This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see our privacy policy.
Do you ever run across something that you think is just too good to be true?
I'll never forget the first time I read about 5 Minute Artisan Bread. The loaves in the pictures looked like the came from a wonderful French or Italian bakery, the process sounded simple and the whole thing seemed way too good to be true. I'd made bread the traditional way for years, and knew it was a labor-intensive process requiring a fair amount of hands-on time. To say I was a skeptic was an understatement.
I also knew that yeast was a bit tricky and a bread recipe's success or failure was often dependent on a baker's "yeast competence". So when I read the recipe and discovered that you basically just throw everything in a large container, give it a stir and set it aside .......... well .... let's just say I was sure it wouldn't work.
I tried it and was shocked when, 45 minutes later, the dough had doubled in size. I followed the rest of the instructions carefully and before long the most wonderful aroma was emanating from my little (non-European) kitchen. When I pulled the rustic, golden-crusted loaf from the oven I did a happy dance because too-good-to-be-true was true!
I've made this delicious bread quite frequently since then and, over the years, simplified and refined the process. The original recipe made a huge batch, requiring either baking three loaves at a time or having a fairly large refrigerator space to store the extra dough. I've scaled down the ingredients to yield just one nice size loaf and have adjusted the technique to make it easier.
Are you skeptical? It's okay, I understand. Nothing can be that easy, right? That's why I had Scott click some photos of the process so you could see for yourself. Try it, you'll become a believer, I promise. You can find the original recipe and method in the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes book. Below is my simplified method.
Gather the ingredients; a large bowl, some measuring spoons and cup. Be sure you have a sturdy wooden spoon or a whisk.
Add warm water to a large bowl. Stir in yeast and sugar. Let it sit for a few minutes, then add remaining ingredients.
Mix until all of the flour is incorporated.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set aside.
While the dough is rising, take a 3-4-quart pot (with or without a handle*) and place on top of a piece of parchment paper. Trace a circle, slightly bigger than the bottom of the pot. Cut out the parchment circle and set aside.
Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with 2 teaspoons of flour.
Fit the parchment circle into the bottom of the pan and sprinkle another teaspoon of flour over the paper. This will keep your bread from sticking to the pan and parchment paper. Set pot aside.
Spread out ¼ cup flour on a dinner plate.
Transfer dough to the floured plate. Flip several times to thoroughly coat dough with flour.
Shape into a smooth, flat ball by stretching the surface of the dough and tucking it underneath with the palms of your hands, rotating a quarter of a turn as you go.
Dust with more flour from the plate as needed to prevent stickiness.
Transfer the ball of dough to the prepared pot and cover.
Let it rest for 30-40 minutes or until doubled in size. (Rising time will depend on how warm your kitchen is.) Then sprinkle the top with a bit more flour.
With a sharp knife make horizontal cuts across the top of the loaf. You can also cut an x (or just make little random cuts with a kitchen shears all over the top of the bread for a fun whimsical look.)
Now, cover on the pot and pop the whole thing in the oven.
Before long, unbelievable aromas will fill your kitchen. You'll flip when you open the oven door and see the rustic rounded top of the golden loaf peeking out of the pot. I'm quire certain you'll be doing a little happy dance too!
- 1 ⅓ cups warm water 320ml at 100-110˚F
- 2 ¼ teaspoons granulated yeast*
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt or 1 teaspoon regular salt.
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh finely chopped herbs optional
- 1 cup 130g whole wheat flour**
- 2 ⅔ 330g cups all-purpose flour
-
Add warm water* to a large bowl. Stir in yeast and sugar and let sit for 4-5 minutes till mixture begins to bubble a bit and get foamy.
-
Add remaining ingredients and stir with a sturdy wooden spoon. (A Danish whisk works wonderful for mixing this dough and can be purchased online very inexpensively.) Stir vigorously until all flour is incorporated. This will only take a minute or two.
-
Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and allow to rest at room temperature until dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. (It could take a little longer if your kitchen is cooler.)
-
While the dough is rising, take a 3-4-quart pot**** (with or without a handle******) and place on top of a piece of parchment paper. Trace a circle, slightly bigger than the bottom of the pot. Cut out circle and set aside.
-
Sprinkle the bottom of the pan with 2 teaspoons of flour. Spread out with your fingers if needed. Fit the parchment circle into the bottom of the pan and sprinkle another teaspoon of flour over the paper. This will keep your bread from sticking to the pan and parchment paper. Set pot aside aside.
-
Place ¼ cup flour on a dinner plate. Spread with your fingers to cover surface of plate with flour.
-
After dough has risen and collapsed, dump it out onto the floured plate. Flip several times to thoroughly coat dough with flour.
-
Shape into a smooth, flat ball by stretching the surface of the dough and tucking it underneath with the palms of your hands, rotating a quarter of a turn as you go. Dust with more flour from the plate as needed to prevent stickiness, but don't try to incorporate a lot of extra flour into the dough.
-
Preheat oven to 400˚F.
-
Transfer the ball of dough to the prepared pot and cover with lid. Let it rest for 30-40 minutes or until doubled in size.
