Easy Artisan Bread Recipe

I recently made gluten free-dairy free artisanal bread. I included the recipe below. This bread has a thick outside crust, but it’s soft and fluffy on the inside.

With this type of bread, you can make avocado toast, sandwiches, or even just have it plain with butter, margarine, or jelly. You can also make croutons by chopping it up, and toasting it in the oven. 

The concept of making bread dates back to approximately 10-14,000 years ago. The type of bread we are most familiar with, yeast bread, was first made by the ancient Egyptians. Since then, bread has become a staple food and plays a role in cultures all over the world. Today, bread is very diverse, and includes different types and flavors. Recently, baking bread became a hobby of mine. I was influenced by a video on Instagram that showed how to make artisanal bread at home. 

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RECIPE

Creator’s Instagram: @meaningfuleats         

Ingredients:   

• 4⅓ cups (650g) Caputo Fioreglut Flour

• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

• 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast

• 2 cups + 2 tablespoons (510ml) water, warm

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions 

Make the Dough

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the Caputo Fioreglut flour, salt, sugar and instant yeast. Mix to combine.

2. With the mixer running on low, slowly add the water and olive oil. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix for 5 minutes. The dough will resemble thick cookie dough, this is normal.

3. Using an oiled rubber spatula, scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl and mix again until well-combined.

Shape/Rise

1. Flour a 7-inch banneton with gluten-free flour. (You can also use a small oiled mixing bowl.)

2. Scoop the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Press the dough into a 2-inch-thick circle. Pull the sides upwards, then towards the center of the circle to form a loaf. Flip the loaf seam side down onto the floured surface and rotate in place to seal the seams.

3. Place the loaf into the banneton seam side facing upward. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 45-60 minutes.

4. Once the dough has risen, place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before baking. This helps the bread hold its shape.

Bake

1. Place in the Dutch oven with the lid on in the middle/lower rack of the oven. Preheat the oven to 475°F. Allow the Dutch oven to preheat for at least 30 minutes.

2. Gently turn out the loaf onto a piece of parchment paper. Using a bread lame or sharp knife, score the top of the loaf.

3. Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven. Using the parchment paper, carefully place the scored loaf in the Dutch oven, add 5-6 ice cubes around the edges and quickly replace the lid to trap the steam.

4. Bake the bread covered for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 450°F and continue baking for another 30 minutes.

5. Remove the lid and bake uncovered for another 15-20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. For a more accurate test of doneness, the bread is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center reads above 205°F.

6. Remove the bread from the oven and turn out onto a wire rack. Let the bread cool for at least 3 hours before slicing. This is important so the crust develops properly. Slice and enjoy!

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Modifications: 

My experience with making this bread recipe was it is very easy, and the directions are simple to understand. I modified my recipe so that it could fit my needs, and it still turned out great! 

Instead of using ground salt, I used a mortar and pestle to grind coarse kosher salt. This way, you can make as much salt as you want, and it would still work in the recipe. I also recommend using dough hooks if you are using a hand mixer. This worked for me because I did not have a stand mixer, but the dough hooks still did the job by mixing all of the ingredients together. 

Surprise: the dough will rise even if you don’t put it in the fridge! I didn’t do this, and the dough still rose to where it needed to be. Make sure that you put ice cubes around the edges of the bread after you put it in the dutch oven with the parchment paper underneath the bread. This way, you will be sure to have a crispy crust, and I can confirm that it works. 

I also added rosemary and oregano to the dough during the second time I made this recipe, and it was so good, and the spices gave the bread some extra herby flavors that really complimented it! 

To store the bread, I recommend sealing it in plastic wrap or Press n’ Seal, and then transferring that to a tupperware container that can fit the bread so you can put it in the fridge. You can also freeze the bread so you can have it for a longer time. 

Overall, this recipe was very easy to make, especially since it came out great on my first try. Anyone can make this recipe since it’s straightforward and doesn’t require difficult steps that advanced bakers use. It’s also surprising that it’s completely gluten and dairy free, thanks to a special flour I used that’s called Antimo Caputo Gluten-Free Flour. Make sure that you use this exact flour, or else you will get a different result that may not work with this recipe. 

My family tried the bread when it was finished, and my mom, who is also gluten-free, said that this bread was the best she had ever tasted, and she would buy it if it were in a store! My dad, sister, and grandma were also impressed by how well it turned out. My grandma also loved how it had a crispy outside and a fluffy inside. I liked how the herbs gave it that extra flavor. We also dipped and spread it in olive oil and Smart Balance, which added a nice touch. 

If I were to make this recipe again, I would definitely try to add some different spices, or maybe even some chocolate chips or nuts to add in some texture and different flavors. I really wouldn’t change anything else about this recipe, since I loved the way it came out perfectly every time.

I would highly encourage bakers of all levels, beginner to advanced, to try this recipe. I believe that it would be absolutely worth it, and it’s something that everyone will love!