Easy Artisanal Bread

You know those super rustic, delicious loaves of bread you see at the fancier grocery stores? The ones you think you have to have a lifetime of baking skills and an ancient, French grand-mère who passed her bread secrets to you in order to successfully bake? Guess what? Those loaves of bread aren’t as hard to make as you think they are. Granted, some of them have a lot of tricky steps and require hours and hours of proofing, but I’m about to share a super-easy way to make artisanal bread at home.

Here’s what you’ll need:

3 Cups of Flour (I like to use a mix of whole wheat and bread flour from a fancy mill, but you can use whatever you have in your kitchen)

2 Teaspoons or 1 Packet of Instant, Dry Yeast

1 ½ Teaspoons Salt

1 ½ Cup Very Warm Water

Here’s how to make some:

Step 1: Measure three cups of flour, two teaspoons (or one packet) of dry yeast, and one and a half teaspoons of salt into a bowl. Then mix the dry ingredients together.

Step 2: Add one and a half cups of very warm water to your dry, mixed ingredients, stirring with a wooden spoon, dough whisk, or your hands—all options work just fine.

Step 3: At first, your dough will look like a shaggy mess, but keep mixing until you get a somewhat smooth ball.

Step 4: Cover your dough ball with plastic wrap and leave it alone for three hours. In the meantime, you can work, fold laundry, exercise, or watch tv; whatever you’re in the mood to do. Please note: I did not fold laundry during the three-hour period.

Step 5: After your three hours is up, your dough should have about doubled in size, taking over the bowl you used. Now it’s time to shape your dough and proof it again before you bake it.

Step 6: Turn your dough out onto a floured surface and gently push the gas out of it with your fingers so it’s in a flat shape. Using your hands, fold the dough over and onto itself until it makes a ball shape. 

Step 7: Flip the dough ball over carefully and pull it across the counter to create a little tension or tightness.

Step 8: If you’re a total bread nerd, you’ll have a proofing basket, but if you’re not a bread nerd, you can just let your bread proof on the counter or in a clean bowl, just make sure the surface of whatever you’re using is floured generously so your dough doesn’t stick when you’re trying to get it into the oven. 

Flip your dough ball back over so that the side with the seam you made before is now facing up.

Step 9: Leave your dough on the floured surface, place it in a clean, floured bowl, or flour your proofing basket. Then put your dough seam side up to proof again. Cover it with a clean dish towel and wait for 40 minutes to an hour.

Step 10: While your dough is proofing, preheat your over to 425 degrees. As soon as it has reached the temperature, get a large dutch oven or oven-safe pot and put it in the oven to heat up, as well. Please note: I’m a total bread nerd, so I have this fancy Emile Henry bread baking cloche. But trust me, as long as you have an oven-safe pot of some sort, your bread will turn out fantastically.

Nerd Alert: The reason you want to bake your bread in a pot or cloche is because it creates steam around your dough, which provides a more even bake, a bouncy spring, and that heavenly crunchy crust.

Step 11: Check your dough around 40 minutes to see if it has proofed enough. To do this, gently poke it with your fingertip or knuckle. If it leaves an indent, you’re ready to go. If it doesn’t leave an indent, cover it again and come back in ten minutes and try the trick again.

Step 12: Very carefully flip your dough out onto a piece of parchment paper and gently dust off any excess flour.

Step 13: Using a sharp knife or bread lame, (I like to use a serrated knife or a razor blade, cause I’m tough) score your bread.

Nerd Alert: It’s important not to skip this step. If you want your bread to spring up and get fluffy instead of dense, you have to provide a way for it to grow and stretch.

Step 14: Now that your bread is scored, put it in your pot or cloche and let it bake for 35 minutes. 

Step 15: After 35 minutes, take the top off, no, not your top, the top of your pot, cloche, or dutch oven. This lets your crust get even crunchier. 

Step 16: Let your bread bake for 10 to 15 more minutes, keeping your eye on the color every few minutes or so. At this point, you’ll likely be going crazy, because your whole entire house will smell like warm, fresh bread.

Step 17: Take your bread out of the oven. If you want to make sure it’s fully baked, tap the bottom of it; it will make a hollow sound.

Step 18: Let it cool. Your French grand-mère will likely scold you if you cut it too early. In fact, she’d likely make you wait overnight. Luckily, I’m not your French grand-mère and I think you should let it cool for an hour or so before you cut into it. Bon appetit.