bread. You won’t even notice it’s in the bread.

Why do I need salt in my homemade bread?

Salt regulates the rate of yeast activity. It provides a slow and steady rise which is even more crucial in this semi no-knead bread. The slower rise gives the yeast time to develop the characteristic bread flavors we love
Salt also strengthens the gluten structure of bread dough. It keeps the trapped carbon dioxide bubbles to expand too quickly
Salt makes bread taste better

How to make Artisan Bread

collage showing steps to make bread dough

The process is fairly simple and only takes about 10 minutes to make the bread dough and get it set up for the first rise.

Following the recipe add the salt, sugar and yeast to the flour. Whisking it all together to make sure everything is equally distributed.

Then in a stand mixer (or by hand) add in the water. Depending upon the brand of flour you use, you may need a little less or a little more water. So start with about ¾’s of the water adding more if needed. The dough should be a little wet and sticky.

The last step is to place the bread dough in an oiled bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Place the bowl on your counter away from drafts for the initial rise.

The rise time will be 12 -16 hours.

bread dough in a metal bowl, with bubbles after the first rise

When the first rise is done, the bread dough should look like this. The dough may rise a little more, than fall a little. That’s normal, don’t worry.

bread dough floured on a marble counter top

The first step is to lightly flour a countertop and place the bread dough on the floured area. At this point, you are going to begin adding additional flour to the bread until the dough is no longer wet and sticky.

You don’t want the dough completely dry, but it should be easy to work with when you’ve added enough flour. This should take you about 5 minutes.

collage showing the process of folding the bread dough

The next steps are the folding process that will give the dough the textures and appearance we want.

On a floured surface flatten the dough out to make a rectangle
Fold over ⅓ of the dough to the center (you’re folding the widest part first as shown in the pictures above)
Fold over the other side of the rectangle overlapping the first fold of the dough
Continue the folding process by folding the bottom ⅓ of the dough upwards toward the center of the little package you’ve made
Now fold the top part of the dough down overlapping the fold you just made
Turn the dough over (seam side down) and make a disc or oblong loaf depending upon what shape bread you want to make.

A Dough Scraper/Cutter will make the process easier and will help move the dough around without touching it all the time.

dough on parchment paper on pizza peel for the second rise

Place the finished dough on parchment paper (sprinkle cornmeal or flour on the parchment before placing the dough)

stainless steel bowl covering the bread dough on the pizza peel

Cover the dough with a bowl or damp tea towel for the second rise. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. and place the dough on top of the stove.

The rise time will be 30-40 minutes for the second rise.

bread dough after the second rise on parchment paper on a pizza peel

When the bread has finished rising it should have a pillowy appearance and feel. When you shape the dough, don’t handle it any more than you have to.

The next step is cutting a design (if you want to) on the top of the bread. I used one of my kitchen knives but they never really make great cuts so I ordered a Bread Lame and Scoring Tool from Amazon. You don’t really need this, but you know what they say about a boy and his toys.

The last step before placing the bread dough in the oven is to brush the dough with water. Water helps crisp up the outer crust of the bread, making the crusty bread I love.

Brush with olive oil for a smooth chewy crust
Dust the bread with flour for a rustic look and chewy crust
Brush with melted butter for a softer crust and appearance
Brush with egg to get a shiny brown crust

**If you want to add seeds to the bread, any of the wet methods will help the seeds stick to the bread.

I use an Emile Henry Cloche to bake my bread in. You can also use a Dutch oven for this Artisan Bread.

What size dutch oven should I use to bake this recipe?

To make one loaf from my recipe, you will need a 7 qt. dutch oven or bigger. If you have a 5 qt dutch oven, you can reduce the recipe by one-third or make two loaves.

What if I don’t have a cloche or a dutch oven?

If you don’t have a cloche or a dutch oven, a heavy metal cake pan (round or oblong) will work. If you use a cake pan, you will do your final rise in the pan. The bread will come out a little darker because it won’t be covered.

Recipe FAQ

What is the difference between artisan bread and regular bread?

Bread that is mass-produced using large machines is referred to as Supermarket Bread. Artisan bread is usually made by hand using longer and more traditional processes.

Does folded no-knead bread taste better?

My side-by-side tests showed that my folded no-knead bread had a rounder, more appealing flavor and had a better balance between acid and sweet than the loaves without folds.

Why isn’t my no-knead bread crusty?

The main reason your bread isn’t crusty is due to moisture. This moisture comes from inside the bread. When cooling, you must give your bread enough room to breathe. Keep your bread on a cooling rack with enough space under it.

