The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day Master Recipe! (Back to Basics updated) - Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day (2024)

This is one of the site’s most popular posts. Why? It answers many of the questions that you asked, with the answers incorporated The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Thank you all for making this new edition possible–readers are where the new ideas come from. If you’re having trouble getting this recipe to turn out the way you’d like, check out the troubleshooting tips on the FAQs page here.

For the Master Recipe…

If you’re new to the site, welcome, and thank you for trying the bread. The updated edition (2013) has lots of material that wasn’t in the original Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day (2007):

—More color pictures, there are 40 now (compared with 8), and 100 B+W instructionals

—A gluten-free chapter

—An expanded Tips and Techniques section

—Weight equivalents for every dough–for those of you with digital scales at home (optional!)

—Instructions for adjusting yeast and salt to your taste. And we decreased our standard yeast amount to 1 tablespoon (previously used 1.5 tablespoons for four pounds of dough).

—And 30 new recipes, including crock pot bread, a whole wheat variation that lets you increase the whole grain, rolls, panini, and more. About 130 more pages than our first edition.

As we bake through the basic Master recipe from NewABin5 we’ll try to answer some of the mostfrequently asked questions. The goal is to create a large batch of dough that stores in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.That’s why our method saves you so much time– all the mixing and prep is divided over four one-pound loaves.

Master Recipe fromThe New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking:

3 cups (1 1/2 pounds/680 grams) lukewarm water(you can use cold water, but it will take the dough longer to rise. Just don’t use hot water or you may kill the yeast)

1tablespoongranulated yeast( you can use any kind of yeast including products labeled as instant, “quick,” rapid rise, bread machine, active dry, or even fresh cake yeast (which isn’t granulated)*. You can also decrease the amount of yeast in the recipe by following the directionshere. Or you can bake with a sour dough starter, see instructionshere.)

*If you use cake yeast you will need 1.3 ounces (37g).

1 to 1 1/2tablespoonsMorton Kosher Salt(adjust to suit your taste or eliminate it all together. Find more informationhere)

6 1/2 cups (2 pounds/910 grams) all-purpose flour(the recipe’s tested with typical supermarket flour. If you use a higher protein flour checkhere)

Mixing the dough:

In a 5 or 6 quart bowl or liddeddough bucket (the lid is sold separately),dump in the water, and add the yeast and salt.

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Because we are mixing in the flour so quickly it doesn’t matter that the salt and yeast are thrown in together.

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Dump in the flour all at once and stir with a long handled wooden spoon or aDanish Dough WhiskThe New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day Master Recipe! (Back to Basics updated) - Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day (4) which is one of the tools that makes the job so much easier!

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Stir it until all of the flour is incorporated into the dough, as you can see it will be a wet rough dough.

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Put the lid on the container, but do not snap it shut. You want the gases from the yeast to escape (you can put a little hole in the top of the lid so that you can close the lid and still allow the gases to get out. It doesn’t take much of a hole…

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Allow the dough to sit at room temperature for about 2 hours to rise (it may take longer). When you first mix the dough it will not occupy much of the container.

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But, after the initial 2 hour rise it will pretty much fill it.(If you have decreased the yeast you will have to let it go longer than 2 hours.)DO NOT PUNCH DOWN THE DOUGH!Just let it settle by itself.

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The dough will be flat on the top and some of the bubbles may even appear to be popping.(If you intend to refrigerate the dough after this stage it can be placed in the refrigerator even if the dough is not perfectly flat. The yeast will continue to work even in the refrigerator.)The dough can be used right after the initial 2 hour rise, but it ismuch easier to handle when it is chilled.It is intended for refrigeration and use over the next two weeks, ready for you anytime. For the first two days of storage, be sure to leave the lid open a crack, to allow gasses to escape. After that, you can usually snap down the lid on plastic contains without problems, because they’re usually not entirely airtight. BUT, DON’T SEAL GLASS CONTAINERS OR THEY MIGHT SHATTER. The flavor will deepen over that time, developing sourdough characteristics.

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The next day when you pull the dough out of the refrigerator you will notice that it has collapsed and this is totally normal for our dough. It will never rise up again in the container.

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Dust the surface of the dough with a little flour, just enough to prevent it from sticking to your hands when you reach in to pull a piece out.

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You should notice that the dough has a lot of stretch once it has rested.(If your dough breaks off instead of stretching like this your dough is probably too dry and you can just add a few tablespoons of water and let it sit again until the dough absorbs the additional water.)

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Cut off a 1-pound piece of dough using kitchen shears* and form it into a ball. This video shows the technique for shaping this very wet dough.

Place the ball on a sheet of parchment paper…(or rest it on a generous layer of corn meal on top of a pizza peel.)

*Sewing Shears can be nice because of the long blade. I just dedicated a pair to the kitchen.

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Let the dough rest for at least 40 minutes,(although letting it go 60 or even 90 minutes will give you a more open hole structurein the interior of the loaf. This may also improve the look of your loaf and prevent it from splitting on the bottom.)You will notice that the loaf does not rise much during this rest, in fact it may just spread sideways, this is normal for our dough.

You can also try our “refrigerator rise trick,”shaping the loaves and then immediately refrigerating them overnight. By morning, they’ll have risen and are ready for the oven after a brief room-temp rest while the oven preheats(click for instructions).

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. with a Baking Stone* on the center rack, with a metal broiler tray on the bottom (never use a glass vessel for this or it will shatter), which will be used to produce steam.(The tray needs to be at least 4 or 5 inches away from your stone to prevent it from cracking.)

