When it comes it to bread, you can’t find anything more satisfying than a crusty artisan bread. You know the type, a crispy, crunchy crust with the inside that is soft and chewy and so utterly delicious. So, why is it called artisan bread?
Artisans are craftsmen, it’s the craft or art of making something unique, and of course, hand-made. Special techniques that have been tweaked and perfected until a masterpiece is finally created. When I bake bread, I always hoping the bread to come out perfectly. But the reality of it is, my skills at baking bread have come from many trials and of course, lots of failures. There always seems to be more to learn when it comes to baking bread.
Maybe that is why artists are so passionate about what they do. We have all heard of the artist who has refused to show their work until it is complete. They aren’t satisfied until they see it as perfect. We can’t all be passionate about baking bread or have the time to hone this slowly developed craft, but you can still enjoy a simple homemade recipe that doesn’t require a ton of effort or skill. You will be astonished at how easy it can be!
You will need a Dutch oven or roasting pan with a lid for this recipe.
Basic Artisan Bread Ingredients:
- 3 cups unbleached bread flour
- ½ tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups warm water
Rosemary Parmesan Bread Ingredients:
- 3 cups unbleached bread flour
- ½ tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1 ½ tbsp dried rosemary
- 1 ¾ cups warm water
Garlic Parmesan Bread Ingredients:
- 3 cups unbleached bread flour
- ½ tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 3 tbsp minced garlic (fresh or prepared)
- 1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1 ¾ cups warm water
This is how you do it:
- In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients except for the water
- Using a whisk or fork, mix all dry ingredients thoroughly.
* this would include the spices such as dried rosemary and parmesan cheese
- Add warm water to the dry ingredients ( add garlic at this time for Recipe #3 Garlic Parmesan Bread ) and mix with a rubber spatula, scraping the edges of the bowl until all the flour is moistened.
The dough should be sticky enough to hold together, if it doesn’t just add a small amount of warm water until it holds together 1 teaspoon at a time.
* do not overmix or knead the dough
- Cover dough with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to ferment for 8-24 hours.
- After the fermentation process, the mixture will be bubbly and moist.
- Pour dough onto a floured surface using a rubber spatula.
- Shape dough into a ball and place on a piece of parchment paper (optional) and cover with plastic wrap.
- Place pan in the oven with the lid on.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
- When oven is ready, remove pan from the oven and lift the parchment paper with dough into the pan, or place the dough directly in the pan if not using paper. Cover the pan with the lid and place it back in the oven.
- Bake for 30 minutes then remove the lid and cook for an additional 15 minutes
- when cooked, remove bread from the dutch oven and place on a rack to cool completely before slicing.
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