How can I make my no-knead bread even crustier?

after my bread has cooled I give it 7- 10 minutes, placed directly on the center rack in a 350-degree oven. This crisps the outside of the loaf nicely.

Can I use bread flour to make artisan no-knead bread?

Yes, you can, but not using this recipe. Bread flour has a higher protein count which means the ingredients would have to be adjusted to accommodate using bread flour.

loaf of artisan bread sliced with slices next to it on a wooden cutting board

The finished bread is golden brown, crusty and delicious. And once you get the hang of it, the process will only take minutes.

I keep a ziplock few bags of flour and other ingredients measured out ahead of time. That makes it super easy to make the bread after dinner so it’s ready to bake in the afternoon.

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5 from 147 votes

Artisan Bread – Easy Homemade Recipe

What could be better than a warm loaf of Homemade Artisan Bread that you made in your very own kitchen. You'll amaze your family and friends with my easy to make "almost" no-knead bread.

Prep Time25

Cook Time40

Total Time1 5

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 218kcal

Equipment

▢
cloche or ductch oven

Ingredients

Bread Dough

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoon sugar *see notes
1½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon dry active yeast
1½ cup water room temperature

Proof and Bake

1 teaspoon olive oil
½ cup flour to finish dough and use on countertop
water to brush the bread with to brush the bread with

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Bread Dough

Mix all the dry ingredients together. Use a whisk to make sure they are mixed well. Place into the bowl of your stand mixer set up with the dough hook.
**you can also mix this by hand using a wooden spoon or your hands.
Add the water and stir into the dry ingredients until a dough forms. It should start to pull away from the bowl. The dough will look wet and sticky.
Place the dough in a large bowl that has been lightly oiled. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place the bowl in a warm part of your kitchen away from any drafts.
Allow the dough to rise for at least 12 hours up to a maximum of 16 hours. 12-14 hours is the sweet spot. Bubbles wil form in the dough and it may drop a bit after rising.

Proof and Bake

Lightly flour the countertop and dump out the bread dough on the floured surface.
Add flour into the dough as you work the dough around. This will take about 5 minutes. Keep adding flour until the dough isn't sticky. Form the dough into a ball.
On a floured surface, flatten the dough out to make a rectangle.
Fold over ⅓ of the dough to the center (you're folding the widest part first as shown in the pictures). Fold over the other side of the rectangle overlapping the first fold of the dough.
Continue the folding process by folding the bottom ⅓ of the dough upwards towards the center of the little package you've made.
Fold the top part of the dough down overlapping the fold you just made.
Turn the dough over (seam side down) and make a disc or oblong loaf depending upon what shape bread you want to make.
Place the finished dough on parchment paper (sprinkle cornmeal or flour on the parchment before placing the dough)
Cover the dough with a bowl or damp tea towel for the second rise.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and place the empty cloche or dutch oven in the oven on the middle rack to preheat along with the oven.
Place the covered dough on top of the stove to finish rising for 30 – 40 minutes.
When the dough has fully risen, using a very sharp knife cut a design into the top of the bread. Make deep cuts.
Brush the entire bread dough with water.
Very Carefully remove the cloche (or dutch oven) from the oven (close the oven door).
Place the parchment paper with the dough onto the cloche, (or inside the dutch oven) cover with the lid and place back into the oven.
It's okay to bake the bread on parchment paper.
Bake the bread for 30 minutes at 450 degrees F.
After the 30 minutes have passed remove the lid from the cloche or dutch oven, leaving the bread in the oven.
Turn off the oven.
Allow the bread to stay in the oven for about 10 minutes (less if it looks like it's getting too dark). This will finish the baking process, crisping up the outside of the crust bread adding more color to the crust.
Dark Bread is okay, it looks more rustic!
Let the bread rest for at least an hour before cutting. Cutting the bread too soon will release the steam (water) and toughen the bread.

Video

Notes

Why do I need sugar in my Bread Recipe?

That’s a good question and one I had pondered until I spoke with a master baker about what each ingredient did to make the end result in the bread I wanted.

Sugar has quite a few jobs and provides substantial improvements to yeast bread. It’s not an essential ingredient but it helps make a better loaf of bread.

Sugar provides an additional source of food for the yeast. The yeast converts this food to carbon dioxide and alcohol
Sugar (like salt) enhances the flavor of the bread
Sugar helps give the crust that golden color we love
Sugar improves the crumb texture of the bread
Sugar helps retain moisture in bread and slows down the formation of gluten strands, which helps keep the bread fresher longer