The Easiest Most Foolproof Artisan Bread

1. In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt, sugar and yeast.
2. Add some lukewarm water (~95°F) and mix everything together to form a shaggy mass of dough.
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit and rise in a warm environment for about 2 hours.
4. After 2 hours, preheat the oven to 450°F with a Dutch oven inside (so the Dutch oven gets preheated as well).
5. Transfer the dough on to a floured work surface (the dough will be sticky so dust it with some flour whenever needed); knead the dough (fold it on to itself, turn, and repeat) for 2-3 mins until a tensive dough ball forms.
6. Transfer to a proofing basket or parchment lined bowl, cover and let rise for 35 mins or until the dough doubles in size.
7. Place the dough ball in the preheated Dutch oven lined with parchment and bake at 450°F for 30 minutes; reduce the oven temperature to 400°F, remove the lid, and bake for another 10-15 more minutes (at this point the longer you bake the bread the crispier the crust will be.. just make sure the bottom doesn't burn) - enjoy with salted butter!

Note: If you are making bread on a regular baking tray instead of a Dutch oven, steam is the key factor for making crusty bread. Place a pan with hot water in the lowest rack of oven while baking and spraying with water inside the oven during the initial five minutes of baking to help create this steamy environment inside the oven.