5 Ingredient Artisan Bread

There is something so satisfying about making bread. It’s a process of love, it smells amazing, and is simply delicious. 5 Ingredient Artisan Bread is a tried and true recipe – one that I’ve made many, many times. This artisan bread is made with five simple ingredients you’re sure to have on hand and has five simple steps from start to completion.

The added bonus? Everyone finds this very impressive and will “oooo” and “ahhh” for days marking you the up-and-coming Martha Stewart of your kitchen. Allow yourself to be a baking goddess (or God) with this 5 Ingredient Artisan Bread recipe.

Prepare the Artisan Bread Dough

Fit your stand mixer (or hand mixer) with a dough hook. Combine the flour, 1 ½ tsp salt, warm water, and active dry yeast. Beat on low to medium speed (I use speed 4 on my Kitchenaid mixer) for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, grab a chunk of your dough and pull it apart. If it stays together and creates a windowpane (meaning you can slightly see through it), it’s ready. If not, turn your mixer back on for another 5 minutes. The windowpane effect is how you know the glutens are formed and ready to go.

Form the dough into a ball and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Place it in a warm place for 3 hours. I typically put mine in the oven so it won’t get disturbed by anything else going on in the house.

After 3 hours, your dough will rise by one and half times the original size.

Knead the Artisan Bread Dough and Prepare the Dutch Oven

Sprinkle a clean work surface (a large cutting board, countertop, etc.) with a tablespoon of flour and turn out the risen dough. Using your hands, knead the dough for 3 – 5 minutes to release the gas created by the rise and the yeast. It’s a bit of a workout, but this step is so important!

After kneading, roll the dough into the tightest ball you can make, cover it with a kitchen towel and let it sit for 10 minutes (up to 15 is ok).

While the dough is resting, prepare the dutch oven – I use a cast iron version – for baking by coating the inside of the dutch oven with one tablespoon of olive oil. Place the rested dough into the dutch oven, cover, and allow it to rise for one hour in a warm place.

Bake the Artisan Bread

After an hour, turn your oven to 450 degrees.

While your oven is heating up, massage the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over your dough and dust the top with salt. If you have it, I recommend using coarse sea salt. It creates a nice crunch later on when you bite into your bread.

Once your oven has come up to temperature, put the lid back on your dutch oven and bake for 30 minutes at 450 degrees. After 30 minutes decrease the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake for 15 minutes uncovered.

After 15 minutes, you’re ready to cool the loaf (or eat it!). I find it easy to cool the loaf on a simple cooling rack or even a trivet. No fancy cooling procedures are needed.

5 Ingredient Artisan Bread is delicious on its own, served with butter or olive oil; however, I also love to serve it with a great pasta dish, a yummy soup, or even a salad.

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5 Ingredient Artisan Bread

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time45 minutes mins

Rising Time3 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Total Time4 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish

Ingredients

• 4 C All Purpose Flour
• 1 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 1/2 Tsp Coarse Sea Salt
• 1 1/2 C Warm Water
• 1 Packet Active Dry Yeast (A heaping Tsp)
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil, Divided

Instructions

• Fit your stand mixer (or hand mixer) with a dough hook.
• Combine the flour, 1 ½ tsp salt, warm water, and active dry yeast in the bowl of your mixer. Beat on low – medium speed for 10 minutes.
• After 10 minutes, grab a chunk of your dough and pull it apart. If it stays together and creates a windowpane (meaning you can slightly see through it), it’s ready. If it pulls apart, turn your mixer back on for another 5 minutes.

  The windowpane effect is how you know the glutens are formed and ready to go.
• Form the dough into a ball and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Place it in a warm place for 3 hours.

  I typically put mine in the oven so it won’t get disturbed by anything else going on in the house.

  After 3 hours, your dough will rise by one and half times the original size.
• After the dough has risen, turn it out on a clean work surface (i.e., cutting board, counter top, etc.) sprinkled with flour. Knead the dough for 3 – 5 minutes with your hands to release the gas created by the rise and the yeast. 
• After kneading, roll the dough into the tightest ball you can make, cover it with a kitchen towel and let it sit for 10 minutes, up to 15 minutes.
• While the dough is resting, take out your favorite dutch oven and coat the entire inside with one tablespoon of olive oil. I use a cast iron dutch oven.
• After the dough has rested place the dough in the dutch oven, cover, and allow to rise in a warm place for an hour. 
• After an hour, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. 
• While the oven is heating up, massage the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over your dough and dust the top with with the coarse sea salt.
• Using a sharp knife, create a "x" in the middle of the dough about 3 inches wide. This will expand in the oven and create the "artisan" look.
• Put the lid back on your dutch oven and bake for 30 minutes at 450 degrees.
• After 30 minutes decrease the oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake for 15 minutes uncovered, until golden brown.
• After 15 minutes, you’re ready to cool the loaf (or eat it!).

Recipe Tips

This bread can be served immediately right out of the oven, or cooled and stored in a zip-top bag for up to one week.