This artisan bread dough master recipe serves as the starting point for many delicious bread-based recipes. With this dough, you can make focaccia with fresh rosemary, pizza dough, baguettes, breadsticks, naan, pita and even pretzels!

I’ve previously posted recipes for my homemade bread dough and homemade pizza dough, but I was looking for one dough recipe that I could use as a starting point to make a bunch of different bread recipes. And this is it!

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If you are fortunate enough to own a stand mixer with a dough hook, you can use it instead of doing it by hand.

Done properly you should not notice a difference in the final product. I don’t often have a lot of spare time on my hands so I use my stand-mixer 99% of the time.

If you do decide to make the dough by hand, it will be a lot easier if you use a Danish Dough Hook (or danish dough whisk) to mix your dough. You can get them on Amazon, not expensive, and really does a great job getting the dough just perfect!

Instant Yeast vs Active Dry Yeast

Instant Yeast Does not need to be dissolved in water before use and can be mixed directly into the dry ingredients. On the other hand, Active Dry Yeast has to be dissolved in warm water with a bit of sugar before use to ensure it’s alive.

Does Yeast Go Bad?

Active Dry Yeast can go bad since it’s a living organism. It typically has a shelf life of 1–2 years when stored properly. To check if your yeast is still active, dissolve 1 teaspoon of sugar in ¼ cup of warm water. Add 1 packet of active dry yeast, stir, and wait for 5–10 minutes. If the mixture becomes frothy and bubbly, the yeast is still good. If not, it’s time to replace it.

Instant Yeast has a longer shelf life than active dry yeast but can still go bad. To test it, Dissolve ½ teaspoon of sugar in ¼ cup of warm water. Stir in 1 teaspoon of instant yeast. Wait 5-10 minutes. If the mixture foams and bubbles, the yeast is still active. If nothing happens, it’s time to replace it.

Danish Dough Whisk — **Danish Dough Hook**

The kneading and proofing process when making bread dough is critical. The ensure the final product turns out perfectly, make sure you follow the instructions precisely. Any deviation may cause inconsistent results.

Tips

Instead of using a towel or plastic wrap to cover the bowl for the proofing process, you can use a shower cap! The elastic in the cap helps seal the dough and they can be washed and re-used!
To make clean-up even easier, spray a little non-stick spray on the underside of the cap so the dough doesn’t stick to it.
Ideally the water should be between 105°F-110°F before adding the yeast. Water above 120°F will kill the yeast.

The bottom line is if you don’t have a Danish Dough Whisk (Hook), Do yourself a favor and buy one. Super cheap and does a great job bringing your dough together. You can thank me later.

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Gather your Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients to make this Artisan Bread Dough Master Recipe (see recipe card for quantities): Bread Flour, Yeast, Kosher Salt and Water.

How to Make Artisan Bread Dough Master Recipe

In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, yeast and salt. Mix to combine.
Pour in the water and stir together until just moistened. Beat 40 strokes, scraping the bottom and the sides of the bowl, until the dough forms a lumpy, sticky mass.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 2 hours or until the dough has risen nearly to the top of the bowl and has a sponge-like appearance.
Use the dough immediately or place the dough, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to 9 days before baking.

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