Description
This Rustic Artisan Bread recipe yields a beautifully crusty and tender loaf made with simple ingredients and a straightforward method. Using a Dutch oven for baking creates an ideal environment for the bread to develop a perfect crust and airy crumb. The dough is easy to prepare with a no-knead approach and requires a long rise for maximum flavor and texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups flour (all-purpose, bread, or Italian flour)
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp quick rise yeast (can substitute with traditional yeast)
- 1.5 tsp sea salt or coarse salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1.5 – 2 cups warm water
- 2 tbsp olive oil (divided: 1 tbsp in dough, 1 tbsp for drizzling)
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, yeast, and salt thoroughly.
- Add wet ingredients: Pour in 1.5 to 2 cups warm water along with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Stir with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon until a sticky, shaggy dough forms, scraping the sides of the bowl. Adjust water as needed depending on the flour used.
- Drizzle oil: Optionally drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the dough for extra moisture and flavor.
- Cover and rise: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a tea towel. Let it rise in a warm place (like an oven with the light on) for about 2 hours, until the dough doubles in size.
- Preheat Dutch oven: Place your covered Dutch oven in the oven and heat to 450°F to ensure the pot is hot before baking.
- Prepare dough for baking: Transfer the dough onto a floured work surface lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle flour over the dough and fold it onto itself several times to form a rough ball shape.
- Transfer to Dutch oven: Carefully lift the dough on the parchment paper and place it into the preheated Dutch oven. Cover with the lid.
- Bake covered: Bake the dough at 450°F for 30 minutes with the lid on to trap steam for a crispy crust.
- Bake uncovered: Remove the lid and continue baking for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until the crust is deeply golden and crisp.
- Cool and serve: Remove the Dutch oven from the stove, lift the bread using the parchment paper, and cool on a wire rack briefly before slicing. Serve warm with butter or your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Water quantity depends on flour type; start with less and add if needed.
- The dough is loose and sticky—handle gently to preserve air bubbles.
- Using a preheated Dutch oven ensures a crispy crust by trapping steam.
- Allow bread to cool slightly before slicing to set the crumb.
- You can substitute quick rise yeast with traditional yeast but expect longer rise times.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Western
Keywords: Rustic bread, artisan bread, no-knead bread, Dutch oven bread, homemade bread
