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If you’ve ever wanted to make crusty yeast artisan bread at home but felt intimidated, this recipe is the perfect place to start. It uses simple pantry ingredients and very little hands-on effort – no kneading, no complicated techniques, and no special equipment required if you don’t have a Dutch oven.

This is the yeast-based version of my artisan bread. What I love about this recipe is it produces a tall, round loaf with a crisp crust and soft, tender crumb. It’s a great everyday bread that goes with soup, pasta, sandwiches, or just a pat of butter.

If homemade bread is your thing, you may also enjoy my easy sourdough artisan bread or this classic baguette recipe.

📌 Pin this yeast artisan bread to your baking board for a cozy weekend bake.

Why You’ll Love This Bread

Beginner-friendly – No kneading skills needed, just mix, rest, and fold
Naturally simple – Uses basic pantry staples you already have
Flexible – Works with a Dutch oven or a regular baking sheet with steam
Short resting times – Ready to shape and bake in about 90 minutes
Beautiful crust – Steam helps the dough spring tall in the oven

Ingredients for Yeast Artisan Bread

(Measurements will be in the recipe card.)

All-purpose flour
Warm water
Active dry yeast
Salt
Sugar or honey
Oil

These ingredients come together quickly to make a slightly sticky dough that develops structure through rest and simple stretch-and-folds.

How to Make Yeast Artisan Bread

Proof the Yeast
Pour your packet of yeast into a large mixing bowl and add warm water. Stir gently, then cover the bowl with a lid, plate, or clean kitchen towel. After about 10 minutes, the surface should look foamy. If no foam appears, the yeast is no longer active, just start over with a fresh packet.
Mix the Dough
- Add salt, sugar or honey, and oil to the yeast mixture and stir until well combined. Add the flour and mix until all of it is incorporated.
- The dough should be shaggy and slightly sticky, but your whisk or fork should pull away easily.
- If the dough seems too wet, sprinkle in a bit more flour. If it’s too dry, add a tablespoon of water at a time.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Stretch and Fold the Dough
- After 30 minutes, lightly wet your hands to prevent sticking. Perform a few stretch-and-folds:
  - Pull one side of the dough up and fold it over the center
  - Rotate the bowl
  - Repeat with the next side
- You don’t need to pull the dough very high. Even a short stretch helps develop gluten and strengthen the loaf.
- Cover the bowl again and let rest another 30 minutes. Repeat a second round of stretch-and-folds.
- If you’d like, spread a little oil inside the bowl before the final rest. Cover and let sit for another 30 minutes.
Preheat the Oven
- Turn your oven to 425°F.
- If using a Dutch oven, place it in the middle of the oven with the lid on to preheat. If not using a Dutch oven, place an oven-safe skillet or casserole dish on a lower rack with a cup of water in it. This creates steam and helps your bread rise tall.
Shape the Dough
- Lightly flour your countertop and gently turn the dough out of the bowl.
- Shape it like this:
  - Pat the dough into a loose rectangle
  - Fold one short side toward the center
  - Fold the opposite short side over it, like folding a letter
  - Fold the remaining sides toward the center
  - Pinch the seams together
- Place the dough seam-side down on a piece of parchment paper (or a bread sling). Cover it with an upside-down bowl until the oven finishes preheating to keep the dough from drying out.
Score and Bake
- Remove the bowl, dust the top lightly with flour, and use a bread lame or sharp knife to score the surface. A single long slash down the center works perfectly, or you can do a simple “X.”
- Scoring is necessary to allow the bread to complete its final rise in the oven while baking, but it doesn’t have to be fancy. If you’d like to try more fancy scoring, however, check out this video by Mariam Bakes at Home for scoring classic wheat stalks. The results are so beautiful!
- If using a Dutch oven:
  - Lift the dough into the preheated pot using parchment paper corners
  - Cover and bake for 20 minutes
  - Remove the lid and bake another 15-20 minutes
- If baking without a Dutch oven:
  - Place the dough with parchment paper on a baking sheet
  - Bake 35-40 minutes
- The loaf is done when it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom and reaches an internal temperature of 200-210°F.
- Let the bread cool before slicing for the best crumb.

