Rustic Artisan Bread (with Ranch Dressing)

If you’re in the mood for an easy artisan bread, one you could make at home that’s loaded with flavor and texture, then stay tuned! This recipe is sure to make you very, very happy! 

What is an Artisan Bread? 

Artisan bread is is usually produced in small batches, with attention paid to detail. This delicious bread is best known for its unique flavors, textures, and crusts, often featuring a rustic appearance.

Characteristics of Artisan Breads

These characteristics set artisan breads apart: 

1. Handmade: Artisan bread is crafted by hand rather than being mass-produced by machines. Bakers show off their skills with artisan breads! 
2. Simple Ingredients: Artisan bread is made with simple and natural ingredients. In this case: bread flour, yeast, water, seasonings, and sesame seeds. No butter, no milk, nothing fancy. 
3. Slow Fermentation: Artisan bread often undergoes a longer fermentation process. This extended amount of time allows the dough to develop complex flavors and textures. In this case, the bread is fermented over a bath of water and lemon juice. (Unique, right?)
4. Thick and Crusty: Artisan bread typically has a thick, crusty exterior with a chewy and open crumb structure on the inside. This bread is no exception!
5. Variety: Artisan bread comes in various shapes, sizes, and flavors. Some popular types include baguettes, boules, batards, ciabatta, and sourdough. These breads may feature different flours, seeds, nuts, herbs, or spices, offering a wide range of tastes and textures.

Artisans take pride in their work, and are happy to show off their finished breads. I love this one, in part because it’s an original recipe, one I enjoyed coming up with.

Rustic Artisan Bread Ingredients

You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a quick peek at what you’ll need. These are simple basic ingredients you probably have on hand. If you don’t have ranch dressing, you can always mix together garlic powder, onion powder, and other spices you enjoy. 

• instant yeast
• bread flour
• warm (not hot) water (1 1/2 cups plus a couple tablespoons)
• salt
• sesame or poppy seeds
• ranch dressing mix

TO FERMENT: 

• water 
• lemon juice

How to Make this Simple Artisan Bread

This one is very simple, but it does require patience and precision during the fermentation process. Here’s how you’re going to make this bread. 

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine water and yeast. Stir together and allow to sit for five minutes. 

While you’re waiting, combine the ranch mix, salt, and sesame seeds. 

Stir well and set aside. 

Add bread flour to yeast mixture. 

Now add the spice mix. 

Knead with dough hook for 4 minutes. 

It’s time to ferment your dough. This takes a while but causes the bread dough to develop properly. 

Place 10 ounces of water and 1 ounce of lemon juice into the bottom of a medium saucepan. Heat to 130 degrees. You want to keep it at this temperature for two hours, which is where the precision comes in. 

Place a wire strainer on top. Spray it with non-stick spray. 

Place the dough on top and cover with a towel. 

Leave the dough for two hours for the first rise, checking the temperature of the water on occasion.

You don’t want the dough to get wet so make sure the strainer is well above the water line. If in doubt, turn off the heat. The water will stay warm for some time. 

After two hours, remove dough and place on floured work surface. 

Punch down to release the air.

Gently knead bread dough and form into a ball. 

Grease a stoneware casserole dish and place the dough inside. 

Leave it for another 50 minutes to let dough rise once more. (I told you, this recipe will require some patience!) 

Fifteen minutes before the rise time is up, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Using a sharp knife, place three diagonal slits in the top of the bread. 

Place casserole dish in the oven with lid on for 30 minutes. (This is the best way to get this bread started.

Remove the lid and bake for another 15 – 20 minutes or until the bread turn golden brown. 

Remove from oven and allow bread to cool in pan for another 15 – 20 minutes. 

Remove from pan and place directly on wire rack to continue cooling. (If you like, you can brush with olive oil for additional flavor.)

Slice and serve!

Make sure leftovers are completely cool before placing in a ziplock bag or wrapping in plastic wrap.

Store at room temperature up to 2 – 3 days.

I don’t recommend freezing this bread.

What to Expect from this Bread Recipe

I always love a good artisan bread because of this thick crunchy crust. This one did not disappoint! (This is definitely a crusty bread recipe.)

The outside is perfect and the crumb on the inside? Well, it’s just what you would expect from a good artisan bread—moist and open. 

I wasn’t sure if I should put the whole packet of Ranch dressing in. (Hey, when I make up recipe I never know how they’ll turn out.) I thought it might be too much and cause the flavor of the bread to be too strong. 

In this case, I’m so very glad I used it all! Spices tend to reduce as baking takes place, so this bread isn’t too strong at all! 

All in all, I’d say this is a simple recipe, one with minimal ingredients, that doesn’t require any special equipment (like a bread machine or food processor).

Variations on this Artisan Bread Recipe

There are so many different ways you could mix this up, folks! Here are some of my ideas: 

More Seeds and Nuts: Like my Easy Italian Herb Bread, this recipe would do well with more seeds and nuts. Some obvious choices would include pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, or even slivered almonds. 

Cheese: Any grated cheese will work but I would love to try parmesan with this recipe. 

Sun-Dried Tomato: This would make a delicious and colorful addition to any artisan bread! 

Rosemary and Red Onion: Just the idea of this one has me intrigued! Rosemary is the perfect addition to any bread recipe and red onion will merge perfectly with it! 

Bleu Cheese Vinaigrette: These two flavors will pair beautifully in artisan bread. 

Cinnamon and Sugar: I think it would be fun to skip the ranch dressing and use some cinnamon and sugar in this bread. 

Whole wheat flour: You can substitute flours if you like. The texture and flavor will be slightly different but it should still work.

Questions People are Asking about this Artisan Bread

Can I bake this on a pizza stone?

You can! You can free form the dough and bake it on a stone (or in a hot dutch oven or cast iron pot) for a more homemade artisan bread look.

Is this considered an easy bread recipe?

It is! And trust me when I say, “If I can make it, anyone can make it!” (Bread making doesn’t come naturally to me.)

Can I use leftover bread for bread pudding or French toast?

Yes! This is the perfect recipe for either of those things! It’s got a firm, chewy texture, ideal for both.

What can I add to the top of the loaf?

You can rub it with olive oil, melted butter, or even a bit of milk or cream before baking (or about halfway into the bake).

Other Breads from Out of the Box Baking

If you love a great homemade bread recipe, we’ve got you covered. Here are a few fan favorites: 

Flaky Crescent Rolls from Scratch: If you love light, fluffy crescent rolls that are crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, you’ve come to the right place! These luscious rolls and so delicious and simple to make. 

Italian Herb Bread: If you’re looking for an amazing bread filled with Italian flavor, this is the recipe for you. This simple Italian herb bread is easy to whip up and has an added bonus ingredient: parmesan cheese! 

Light and Fluffy Yeast Rolls:  A lot of recipes promise a light a fluffy yeast roll but simply don’t deliver. (Ask me how I know.) This recipe, a simple milk bread recipe, produces perfect rolls!

Soft Butter Rolls from Scratch: They’re light, fluffy, and have a buttery flavor. These soft butter rolls are the perfect dinner roll and so easy to make!

Easy Challah Bread from Scratch: In this post I’m going to share a delicious recipe for Challah bread, one you will use again and again! Best of all, it’s an easy recipe to use, even if you’ve never made bread before.

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That’s it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe. 

See this recipe at

Full Plate Thursday 

Weekend Potluck

The Lazy Gastronome

Busy Monday

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About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 150 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.