06/14/2026
🍞 Artisan Bread Base Recipe
This recipe can be made plain, with seasoning, with cheese, or both! It’s a great base recipe to customize however you’d like.
Ingredients
* 3 cups bread flour
* 2 tsp instant yeast
* 1½ cups very warm water
* Option 1: ¼ cup Shore Smoke Seasoning of your choice (omit salt)
* Option 2: Plain bread (add 1½ teaspoons salt)
* Optional: 1 cup shredded cheese or 1½ cups cubed cheese
Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and either:
* ¼ cup seasoning (no additional salt), or
* 1½ teaspoons salt for a plain loaf. Dry mix together.
2. Add warm water and stir until a sticky dough forms. Best to use your hands to properly mix together.
3. Cover and let rise for 2–3 hours in a warm area of your house.
4. Preheat a Dutch oven with lid to 450°F.
5. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently shape into a disc.
6. If using cheese, layer it throughout the dough, then fold and shape into a loaf.
7. Place on parchment paper. If desired, lightly sprinkle the top with additional seasoning.
8. Transfer to the hot Dutch oven- add dry rice to the bottom layer or your Dutch oven to prevent burning of the bottom of the bread.
9. Bake covered for 30 minutes.
10. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
11. Let cool completely before slicing.
Tip: The cheese is completely optional. The seasoning is optional too. This recipe makes a fantastic plain artisan loaf, but if you skip the seasoning, be sure to add the 1½ teaspoons of salt so the bread has the proper flavor.