-
Remove cover and sprinkle top of dough lightly with flour.
-
With a sharp knife make parallel cuts, 1 ½ inches apart across the top of the loaf. You can also cut an x (or just make little random cuts with a kitchen shears all over the top of the bread for a fun whimsical look.)
-
Place pot in oven with cover on. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove cover and continue baking another 15-25 minutes, or until bread is golden brown.
-
Allow to cool on a cooling rack, uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove bread by inverting onto a cooling rack. (If bread sticks to pan at edges, use a sharp knife to loosen any areas that are stuck.) Cool bread, right side up.
*The small yeast packets from the grocery store work fine but I prefer the yeast that you can purchase in bulk at the big box stores like Sam's, Costco, Bj's, etc. It's infinitely cheaper than buying yeast in the small packets and it's professional grade. I keep a small jarful in the refrigerator and freeze the rest. I've kept it in the freezer for up to a year and it will keep well in the refrigerator for several months.
** You can make this bread with entirely all-purpose flour. The whole wheat flour makes the loaf a bit more rustic. If you want to use all whole wheat flour, check out the Artisan Bread in 5-minutes website for adjustments that need to be made.
*** I use warm tap water. It should feel fairly warm to the touch but not so hot you need to pull your hand back.
**** Don't worry about the depth or width of the pot. As long as it will hold 3-4 quarts, you'll be fine. If it's a deep pot, your bread will be smaller and taller. If the pot is shallower and has a larger circumference, the finished loaf will be larger and not as tall.
***** If using a pot with a handle, be sure it's oven-safe to 400˚F.
I like to slice the bread then place it in a zip lock bag. You can pull out a few slices at a time or, for a wonderful dinner bread, place the whole loaf back into the same pot you used to bake it. Cover the pot and rewarm in the oven for 30 minutes at 350˚f. The bread will be wonderful crisp on the outside with a soft and chewy center.
Monica Fuller says
I made this tonight (minus the herbs) to go with our meatloaf supper! I also tried a new recipe for potatoes au gratin, which took a bit longer than I had planned! My husband was starving, so I brought him a nice slice of the piping hot bread, slathered in butter, with a drizzle of local honey. He just kept saying, "I love my wife!" LOL!
I plan on making it again soon using the herbs this time.
Bianca says
Just made this bread today today. Outstanding! I have made ABin 5 which is good but this boule is super good! Crust stays crisp and light and crumb is light and fluffy. (Not gummy). Could it be the addition of oil and sugar? Anyway, you have got to make this bread.
Thank you for this great recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks Bianca, so happy you had good results. We love this bread and I do think the oil and the small amount of sugar make a difference.
Gloria Slavko says
many thanks Chris for the helpful advise re my question to you. it is a great help to have the metric weights for flour, as I am an avid user of scales! It is good to know a le creuset type of pot will do as good a job. GOD BLESS YOU
gLORIA
Pily says
It does look great. I'd like to know how much gr you used of each ingredient, thanks.
PILY says
First of all thanks for your reply.
The bread is very delicious.
I had difficulty with the amount of yeast , perform the preparation twice without success.
As I made bread before, decided to increase the amount of yeast and I was fine , yeast made bubbles and when the mass was well levo rest.
Add a total of 25 grams of instant yeast and use only plain flour ( do not use flour ) .
I would love to send you the photos of my bread , or let me invite you to visit my page where climbed instagram photos of bread. https://instagram.com/pilypr/
Many successes with The Café Sucré Farine .
Yours Truly
PILY
Pd ... am using a translator because I do not write the English .
En español:
Ante todo gracias por su respuesta.
El pan es muy delicioso.
tuve dificultades con la cantidad de levadura, realice la preparacion dos veces sin exito.
Como he realizado panes anteriormente, decidi aumentar la cantidad de levadura y me fue bien, la levadura hizo burbujas y cuando la masa estaba en reposo levo muy bien.
Agregue un total de 25 gramos de levadura instantanea y utilice solo harina normal, (no use harina integral).
Me encantaria enviarle las fotos de mi pan o permitame invitarle a visitar mi pagina de instagram donde subi las fotos del pan. https://instagram.com/pilypr/
Muchos exitos con The Café Sucré Farine.
Atentamente
PILY
Pd... estoy utilizando un traductor ya que no escribo el ingles.
Wayne H says
Making my second loaf of this recipe, easy to make and delicious to eat. Would like the crust to be crispier and will put water in a pan and try a bit of steam. Otherwise that once baked it won’t last any longer then the first one I made.
Chris Scheuer says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Laurel says
did you use active dry yeast. I've never made bread and I'm totally intimidated! My grocery store has two types of yeast. I think one is called instant yeast
Teresa Schmidt says
I am using Active Yeast now (but its a year old so crossin fingers) waiting for the first rise. I will let you know how it goes but its not rising much yet 45 minutes in.
Marie Anne says
So I was looking at this recipe again tonight. I made this last week and it was amazing. I didn't see the first time around about letting it rise a second time. I"m assuming that's a vital step and will probably make the bread more fluffy than it was? I mean It was great the way it was and everyone wanted more.
