Quick Artisan Bread with Milk and Butter (No Sourdough, Dutch Oven Style)

You don’t need an overnight rise or a sourdough starter to get that gorgeous artisan loaf. This quick Dutch oven bread recipe delivers a shatteringly crisp crust, a soft interior with just a touch of richness from milk and butter, and a gentle sweetness that makes it perfect for kids and adults alike. No fancy ingredients, no long waits—just real, homemade bread in under 3 hours.

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Recipe

Servings: 10 slices

Calories per serving: 185

Total time: 3 hours

Quick Artisan Bread with Milk and Butter (No Sourdough, Dutch Oven Style)

Ingredients

• 2¾ cups (330g) bread flour or  2¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour + 1 tbsp vital wheat gluten

• 1½ teaspoons active dry yeast

• 1 tablespoon sugar or honey

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ¾ cup (180 ml) warm water (about 110°F / 43°C)

• ½ cup (120 ml) warm whole milk

• 2 tablespoons melted butter, plus more for brushing (optional)

Instructions

1. Bloom the yeast

   In a large mixing bowl, stir together the warm water, milk, and sugar or honey. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy.

2. Mix the dough

   Add the flour (and vital wheat gluten if using all-purpose) and salt to the bowl. Pour in the melted butter. Stir until a shaggy dough forms with no dry spots.

3. First rise (bulk fermentation)

   Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm spot for 1 hour. Every 20 minutes, perform a stretch-and-fold by gently pulling each side of the dough up and folding it over itself. This helps develop structure without kneading.

4. Shape and rest

   After an hour, turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Gently shape it into a round or oval loaf and place it on a sheet of parchment paper. Let it rest while you preheat the oven.

5. Preheat the Dutch oven

   Place your Dutch oven (with lid) into the oven and preheat to 475°F (245°C). Let it heat for at least 30 minutes to ensure it's very hot.

6. Final proof

   While the Dutch oven preheats, let the dough continue to rise at room temperature. It should look puffed and airy by the time you're ready to bake.

7. Score and bake

   Carefully lift the dough using the parchment and lower it into the hot Dutch oven. Score the top with a sharp knife or bread lame. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Then, remove the lid and bake for another 10–15 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and crisp.

8. Cool and enjoy

   For extra flavor, brush the crust with a little melted butter right out of the oven (optional). Let cool for 15–20 minutes before slicing to allow the interior to finish setting.

Nutrition per Serving

• Calories: 185

• Carbs: 30g

• Protein: 5g

• Fat: 4g

• Sugar: 1.5g

• Sodium: 330mg

• Fiber: 1g

Storage Instructions

Once the bread is completely cool, store it wrapped in a clean kitchen towel or in a paper bag at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, slice and freeze in a zip-top bag. Toast straight from frozen or reheat in a 350°F oven for 5–10 minutes to bring back that crispy crust.

Bloom the yeast

Mix the dough

Mix the dough

First rise (bulk fermentation)

First rise (bulk fermentation)

Shape and rest

Shape and rest

Final proof

Preheat the Dutch oven

Final proof

Score and bake

Score and bake

Score and bake

Cool and enjoy

Enjoy

Enjoy

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Prompt

This is how I prompted the "Quick Artisan Bread with Milk and Butter (No Sourdough, Dutch Oven Style)" recipe:

I was really happy with my previous artisan bread recipe, however I had less time on my hands this time, so I asked ChatGPT if I can recreate the success:

If it's 3:30 pm, and I want to make artisan bread to be ready by 6:30, using traditional active dry yeast, can I do it? Dutch oven etc

ChatGPT replied "yes, but":

Yes, you can make artisan-style bread by 6:30 PM if you start at 3:30 PM — but you'll need to streamline a few steps and slightly adjust expectations. A typical slow-rise artisan bread with active dry yeast would benefit from 8–12 hours of fermentation, but you can still get a good result in 3 hours using these strategies:

✅ Timeline Overview (3-Hour Artisan Bread)

• 3:30 PM – 3:45 PM: Bloom yeast and mix the dough

• 3:45 PM – 4:45 PM: Bulk ferment (warm spot)

• 4:45 PM – 5:00 PM: Shape and rest

• 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM: Final proof (covered, warm spot)

• 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM: Bake in preheated Dutch oven

🔧 Key Adjustments for Success

1. Use slightly more yeast:Use 1½ to 2 tsp active dry yeast for 3 cups of flour. That will speed up fermentation without affecting flavor too much.

