Artisan Bread Recipe

Step 1

Add the yeast, sugar and warm water to the bowl of your stand mixer, or to a large bowl. Leave for 5 minutes, until the yeast starts to foam.

Step 2

Add the flour, then the salt. Mix together using the dough hook attachment on your stand mixer, or mix together with your hands until fully combined.

Step 3

Using the dough hook, knead the dough on a medium setting for 10 minutes. If you want to do this with your hands, oil the work surface and your hands with a little olive or vegetable oil, and knead for 10 minutes. It will be a sticky dough - this is fine.

Step 4

Once kneaded, place the dough in an oiled bowl (wiped with a little olive or vegetable oil). Cover with clingfilm or a wax wrap and prove for 1 hour - until doubled in size.

Step 5

Sprinkle the work surface with 1/4 cup (30g) flour and tip the dough out onto the flour. You'll probably need to use your hands to tease it out of the bowl, as it will still be quite sticky. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of the flour.

Step 6

We DON'T want to knock the air out of the dough at this point. We simply want to shape the dough by grabbing a piece from the outside and pulling it into the middle.

Step 7

Continue this, pulling the dough in all the way around until the dough no longer wants to stick in place (see the video for a visual on this). You may need a little more flour to prevent it sticking.

Step 8

Then turn the dough over and use your hands just to finish off rounding it out.

Step 9

Place the dough in a well-floured proving basket or floured bowl - SEAM-SIDE-DOWN.

Step 10

Cover with clingfilm or a wax wrap and prove for 30 minutes.

Step 11

Meanwhile, place a dutch oven (approx 25cm/10" diameter) in the oven and preheat the oven to 230C/450F.

Step 12

When the dough has finished its second prove, remove the cover, take a long piece of parchment or greaseproof paper and place on top of the bowl.

Step 13

Gently tip the bowl upside-down the dough ends up on the paper.

Step 14

Very carefully take the hot Dutch oven out of the oven and remove the lid (leave a tea-towel on top of the lid, so you don't forget it's hot and grab the lid without thinking).

Step 15

Use the edge of the baking parchment to carefully lower the bread into the Dutch oven. Place the lid on top and carefully place back in the oven.

Step 16

Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for a further 10-15 minutes until golden brown.

Step 17

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing and serving.