My Secrets for Success

Warm water is key. Aim for 110–115°F so the yeast activates properly.
Don’t skip the folds. They replace kneading and help strengthen the dough.
Steam makes the crust. Use a Dutch oven or a steam pan, either works.
Put your dough in the fridge. It’s easier to score fancier designs in the dough if it’s cold from the fridge, and the shock from a cold fridge to a hot oven makes it rise that much better in the oven. After the final rise, put your dough with parchment paper in a bowl with a lid and place it in the fridge overnight (or longer if you like). Then heat up the oven whenever you’re ready to bake. Pull the dough out of the fridge when the oven is preheated, take it out of the bowl, dust it with flour, score it, and put it in to bake. If using a Dutch oven, I usually let it bake an extra 5 minutes with the lid on when it’s cold from the fridge.
Use a silicone trivet in the dutch oven. If using a cast iron Dutch oven, you might have an issue with the bottom crust burning before the top is sufficiently browned. I use a silicone trivet in my dutch oven under the parchment paper or bread sling to protect the bottom from burning. Check the temperature limitations of the silicone; most that I’ve seen can handle up to 430-440F.
Let it cool completely. Cutting too soon compresses the crumb and lets steam escape. Let it cool 2-3 hours before slicing.
Cover with a towel. If you don’t like a crispy outer crust, then wrap the loaf up in a clean kitchen towel as it’s cooling so that it will trap steam and soften the crust.
Use a bread knife. A bread knife is your friend. It is serrated to allow the knife to more easily dig into the crust and cut through the crumb without compressing it, keeping that fresh-baked spring in your slices.

Round artisan loaf on a cutting board with a kitchen towel, highlighting the rustic scoring and baked crust.

How to Serve Yeast Artisan Bread

Warm with butter
As a side for a comforting soup or stew, like my turkey and rice soup
Toasted for breakfast (with peanut butter and strawberry jam on top is my favorite)
Layered with fresh tomatoes and basil
Sliced thin for sandwiches
Make garlic toast to serve with pasta and try my pantry-staples homemade marinara sauce

This loaf keeps well on the counter for a couple of days and freezes beautifully.

FAQ

Can I use instant yeast instead of active dry yeast?
Yes. Instant yeast works well in this recipe. You can mix it directly into the flour instead of proofing it first. The rest of the steps remain the same.

Do I have to use a Dutch oven?
No. A Dutch oven gives the loaf the tallest rise and crispest crust, but you can bake this bread on a baking sheet. Just place an oven-safe skillet with water on a lower rack while baking to create steam.

Why do I need to stretch and fold the dough?
Stretch-and-folds help develop gluten without kneading. They strengthen the dough, improve the crumb structure, and help the loaf rise taller in the oven.

How do I know when the bread is fully baked?
The loaf should sound hollow when tapped and should reach an internal temperature of 200–210°F. If the crust is brown but the loaf feels heavy, bake it a few minutes longer.

Can I use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour?
Yes. Bread flour will give you a slightly chewier texture and a taller rise. If the dough seems firmer, you may need an extra tablespoon or two of water.

How should I store the bread?
Once cooled, store the loaf in a bread box, wrapped in a clean towel, or in a loose paper bag. Avoid airtight plastic containers; they soften the crust (unless you prefer a softer crust, of course).

Can I freeze this bread?
Yes. Let it cool completely, then wrap the whole loaf (or slices) tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. It will keep well for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and re-crisp in a warm oven if you’d like.

Why did my loaf spread instead of rising tall?
Common causes include dough being too wet, underdeveloped gluten, warm kitchen temperatures, or insufficient preheating. Even when it spreads, the flavor is still delicious.

Why didn’t my yeast foam during proofing?
The yeast may have expired, or the water temperature may have been too cool or too hot. Aim for 110–115°F for best results.

Final Thoughts

This yeast artisan bread is one of those recipes that proves just how simple homemade bread can be. With a few pantry staples and a little resting time, you get a beautiful loaf that looks impressive but feels completely doable, even for beginners. Making bread from scratch was new to me, too, not that long ago. So, I understand the many frustrations that come with the huge variety of recipes on the internet and not knowing which one to pick. Through trial and error, I found a successful ratio of ingredients and combination of methods that work consistently for me every time.

