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.
This is a homemade bread recipe that we’ve been making for years. It feels special and creates a warm and cozy fragrance in your home – just the feeling we all need right now!
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.
I like to give a lot of detail in my recipe posts to guide readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, feel free to click “jump to recipe” right under the title of this post and you’ll head straight there!
We bake a lot around here. While many of my bread recipes are quick breads that don’t require yeast (like this carrot cake loaf or my brown sugar bread), yeast creates an entirely different experience in your kitchen.
If you love baking with yeast, you’ll love my homemade 30 minute dinner rolls if you love this delicious artisan bread! Another idea? Making stretchy, gooey soft homemade cinnamon rolls just feels so special for breakfast or brunch!
I promise, anyone can make this bread. Don’t be intimidated by yeast, I’m going to walk you through it!
Homemade Bread 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.
- Milk – adds much-needed creamy moisture.
- Sugar – Adds just a touch of sweetness to your loaf of bread, helps caramelize the top, and helps keep your homemade bread soft and moist.
- Salt – To flavor and season the bread.
Variations
- Olive Oil – Brush olive oil on top for a hint of amazing flavor.
- Herbs – Fresh or dried rosemary, oregano or thyme. Add to the dough, on top just after brushing with olive oil or both!
- Cheese – Aged cheeses work well. Consider asiago, parmesan, gruyere or sharp cheddar.
- Sun Dried Tomatoes – Another delicious addition to this delightful bread.
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!
Need help with yeast? I’ve got a complete guide that will take you through the steps of baking with yeast! Don’t miss these fabulous tips and tricks!
How To Make Homemade Bread
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, yeast, salt, and sugar.
- 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.
- Using a dough hook on your stand mixer simply using or your hands, knead the bread dough for 4-5 minutes.
- Lightly coat a baking sheet 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.
- 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 the bread for 35 minutes.
You’ll find ingredient amount and recipe instructions in printable recipe card below.
The instant yeast in this recipe is the ingredient that makes the homemade bread rise and is critical to the recipe.
Once you have kneaded the dough, using a dough mixer or by hand, you’ll leave the dough (covered) in a warm place for an hour. I place my bread in a warm oven to allow the dough to rise, and cover it with a very light tea towel so that it can breathe.
Ways to Enjoy Artisan Bread
This tastes great alone, with softened butter or dipped with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Check out this bread dipping spice mix recipe for an incredible way to dip!
This easy homemade bread recipe can also be sliced for sandwiches and gourmet grilled cheese.
Any way you slice it, you’re going to love this foolproof bread recipe!
Tips
- 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, punch it down and let it rise again.
I enjoy making artisan bread in a dutch oven. More steam is created this way and it results in a wonderfully crispy crust. However, any baking dish will do.
How to Store Homemade Bread
Most homemade bread will not last long because unlike grocery store breads, there are no preservatives. The good news? It’s definitely eaten before it could possibly go bad!
In order to preserve freshness, it’s ideal to place your homemade loaf inside a paper wrap, just like you’ll find it at the grocery store. It keeps about 2-3 days.
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!
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More Homemade Bread Recipes
Easy Homemade Bread
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cup flour
- 1 package instant yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tablespoon butter
optional
- olive oil salt and rosemary to top bread
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
- In a mixing bowl, combine 1½ cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt.
- In a small saucepan, warm milk and butter just 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 (and optional sea salt and rosemary).
- Bake 35 minutes.
Video
Notes
Variations
- Olive Oil – Brush olive oil on top for a hint of amazing flavor.
- Herbs – Fresh or dried rosemary, oregano or thyme. Add to the dough, on top just after brushing with olive oil or both!
- Cheese – Aged cheeses work well. Consider asiago, parmesan, gruyere or sharp cheddar.
- Sun Dried Tomatoes – Another delicious addition to this delightful bread.
Thanks Julie! This may be the easiest bread I’ve ever made- tasted delicious and my family loved it!
Thank you, Monica for taking the time to rate! So glad you enjoyed it!
Love this bread!!!!! I added a cup of walnut pieces.
My husband loves it too. Thank you for this easy recipe. 🙂
Thank you, Kathy! So glad you enjoyed it!
What a simple and tasty recipe! The hardest part was figuring out the conversion from instant yeast to active dry yeast (I used just over 2 3/4 tsp). We ate it tonight dipped in oil and seasonings—our girls kept asking for more! Will make this again this week to use for quarantine Communion on Good Friday. Thank you!!
So glad you enjoyed it! I just added a Baking Substitutions printable to my site – sorry about that!
This bread is amazing! So simple and delicious! I will definitely be making this one again! Thanks!
Thank you, Wendy! I really appreciate you taking the time to share and glad you enjoyed it!
Made your recipe this afternoon. It was a winner! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing, Rebecca! Glad you enjoyed it!
Are you putting the lid on your Dutch oven to bake it? I know it sounds silly but wanted to check. The bread looks amazing.
Not silly at all! No, I don’t. Enjoy!
This is the best bread, super simple and absolutely delicious.
This is delicious!!
I love that it is so easy to make!! Taste really good!
Thanks for simplifying down the bread making process! I’ve always thought it was difficult and time consuming to make homemade bread until now!
I don’t use regular milk…can I substitute almond milking this recipe cipro.
You should be able to swap equal amounts of almond milk. Enjoy, Robin!
I’m going to give this loaf a try. BTW, I use my bread machine to do the mix/needing. I even let my loaf rise in it. I then turn it out onto my cast Iron baker. This system works well for me.
Sounds fantastic! I have a bread machine, but rarely take it out. Cast iron bakes beautiful bread, doesn’t it? Enjoy!
When you punch it twice does it need to sit in the oven at 200 degrees again?
You can, but I don’t – I have little patience to wait again and it still produces a beautiful loaf of fluffy bread that’s crusty on the outside.
This looks divine!! What size cocotte are you using? Thanks for all of your wonderful inspiration!!
Great question – you can use any deep dishes, but these are the cocottes I use.
Can you replace milk with water?
No, but if you’re looking to make it lactose free, use fairlife.
Do you use all purpose flour or bread flour?
I always use all purpose flour. I’m a basics kind of girl. Enjoy!
Omg, yes! This looks amazing – can’t wait to try it!
Thanks, Kathleen! I hope you’re having a beautiful day!
This bread looks incredibly yummy ♥
summerdaisy.net
What kind of yeast are you using?
Just made this bread and my family loved it. 🙂
Thanks for the recipe!
karianne
You wasted no time, my fellow carb lover! Thanks!