Chris Scheuer says
So happy this turned out well for you. Yes, it would probably be a bit fluffier if you let it rise the second time 🙂 But you never know, maybe your family would like it better without that rise 🙂
Elizabeth says
I am new to this website and love it, just wondering if there is a way to print the recipe without printing all the review's
which is about 12 pages. Thank's for your wonderful recipes! Liz
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Elizabeth, you should be able to just click the Print button and just get the recipe.
Christina H says
I've made this recipe probably 5 times in the last two months and it is da bomb! The whole family loves it and it is sooooooo yummy! I actually used the herb version and made our Thanksgiving stuffing with it and it was such a hit I've been asked to make it again for christmas! Lol Today I am going to attempt to makeit into sub rolls for meatball subs for dinner. Wish me luck!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Christina,
Thanks so much for letting us know how much fun you’ve have with this bread. I love hearing from people like you. It makes my job worth while 🙂
I’m actually making the bread today too but I’m making it into dinner rolls. I just shape it into small round balls and put them on a a cutting board that’s been covered with parchment. I let them rise, then make a slit in the center with a sharp knife, then slip the whole parchment onto my baking stone which is hot in the preheated oven. I use a little sprayer a couple times and spray some water into the oven as they start to bake. This gives them a super crisp crust, just like the one you bake in the pot. I’ve heard that European bakeries use steam injected ovens to make their bread so crisp out the outside. They come out wonderful and everyone goes crazy over them with a bit of honey butter 🙂
Hope you have a lovely holiday and happy baking!
Melanie says
This is the best bread I've ever eaten and made. Glorious. So soft. Nice texture. Easy recipe. I urge you to try this it's fabulous.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much Melanie!
Tan Kerry says
hi,
i tried this but my bread is dense any tips
where did i go wrong?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Tan,
The only things I can think of is that your kitchen might be cool and it would need to rise a bit longer or that perhaps your yeast had lost it's life.
Helen's Attic says
I'm making this right now! I'll let you know how it turns out!
RobL says
Been making bread this way for about five years. It is the best. Roast a head of garlic, take off the skins, and put the whole cloves into the bread. You'll think you've died and gone to bread heaven.
Chris Scheuer says
Yum!
becky drenth says
I am making this bread right now, but my next attempt needs to be with the roasted garlic! Thank you for the idea.
Chris Scheuer says
That would be wonderful Becky!
Iva Passos says
beautiful loaf of bread. ! gorgeous and easy!!
Robyn says
Thanks for this wonderful recipe! Who would have known bread could be so darn easy to make? I am making a loaf as type this!
Thanks again!
p,s, I cheated and used my Kitchen-Aid with bread hook. Easy peasy!
Jaden says
Absolutely beautiful, my friends 🙂
great seeing you at FBF!
Easyfoodsmith says
A gorgeous bread and such beautiful pictures. Love this post.
Adri says
Beautiful-that bread looks so good, and your step by step photo essay is absolute perfection. FAbulous work, and I just want some of that bread right this second!
Ela says
I've never tried any of the artisan recipes because, honestly, I'm afraid to crank up my oven temperature to 500F. Thanks for this recipe, now I can have an artisan bread at home..
Mary Hirsch says
Melissa gave me his first cookbook and I just pulled it off the shelf again.. She was making this bread all the time and did have room in her fridge to store the dough. We made it once together but I never did it again. Now that my USFS rangering duties are done for the Season, I will have time on my hands to finally try some recipes and techniques and answer the "Will this work in the high altitude" question?. Although I can buy beautiful bread in this area, I still want to give this a go.
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
Oh I love this. I've made the artisan bread where you preheat the pot to 500 degrees and then plop the bread in. I have broken one cooktop taking the hot pan out of the oven and nearly burning myself. I LOVE the idea of not having to risk melting my skin to get beautiful bread. This is SO mine!
Juliana says
I love this bread, especially with the herbs in it...looks fantastic!
Have a wonderful week 😀
lena says
thanks for the tutorail, it definately helps !
Monique says
Hi again..the pot you use is it 3 or 4 qts:)Thanks..:)
Cathy at Wives with Knives says
This recipe for bread has completely changed my attitude to bread baking. The loaf comes out perfectly and looks like I could have purchased it in a upscale bakery. I have the same tool for mixing the dough and it works like a charm. Your tutorial is excellent, Chris, and a good reminder of what a great recipe this is.
Elke 'again) - Les Mains dans la Farine says
It's me again : I went on the "Artisan bread in 5-minutes" website and I saw something necessary to make their bread, called "vital wheat gluten (or vital wheat gluten flour)". Do you know if this is available in France (or in Europe), and if so, do you know the french translation ? I don't know that product... 🙁
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Elké - you only need the vital gluten if you're making bread with entirely whole grain flour.
Jody says
I can find it at the local bio coop store in central France. Ours sells bagged flours of all sorts and this gluten in the same section. In another area of the store, they sell fewer kinds of more 'typical' flours (T65, T80, etc.) in large containers where you scoop out the amount of it you want. In other words, you might have to look in more than one place in your bio store before you find it.