Whether you bake it in a Dutch oven for a tall, crackly crust or on a baking sheet with a little steam, the result is the same: a warm, rustic loaf that fits effortlessly into everyday cooking.

If you enjoy this bread, keep an eye out for the sourdough version I’ll be sharing soon. It uses the same approachable method but brings in the deeper flavor of wild yeast. Together, they make a great pair for anyone wanting to explore bread baking at home.

Happy baking, and enjoy your loaf!

⭐ If you try this yeast artisan bread, I’d love to hear how it turns out for you. Leave a rating in the Comments or tag me on Pinterest so I can see your loaf!

Yeast Artisan Bread Recipe

haveyoumade.com

prep: 2

cook: 35

total: 2 35

servings: 12 slices

If you’ve ever wanted to make crusty artisan bread at home but felt intimidated, this recipe is the perfect place to start. It uses simple pantry ingredients and very little hands-on effort – no kneading, no complicated techniques, and no special equipment required if you don’t have a Dutch oven.

Leave A Review Print Recipe

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour
1¼ cups warm water 110-115F
1 package active dry yeast
1½ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar or honey
2 tablespoons oil

Instructions

Proof the Yeast

Pour your packet of yeast into a large mixing bowl and add warm water. Stir gently, then cover the bowl with a lid, plate, or clean kitchen towel.
After about 10 minutes, the surface should look foamy. If no foam appears, the yeast is no longer active, just start over with a fresh packet.

Mix the Dough

Add salt, sugar or honey, and oil to the yeast mixture and stir until well combined. Add the flour and mix until all of it is incorporated. The dough should be shaggy and slightly sticky, but your whisk or fork should pull away easily.
If the dough seems too wet, sprinkle in a bit more flour. If it’s too dry, add a tablespoon of water at a time.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

Stretch and Fold the Dough

After 30 minutes, lightly wet your hands to prevent sticking. Perform a few stretch-and-folds:
Pull one side of the dough up and fold it over the center
Rotate the bowl
Repeat with the next side
You don’t need to pull the dough very high. Even a short stretch helps develop gluten and strengthen the loaf.
Cover the bowl again and let rest another 30 minutes. Repeat a second round of stretch-and-folds.
If you’d like, spread a little oil inside the bowl before the final rest. Cover and let sit for another 30 minutes.

Preheat the Oven

Turn your oven to 425°F.
If using a Dutch oven, place it in the middle of the oven with the lid on to preheat.
If not using a Dutch oven, place an oven-safe skillet or casserole dish on a lower rack with a cup of water in it. This creates steam and helps your bread rise tall.

Shape the Dough

Lightly flour your countertop and gently turn the dough out of the bowl.
To shape the loaf, pat the dough into a loose rectangle
Fold one short side toward the center
Fold the opposite short side over it, like folding a letter
Fold the remaining sides toward the center
Pinch the seams together
Place the dough seam-side down on a piece of parchment paper (or a bread sling). Cover it with an upside-down bowl until the oven finishes preheating to keep the dough from drying out.

Score and Bake

Remove the bowl, dust the top lightly with flour, and use a bread lame or sharp knife to score the surface. A single long slash down the center works perfectly, or you can do a simple “X.”
If using a Dutch oven, lift the dough into the preheated pot using parchment paper corners. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 15-20 minutes.
If not using a Dutch oven, place the dough with parchment paper on a baking sheet. Bake 35-40 minutes.
The loaf is done when it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom and reaches an internal temperature of 200-210°F.
Let the bread cool before slicing for the best crumb.

Notes

Use warm water (110–115°F) so the yeast activates properly.
Perform the folding steps—this strengthens the dough without kneading.
Bake with steam for a better crust (Dutch oven works best).
For easier scoring, refrigerate the shaped dough after the final rise; bake straight from the fridge.
If your Dutch oven browns the bottom too quickly, place a silicone trivet under the parchment (check heat limits).
Let the loaf cool completely before slicing so the crumb sets.
Wrap in a clean kitchen towel while cooling if you prefer a softer crust.
Use a serrated bread knife for clean slices.