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

Yeast

Warm Water

Sugar

Olive Oil

Salt


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


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:


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

Nettie
TFrench bread with a golden crust and soft, chewy interior. This easy French bread recipe is perfect for beginners and so delicious served warm with butter or alongside a bowl of soup.his crusty chewy bread is so delicious and easy to make! Serve it up with some butter and jelly or a hot bowl of soup!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
rising 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Course Breads
Cuisine French
Servings 16 slices
Calories 135 kcal

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!

Notes

When it comes to the nutrition information provided for recipes, it’s important to keep in mind that it’s just an estimate. The actual nutritional values can vary based on the specific ingredients and brands you use. Be mindful that any nutritional information provided is intended as a general guideline rather than exact values.
 
 
If using instant yeast you do not need to wait to activate the yeast. Just skip to step 2.
 
After removing from oven you can brush melted butter over bread, this will soften the crust some.  So if you want a crispier crust do not brush butter on the bread.
 
For an extra crispy crust you can put a few ice cubes in an oven safe dish and place on rack below your bread.
 
 

Nutrition

Serving: 2slicesCalories: 135kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 4gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 292mgPotassium: 36mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 0.001mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 0.3mg
Keyword easy french bread recipe, french bread, homemade french bread, how to make french bread
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