2. Warm environment:Keep dough in a warm (but not hot) place—ideal is 75–85°F. If your kitchen is cool, use your oven off with the light on, or a proofing box.

3. Skip the fridge:No cold proofing here—you want to ferment fast, proof fast, and bake.

4. Use stretch-and-fold:Every 20 minutes during the 1-hour bulk ferment, do a quick stretch and fold. This builds gluten without kneading.

5. Preheat your Dutch oven:Start preheating your Dutch oven at 5:30 PM (or even earlier) at 475°F so it’s blazing hot when you load the dough.

🥖 Will It Be True Artisan Bread?

Not exactly — long fermenting develops more flavor and texture. But with the Dutch oven and a good rise, you'll still get:

• Great oven spring

• Crispy crust

• Tender crumb

• A rustic, homemade artisan look

If you want a shortcut recipe designed for this 3-hour window, I can give you one. Want me to write that out for you?

I asked for it to be more kid friendly:

Yes. With slightly extra sweetness for the kiddos. I have unbleached flour and gluten, but write with the option of either that or bread flour (to choose from)

It provided the updated recipe and asked me if I want a crispy crust:

Perfect! Here’s a streamlined, kid-approved artisan-style Dutch oven bread recipe with a touch of extra sweetness, ready in 3 hours, using either unbleached all-purpose flour + gluten or bread flour.

You Don’t Need to Be a Sourdough Expert—Heck, You Don’t Even Need Sourdough—to Pull Off This Crusty, Beautiful Artisan Bread by Dinner

Warm, golden, and ever-so-slightly sweet, this Dutch oven bread has a chewy crust, a soft and slightly sweet interior, and just enough artisan flair to impress your family—even on a weeknight. With a few clever shortcuts, you’ll go from mixing to slicing in just 3 hours.

Servings: 10 slicesCalories per serving: 170Total time: 3 hours

Quick Artisan Dutch Oven Bread (Slightly Sweet)

Ingredients

• 3 cups (360g) bread flour– or –3 cups (360g) unbleached all-purpose flour + 1 tbsp vital wheat gluten

• 1½ tsp active dry yeast

• 1 tbsp sugar or honey

• 1½ tsp salt

• 1¼ cups (295 ml) warm water (about 110°F / 43°C)

Instructions

1. Bloom the yeast (3:30 PM)In a large mixing bowl, stir the sugar or honey into the warm water. Sprinkle in the active dry yeast and let it sit for 5–10 minutes, until foamy.

2. Mix the dough (by 3:45 PM)Add the flour (plus gluten if using AP) and salt to the yeast mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon or dough hook until a shaggy dough forms. No need to knead—just mix well until no dry spots remain.

3. Bulk ferment (3:45–4:45 PM)Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap. Let it rise in a warm spot for 1 hour. During this hour, give the dough 2–3 stretch-and-folds every 20 minutes (just pull and fold each edge toward the center, rotate, repeat).

4. Shape and rest (4:45–5:00 PM)Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Shape it into a round or oval ball. Place on a piece of parchment paper. Let it rest, uncovered or loosely covered with a towel, while your Dutch oven preheats.

5. Preheat the oven and Dutch oven (start at 5:00 PM)Place the empty Dutch oven (with lid) into your oven and preheat to 475°F (245°C). Let it heat for at least 30 minutes.

6. Final proof (5:00–6:00 PM)Let the shaped dough proof at room temp for up to 1 hour. It should puff up noticeably.

7. Score and bake (6:00–6:30 PM)Carefully remove the Dutch oven. Use the parchment paper to lower the dough into it. Score the top with a sharp knife or razor. Cover and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for another 10 minutes, until deep golden brown.

8. Cool before slicingLet the bread cool at least 15–20 minutes before slicing. (Hard, I know.)

Nutritional Info (Per Slice)

• Calories: 170

• Carbs: 33g

• Protein: 5g

• Fat: 0.5g

• Sugar: 1g

• Fiber: 1g

• Sodium: 350mg

Storage Instructions

Once fully cooled, store the loaf wrapped in a clean kitchen towel or paper bag at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, slice and freeze in a zip-top bag—toast slices straight from frozen.

Want a crispier crust or softer crumb variation? Let me know and I’ll tweak it.

I said crispy, and milk:

Crispy crust and I also want a little milk and butter in the dough

Scroll to the top or click the link below for the final recipe.

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