Easy Artisan Bread Recipe

The great thing about this artisan bread recipe is how simple it is to make.

There are many variations, but this basic recipe will make four one-pound loaves of bread. Everyone we have served it to loved it.

There are four ingredients:

Water - use 3 cups water - luke warm.

Salt - use 1 1/2 Tablespoon of coarse salt - Kosher or Sea Salt (not table salt).

Yeast - use 1 1/2 Tablespoon granulated yeast. Buy a jar of it.

Flour - use 6 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour. Do not sift the flour - just scoop and even off the top of the measuring cup with a knife. This called the dip-level-pour method of measuring flour.

Add the yeast and some of the flour to the water - mix a little bit - add the salt and the remaining flour and mix this dough until all the flour is moistened. You could use a mixer with a bread hook, but we have also made it by mixing it by hand. You will need a good strong spoon - like a wooden mixing spoon. In the picture below our artisan bread dough is being mixed with a bread hook. When all the ingredients are mixed thoroughly you are through. This will be a pretty wet dough.

That's all there is to the basic artisan bread recipe. In the next article we talk about storing the dough.