The Best Homemade Bread Recipe {Artisan Bread}

A quick and easy artisan homemade bread recipe that is adaptable. It’s perfect for smothering in butter, dipping in oil, or slicing for sandwiches. This homemade bread is moist on the inside, crusty on the outside, and full of flavor! Finish with rosemary and olive oil for a beautiful savory kneaded bread.

If there’s one thing I know, it’s bread. I’ve been addicted to bread as long as I can remember. Right or wrong, I judge restaurants on the bread they serve. A great loaf of bread leaves a lasting first impression and keeps me coming back for more.

Every now and then, I like to treat myself by making my favorite homemade bread – it’s so easy and requires little hands-on time.

Homemade Bread Recipe Ingredients

• Flour – Use your favorite brand of all-purpose flour for this recipe.
• Instant Yeast – Add instant yeast straight into the mix of dry ingredients for ease and convenience.
• Salt and Sugar – To flavor and season the bread.
• Olive Oil and Rosemary – These are optional, but you can easily elevate this recipe into a rosemary olive oil bread in a matter of minutes!

How To Make the Homemade Bread Recipe

Making artisan bread is so much easier than you think! You don’t even need a bread maker! If you have a KitchenAid mixer, it will do all of the work for you. Otherwise, you can knead the dough into a ball with your very own hands!

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, yeast, salt, and sugar.
3. In a small saucepan, warm the milk and butter over low heat just until the butter melts. You don’t want the milk mixture to be too hot or it will kill the yeast. Gradually mix it into the flour mixture and add the remaining flour until smooth.
4. Using a dough hook or your hands, knead the bread dough for 4-5 minutes.
5. Lightly coat a baking dish or cocotte with olive oil. Place homemade bread dough in the dish and cover with a light towel. Place in the oven for 1 hour, turning the heat off.
6. Remove and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Punch down dough, create a new ball, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt and rosemary. Bake for 35 minutes.

How Do You Make The Rosemary Bread Rise?

The instant yeast in this recipe is the ingredient that makes the homemade bread rise and is critical to the recipe. Once the bread is kneaded, using a dough mixer or by hand, and leave the dough covered in a warm place for an hour. I place my bread in a warm oven to rise and cover it with a tea towel so that it can breathe.

How To Serve the Artisan Bread Recipe

This tastes great alone, with softened salted butter or dipped with olive oil, salt, and pepper. This easy homemade bread recipe can also be sliced for sandwiches and homemade grilled cheese. Any way you slice it, you’re going to love this foolproof bread recipe!

Can You Make Rosemary Bread Without A Loaf Pan?

Yes! For me, the key to making an artisan looking bread is to cook it in a dutch oven. More steam is created this way and it results in a wonderfully crispy crust. I really think it’s the best way to bake homemade bread, so give it a go if you haven’t already!

A Few Tips to Make The Best Artisan Bread Recipe:

• Just warm the milk and butter before adding it to the dry ingredients, do not boil it.
• Knead the bread for at least 4 to 5 minutes.
• Allow one hour for the bread to rise.
• Bake the bread in a pre-heated oven.
• Flour sack towels are great for covering doughs when allowing dough to rise, but any kitchen towel will do.
• If you have a little extra time, my friend KariAnne suggests you punch it down and let it rise again.

More Homemade Bread Recipes You’ll Love:

• Blueberry Bread (Blueberry Loaf Cake)
• Gingerbread Loaf Recipe
• Latte Bread
• Almond Bread

The Best Homemade Bread Recipe {Artisan Bread}

A quick and easy artisan homemade bread recipe that is adaptable. It's perfect for smothering in butter, dipping in oil, or slicing for sandwiches. This homemade bread is moist on the inside, crusty on the outside, and full of flavor! Finish with rosemary and olive oil for a beautiful savory kneaded bread.

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings (hover to scale): 8

Calories: 255kcal

Author: Julie Blanner

Ingredients

• 3 1/4 c flour
• 1 package instant yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 1/4 c milk
• 2 Tbsp butter

optional

• olive oil salt and rosemary to top bread

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
• In a mixing bowl, combine 1½ c flour, yeast, sugar and salt.
• In a small saucepan, warm milk enough to melt the butter, but not to a boil so that it doesn't kill the yeast. Mix into flour mixture and add remaining flour until smooth.
• Using a dough hook {or your hands} knead dough for 4-5 minutes.
• Lightly coat baking dish or cocotte with olive oil. Place dough ball in cocotte and cover with a light towel. Place in oven for 1 hour, turning the heat off.
• Remove and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Punch dough down, create a new ball and brush with olive oil, sea salt and sprinkle rosemary on.
• Bake 35 minutes.

Notes

Top with sun dried tomatoes, dried oregano, or any of your favorite dried herb!

Nutrition

Calories: 255kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 479mg | Potassium: 115mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 150IU | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 2mg

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Mention @JulieBlanner or tag #JulieBlanner

If you try this recipe, please come back to share using my 5 star rating in the comments below! Not only do I appreciate it, but I know readers do, too! For more easy recipes and simple living ideas, subscribe to my newsletter!

Not making it now? Don’t forget to pin it for later!

LET’S CONNECT! instagram | newsletter | facebook | pinterest