Classic Artisan Bread Loaf
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THIS is the bread that made me fall in love with bread-making. It’s the Overnight 40% Whole Wheat Bread recipe from Ken Forkish’s Flour Water Salt Yeast. Ken Forkish is a well-known restaurateur here in Portland, with his own bakery and pizza place (highly recommend both!).
When I first made the recipe I was convinced it was going to turn out like crud. It just seemed so precise, but even though I probably didn’t do everything perfectly correct, it turned out perfectly. Since then (a few years ago), I’ve probably made bread at least one time per month, but often more, and what I’ve learned along the way is that baking your own bread really is both fickle AND forgiving... but I haven’t messed up a loaf yet 🙏
I’m not going to write up the recipe for you here because it’s his life’s work AND I truly believe the book is worth purchasing so you can learn from an expert. There are whole sections on what equipment you should invest in (see below for items similar to what I use), fundamentals and methods, how to handle dough gently, how to properly fold, and more.
Ingredients
The book is called Flour Water Salt Yeast for a reason. Those are the only ingredients he uses in the majority of the recipes throughout. Yes, you read that right. The ingredients are really that easy… it’s how you use the ingredients (the process) that really counts. But while we’re on ingredients, I’ll take a minute to discuss some of my favorite flours.
Ken mentions King Arthur Organic All-Purpose Flour in his book. I’ve used this brand for both White and Wheat recipes, and it is divine. I’ve also used Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose, Wheat, and Artisan Bread Flour, and all have been amazing as well. The key to flour, as Ken mentions in the book, is to use the best-quality flour you can find with protein in the 11-12% range. But he also says to try a variety of flours to see which you prefer. That’s why I like to mix and match… sometimes I’ll combine Wheat, Artisan Bread, and All-Purpose flours and it’s super yummy.
Of course, you’ll also need water, salt, and yeast as the title suggests, but Ken goes into great detail about these as well in the book, so I’ll leave it to the professional!
Equipment
You’ll need some basic baking supplies like oven mitts and measuring cups, but there are a few items specific to bread-making that aren’t so every day. Below are similar to the things I purchased that have made all the difference in baking my own artisan bread.
From the top left:
Lodge 4qt cast iron dutch oven (Ken recommends a 4qt size. This one looks like it’s currently unavailable, so I’m also linking the closest thing in a 5qt size here.)
2 cane banneton proofing baskets (Ken recommends 9-inch. I’ve linked a 10-inch version that looks exactly like mine. I LOVE these. They are amazing for proofing, and give your bread a beautiful artisan-looking design on top of the loaf.)
Love
Ok, now I’m going to sound cheesy, but baking bread is really all about the love you put into it. It brings me SUCH joy every time I make an artisan loaf, dinner rolls, pizza dough, loaf bread, and more. And the more I do it, the more I love it. There is just something so grounding and peaceful about being able to create such sustenance from scratch for you and your family. If you embark on your own bread-making journey, I truly hope you find the same joy I have. It’s a wonderful thing.