When it comes to baking bread, the real question is, “Why bother?” Artisan bakers have been sprouting like weeds throughout the land, making crusty loaves of rustic bread nearly ubiquitous. But lately, you may have noticed your favorite “peasant” bread retailing at distinctly aristocratic prices. It might be time to bother.

First, you must resign yourself to the fact that, with a normal home oven, you will never achieve the crackling crust of an artisan loaf. But a new bread book helps you get close.

“Peter Reinhart’s Artisan Breads Every Day” by Peter Reinhart (Ten Speed Press, 2009) has great tips for baking like a pro, without the equipment that a professional has on hand. His “classic French bread,” below, makes a boule (round) with as crackly a crust as I’ve ever been able to achieve.

This is bread that can be served for dinner, sliced for sandwiches at lunch, or star at the breakfast table with some butter and jam. It can also be shaped as a baguette, but the boule is the easiest shape to make and, for the purposes of this column, to describe. If you want to make baguettes, consult Reinhart’s book, which is chock-full of how-to photos — or search for “shaping baguettes” on YouTube. There are a number of helpful videos.

CLASSIC FRENCH BOULES (ROUNDS)

5-1/3 cups unbleached bread flour

2 teaspoons table salt, or 1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 (1/4-ounce) packet (2-1/4 teaspoons) instant yeast (see Cook’s note)

2 cups lukewarm water, for the bread

spray oil

1 cup hot water, for baking

Cook’s note: Instant yeast is also sold as rapid-rise, quick-rising and bread-machine yeast.

Combine the flour, salt, yeast and 2 cups water in a mixing bowl. If using a mixer, use the paddle attachment and mix at the lowest speed for one minute. If mixing by hand, use a large spoon and stir for one minute, until well blended and smooth. The dough should form a coarse, shaggy ball. Let rest, uncovered, for five minutes.

If using a mixer, switch to the dough hook and mix on medium-low speed for two minutes, or knead by hand for two minutes, adjusting with flour or water as needed. The dough should be smooth, supple and tacky, but not sticky.

Whichever mixing method you used, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead by hand for about one minute. Transfer to a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight, or up to four days.

About two hours before you plan to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator and gently transfer to a lightly floured work surface, taking care to de-gas it as little as possible. Divide the dough, and, working with half at a time, gently pat the dough into a rough rectangle. Bring the four corners together in the center. Squeeze the corners to seal them and tighten the skin of the dough. (This creates surface tension, which allows the loaf to rise up and not just out.) Repeat with the remaining dough. Transfer both rounds, seam side down, to a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Mist with spray oil, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until double in bulk.

About 45 minutes before baking, center a rack in the oven and place another rack under it. Place a rimmed baking pan on the lower rack. Preheat the oven to 550 F. If you have a baking stone or pizza stone, preheat that as well. During the last 15 minutes, remove the plastic wrap from the loaves. Score the dough, making three (1/2-inch-deep) slashes with a single-edge razor or serrated knife.

If using a baking stone, slide the loaves onto the stone, using the baking sheet as a baker’s “peel.” If you don’t have a baking stone, just place the baking sheet with the loaves on it in the oven. Quickly and carefully pour 1 cup of hot water into the baking pan on the lower rack to create steam. (You may want to wear long sleeves and to cover the oven window with a towel to prevent cracking in case of a spatter; remember to remove the towel before you shut the door.) Bake for 12 minutes. Rotate the pan, and bake for 15 to 25 minutes, until the crust is a rich golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when thumped. Turn off the oven, and let the bread sit inside for another five minutes before removing. Cool for 45 minutes before slicing or serving.

Yield: 2 loaves

Recipe from “Peter Reinhart’s Artisan Breads Every Day” by Peter Reinhart (Ten Speed, 2009)

Marialisa Calta is the author of “Barbarians at the Plate: Taming and Feeding the American Family” (Perigee, 2005). For more information, go to www.marialisacalta.com.