Last Updated on January 21, 2023
A Tuscan Herb Artisan Bread that’s simple to make with simple ingredients and is simply delicious!
This bread is a favorite in our house and why would it not be, it is so easy to make!
But first, what is a Artisan Bread?
Artisan breads are made in small batches, vegan and traditionally made with only natural ingredients using traditional methods.
Using only a few simple ingredients this bread is so easy to customize by adding a few extra ingredients to make it your own.
Try adding different types of herbs, olives and even different cheeses.
Other types of artisan breads are the baguette, ciabatta and the focaccia.
To make your own Artisan Bread or to buy?
Because this bread does not have a long shelf life, you will only find the small loaves or buns in stores.
The store bought breads are good but not as good when you can customize your own bread to your favorite add ins.
Because this bread is so simple and easy to make using only 5 ingredients and no need to knead, why not make your own artisan bread at home.
After all who doesn’t love the smell of the bread baking, the satisfaction of making your own bread and the fresh baked flavor and texture of a warm fresh baked bread! YUMMY!
Ingredients needed for this bread
- Flour – A all purpose flour works the best in this recipe. Using a white flour gives you a light, fluffier and airy bread.
- Yeast – Yeast is what helps the bread rise. In this recipe we use the instant yeast, but you can use the active dry yeast for this recipe too.
- Water
- Seasonings – Salt, thyme, rosemary, oregano and basil are what we used in this bread. Any combination of herbs will taste wonderful in this fresh bread, such as onion, garlic, dill, sage, or any blend of spices.
Optional: Mix together a bowl of spices to sprinkle over the top of the bread before baking.
Optional add in ingredients
- Cheese – A shredded vegan or a dairy cheese compliments this bread nicely. Pick a variety or just one of your favorites and sprinkle in while mixing the dough before you let it rest.
- Olives – Any sliced green or black olive of your choice.
How to make A Tuscan Herb Artisan Bread
In a medium sized mixing bowl add the flour, yeast and salt.
Next add the water and spices.
Mix by hand just until the dough comes together.
Leave the dough in the bowl for 12 to 18 hours to rest, overnight is best.
After the dough has rested for up to 18 hours, prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the dough onto the paper.
Next fold the dough into thirds one way and then thirds the other way.
Set the dough aside to rest for another 2 hours.
While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 500°F with a covered cast iron dutch oven inside the oven.
Once both the oven and dutch oven are preheated, carefully take the cover off the dutch oven and slide the rested dough into the dutch oven.
Optional: Sprinkle extra herbs on top of the loaf.
Place the cover back on to the dutch oven and slide it into the hot oven.
Bake for 25 minutes with the cover on, then take the cover off and finish baking for another 5 minutes.
After the 30 minutes, take the dutch oven out of the oven.
Have a cooling rack ready to put your bread on right after you take it out of the oven.
Let the bread cool on the cooling rack for a few hours. After it has cooled, slice the loaf.
Store this light and fluffy bread in a air tight container.
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A Tuscan Herb Artisan Bread
Equipment
- Dutch Oven with a Lid
Ingredients
- 3 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1/4 tsp Instant Yeast
- 1 1/4 tsp Salt
Mix the above ingredients together, then add
- 1 1/2 Cups Water
- 1/2 tsp Thyme
- 1/2 tsp Rosemary
- 1/2 tsp Oregano
- 1/2 tsp Basil
Optional: Mix together a bowl of spices to sprinkle over the top of the bread before baking.
Instructions
- In a medium sized mixing bowl add the flour, yeast and salt.
- Next add the water and spices.
- Mix by hand just until the dough comes together.
- Leave the dough in the bowl for 12 to 18 hours to rest, overnight is best.
- After the dough has rested for up to 18 hours, prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the dough onto the paper.
- Next fold the dough into thirds one way and then thirds the other way.
- Set the dough aside to rest for another 2 hours.
- While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 500°F with a covered cast iron dutch oven inside the oven.
- Once both the oven and dutch oven are preheated, carefully take the cover off the dutch oven and slide the rested dough into the dutch oven.
- Optional: Sprinkle extra herbs on top of the loaf.
- Place the cover back on to the dutch oven and slide it into the hot oven.
- Bake for 25 minutes with the cover on, then take the cover off and finish baking for another 5 minutes.
- After the 30 minutes, take the dutch oven out of the oven.
- Have a cooling rack ready to put your bread on right after you take it out of the oven.
- Let the bread cool on the cooling rack for a few hours. After it has cooled, slice the loaf.
- Store this light and fluffy bread in a air tight container.
What can I use to bake it if I don’t have a Dutch Oven with a lid7
That is a good question. I have only used the dutch oven to make my bread and have not tried different methods. The purpose of a dutch oven is to retain heat and self steam, resulting in a beautifully plump, brown crusted loaf. So, because of the high heat and keeping the steam contained, you are very limited on what will work for this type of bread.
But after researching a little about this, I have read that you can use a high heat oven safe skillet along with a high heat oven safe lid to bake the loaf, or a stock pot with a baking sheet as the lid ( oven safe for 500°F ). If using the stock pot, skip the pre-heating of the dutch oven, place the formed loaf directly into the cold pot and place into the hot oven, then cover with the baking sheet. Bake as directed in the recipe, and remove the baking sheet just as you would the lid on the dutch oven. ( Keep in mind I have not yet tried this method, so I can not give you my results. But when I do give this a try, I will add this to the recipe notes.)
Note: Because of the high heat, it is not recommended using a glass baking dish or glass lid.
Thank you for the great question, and if you give any of these examples a try, I would love to hear your results.