*(orCast Iron Pizza Panwhich will never crack and conducts heat really well. Be careful to dry it after rinsing with water or it will rust)

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Cut the loaf with 1/4-inch deep slashes using a serrated bread knife. (If your slashes are too shallow you will end up with an oddly shaped loaf and also prevent it from splitting on the bottom.) If your dough is collapsing when you make the slashes, it may be that the dough has overproofed or your knife it dull and dragging the dough too much.

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Slide the loaf into the oven onto apreheated stone (the one pictured below is cast iron) and add a cup of hot water to the broiler tray.Bake the bread for 30-35 minutes or until a deep brown color. As the bread bakes you should notice a nice oven spring in the dough. This is where the dough rises. To insure that you get the best results it is crucial to have anOven Thermometerto make sure your oven is accurate.

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If you used parchment paper you will want to remove it after about 20-25 minutes to crisp up the bottom crust. Continue baking the loaf directly on the stone for the last 5-10 minutes.

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Allow the loaf to cool on a rack until it is room temperature. If you cut into a loaf before it is cooled you will have a tough crust and a gummy interior. It is hard to wait, but you will be happy you did! Make sure you have a sharp serrated bread knife that will not crush the bread as you cut.

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If you have any leftover bread just let it sit, uncovered on the cutting board or counter with the cut side down. If you cover a bread that has a crust it will get soggy.

Enjoy, have fun baking, and check out the FAQs page if you’re having trouble getting the bread to turn out the way you’d like.

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The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day Master Recipe! (Back to Basics updated) - Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between bread and artisan bread? ›

It Uses Natural Ingredients

Some store-bought breads, however, contains preservatives and processed ingredients. As artisan bread uses only the finest natural ingredients and it is made fresh, it has earned its spot in the top when it comes to the best bread options.

Why is artisan bread so expensive? ›

Artisan bakers typically produce bread in small batches to maintain quality, which limits their availability and increases costs. The advantages of mass-production facilities, such as economies of scale, are not fully realised in this small-scale production, leading to higher costs for consumers.

Is artisan bread the same as sourdough bread? ›

Flour, water, salt and yeast are the key ingredients of most artisan breads - and a lack of chemical additives in its ingredients list is a sign that it is truly artisan. Sourdough breads may not even include yeast, as they rely on a culture for leavening instead.

Does artisan bread need to rise twice? ›

Bread recipes typically call for two rises: The first is the “bulk” rise when the dough rises in the bowl, while the second rise comes after the dough has been shaped, like when a sandwich dough proofs directly in the loaf pan.

Is artisan bread healthier than regular bread? ›

The test showed no significant difference between consumption of traditionally made sourdough-leavened whole-grain bread or industrially made white bread on the participants. The study does point out that both types of bread had had very personal results on participants.

Why is artesano bread so good? ›

Baked without artificial flavors and preservatives, and no high fructose corn syrup, the new additions to the Artesano portfolio offer an indulgent flavor and bring a gourmet restaurant experience straight to the consumer's home.

Why don t you knead artisan bread? ›

First, when we mix flour with water, the components of gluten come together, forming an elastic, extensible network. This happens without kneading or mixing: simply add water, wait, and voilá, a cohesive dough forms. Further, time also allows for fermentation, which has additional strengthening effects on dough.

Why is artisan bread chewy? ›

Bread flour — while you can use all-purpose flour if you do not have bread flour, I highly recommend using bread flour for this artisan bread as the higher amount of protein in bread flour produces a ​​more robust and chewier bread.

Why is my artisan bread heavy? ›

If your bread is under proofed, it means there's not enough air in the dough. The yeast/sourdough in your dough has not had an adequate amount of time to produce the carbon dioxide that creates a rise in your bread. This results in bread that is dense and less airy.

How long does artisan bread last? ›

Room Temperature: One of the best ways to store artisan bread is at room temperature. This allows the bread to maintain its natural moisture and flavor. Keep the bread in a bread box or a paper bag with the opening folded down to keep the bread fresh for up to 2-3 days.

Is bread flour or all purpose flour better for artisan bread? ›

While bread flour is the best option, it can sometimes be used if you don't have bread flour. “Check the protein content,” advises Chef Jürgen, since it can vary from brand to brand, and an all-purpose flour that contains protein on the higher end of the range, 12 to 13 percent, will produce a better outcome.

How to tell if dough is underproofed? ›

The dough poke test is a technique performed during the proofing step of the bread-making process that helps you determine when your sourdough bread dough is ready to bake. Gently press your finger into the dough on the top. If the dough springs back quickly, it's underproofed.

How do you know when artisan bread is done? ›

“For crusty artisan bread, one way to determine doneness is by thumping the bottom of the loaf,” says Barb. “Give it a few quick knocks on the bottom of the loaf with your knuckles; if it sounds hollow, that tells you it's fully baked.”

How long should artisan bread rest? ›

Let the Dough Rest

It needs to sit for anywhere from 8-18 hours. I always just mix up the dough the day before, but technically you could do it early in the morning and have it for dinner as well. Just know the longer it sits, the better the texture will be so I recommend at least 12 hours.

What makes a bread artisan? ›

Artisan breads tend to have characteristics like longer fermentation times, fewer ingredients, no additives, and an emphasis on shaping. Artisan breads rely more on method than recipes as you develop the ratios and visual cues that make your bread successful, allowing you to tweak and perfect it by instinct and feel.

What is different about Artesano bread? ›

Artesano® is always baked without artificial colors, flavors and preservatives and free from high fructose corn syrup.

Is artisan bread flour the same as regular bread flour? ›

Artisanal flour is inherently no different t regular flour since the ingredients are largely the same. The differences lie in the product's quality and the quality of the goods you can make from it. Artisanal flours often produce a better aroma and flavor and are better for making crusty bread with tender insides.

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