French bread — that beautiful golden crust and soft, chewy interior — is a delight for any bread lover! Whether you’re slathering a warm slice with butter and jelly or serving it alongside a cozy bowl of Italian Wedding Soup, this bread always hits the spot.
And here’s the best part: you can bake perfect French bread right in your own kitchen. If it feels a little intimidating, don’t worry! I’m going to walk you through this recipe step-by-step. You’ll be amazed at how simple and satisfying it is to make this bakery-style loaf at home.
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Why You’ll Love This French Bread Recipe
There’s nothing more comforting than the smell of fresh bread baking in the oven. This homemade French bread takes just about 2 hours from start to finish — with only 15 minutes of actual hands-on time!
The rest of the magic happens while the dough rises and bakes. If you have a stand mixer, it takes even more of the work off your plate. But if you don’t? No problem — this recipe can easily be kneaded by hand.
Once you try this recipe, I promise you’ll want to make it again and again.
Ingredients for French Bread
Here’s everything you’ll need to make a perfect loaf of French bread at home:
Flour
- All-purpose or bread flour? Both work!
- All-purpose flour gives a slightly more tender loaf.
- Bread flour creates a chewier texture (my personal favorite for this recipe).
Yeast
- Instant or active dry? Either will do!
- If using instant yeast, you can skip the activation step.
Warm Water
- The water should be between 100°F and 110°F to activate the yeast properly.
Sugar
- A small amount of sugar helps feed the yeast and adds a touch of sweetness.
Olive Oil
- Adds stretch and flexibility to the dough.
Salt
- Absolutely essential!
- Salt enhances the flavor, strengthens gluten, helps regulate yeast activity, and promotes that beautiful crust.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Making French Bread
1. Activate the Yeast
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes until it starts to bubble and activate.
If you’re using instant yeast, skip this step — no need to proof!
2. Mix the Dough
Add half of the flour, along with olive oil and salt, and mix on low speed until the mixture starts to come together.
Gradually add the remaining flour, a little at a time, until the dough forms a soft ball. The dough should feel tacky but should not stick to your fingers. Depending on the humidity and type of flour, you may not need all of the flour, or you may need a little more.
3. Knead the Dough
Switch to the dough hook attachment (or knead by hand) and knead on low speed for 5 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
4. First Rise
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and place it in a warm spot. Let it rise until doubled in size — about 45 to 60 minutes, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
5. Shape the Loaves
Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly greased countertop. Divide the dough in half.
Pat each portion into a 10×15-inch rectangle. Starting from the long side, roll the dough into a log. Pinch the seams and tuck the ends under.
Place the loaves seam side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Use a sharp knife to make diagonal slashes on top of each loaf.
6. Second Rise
Cover the loaves with a kitchen towel and let them rise again until nearly doubled — about 30 minutes.
7. Bake
Bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.
Tips for the Best French Bread
- For extra crispiness: Place a pan of hot water on the bottom rack of your oven while baking. The steam helps create an even crunchier crust.
- For an even softer inside: Use all-purpose flour.
- For a chewier texture: Go with bread flour.
How to Store French Bread
French bread is best enjoyed the day it’s made, but you can store it for up to 3 days:
- Wrap the loaf loosely in foil or place it in a paper bag to help maintain the crust.
- For longer storage, wrap well and freeze for up to 3 months. Just thaw at room temperature and reheat in a warm oven for a freshly baked taste.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know how easy it is to bake French bread at home, why not give it a try? The smell of that golden crust baking will have everyone running to the kitchen.
Serve it warm with butter, alongside a comforting soup, or as the star of your next meal. Once you’ve mastered this recipe, you’ll never want store-bought bread again!
Happy baking — and if you make this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Tag me on Instagram at @NettiesRecipeBowl.
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French Bread
Ingredients
- 4 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast or instant 2 1/4 tsp = 1 packet
- 1 ½ cups warm water 100°F to 110°F
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let sit for about 5 minutes until bubbly and activated. If using instant yeast, you may skip this step.
- Add half of the flour, olive oil, and salt. Mix on low speed until the mixture begins to come together.
- Gradually add the remaining flour, a little at a time, until a soft dough forms that feels tacky but does not stick to your fingers. You may not need all the flour.
- Switch to the dough hook attachment and knead on low speed for 5 minutes, or knead by hand until smooth and elastic.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm spot. Let rise until doubled in size, about 45 to 60 minutes.
- Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly greased countertop. Divide in half. Pat each piece into a 10×15-inch rectangle.
- Starting from the long edge, roll each rectangle into a log. Pinch the seam and tuck the ends under. Place seam side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Using a sharp knife, make diagonal slashes across the tops of the loaves. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise again for about 30 minutes, or until nearly doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- Let cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm with butter, or alongside your favorite soups and meals!