Brand new

Deb,  what do you mean by artisan ?   If you mean free form ( as opposed to pan bread ) and commercial yeast ( not sourdough ) the best book is Bread by Hamelman.   He has a series of videos on Youtube as well  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpG5tcmg0uM    Reinhart has some interesting books as well, as does Forkish, though I only borrowed the Forkish book from the library, and did not  like his approach, though others here are fans .   

but I would not limit interest in the Hamelman book Bread to commercial yeast only.  His book offers a wealth of information on bread, flour, technique and methodology as general topics, and the sourdough recipes and information are also very good.  This is the book I bake from most often, and would most strongly recommend to you as "covering the basics".  It is where I suggest you start looking, and baking too.  Peter Reinhart is my second go-to teacher, especially in his The Bread Baker's Apprentice.

The public library probably has copies of these and perhaps many others.  That's where I looked them over before I bought them.

Best of luck, and don't just think about it; dive in and bake.  The water's fine.
OldWoodenSpoon

I would like to suggest  "Baking Artisan Bread" by Ciril Hitz. Good photos and everything explained well. Perhaps in your local library. If you search his name on YouTube you can see how he goes about a few of the breads offered in his book.

Marty

Hi Deb, welcome to TFL!

The best book for the beginners, covering the basics of artesan bread baking, is A Passion for Bread by Lionel Vatinet.