Homemade french bread
The BEST homemade french bread recipe made in 90 minutes. So easy to make and comes out golden and crispy on the outside, while remaining soft and chewy on the inside. You’ll fall in love with this easy french bread recipe!
Homemade bread is one of my favorite things to make and this easy french bread recipe is at the top of my list! It’s so fluffy and delicious. I also love to make whole wheat bread, Irish soda bread and my infamous white bread recipe.
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French bread recipe
If you’re looking for an easy homemade french bread recipe, this is it! You’ll have 2 beautiful loaves in 90 minutes. The actual time you’ll be working will only be about 15 minutes, the rest of the time will be patiently waiting for the dough to rest/rise. This homemade french bread is golden and crispy on the outside, while remaining soft and slightly chewy on the inside. We love to serve it with a bowl of warm soup and the first time I made it my husband said “this bread is SO good, where did you get it?” He thought I picked it up from our local bakery. It is just that good and really so easy to make. You’ll never want to buy store bought french bread again.
I absolutely love making bread and rolls of all kinds. There’s something so satisfying about making them in your own kitchen. The smell is unbelievable. We love to serve this homemade french bread with softened butter, honey and/or jam. So so good. Bring on all the carbs this pregnancy, because it is all I’m craving!
How to make homemade french bread
Although making your own bread can be intimidating, it’s pretty easy! Just follow the steps below to get started. Scroll down for the printable easy french bread recipe.
- In a small bowl, combine the warm water, yeast and sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes, or until it has begin to foam.
- Place 2 cups of flour into a large mixing bowl with the salt. Stir in the yeast mixture and begin to knead by hand or using a dough hook and stand mixer. Add 1/2 cup of the remaining flour at a time until the dough is smooth but not sticky. Rub the olive oil around the dough ball and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface and divide it in half. Roll one half into a rectangle. Starting from the long side, roll the dough into a cylinder. Turn both ends in and pinch the seams closed. Round the edges and place onto a baking sheet. Repeat with the second dough ball. Let rise for 30-45 minutes. Make three diagonal cuts across the top of each loaf.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
- Brush the top with melted butter if desired. Slice and enjoy! :)
Quick tips for this french bread recipe
Making the french bread dough the right consistency is one of the most important steps. The key is to kneading in flour a little at a time until the dough becomes soft not sticky. Here are a few other tips for making the perfect dough.
- if using a bread dough hook to knead the dough, knead the last couple of minutes by hand
- let the dough rest a minute during the mixing process (this allows the gluten to relax)
- let the dough rise in a warm spot by the window or on top of the stove
- place the dough on a lightly floured surface and then press down with your finger tips to remove any air pockets
- use a rolling pin to roll out the dough and any extra bubbles
- roll the dough into a loaf and then make sure to tuck the ends under and pinch all the seams together tightly to create a nice seal
- for a crispier/shinier crust on the french bread loaf, brush 1 egg white (whisked) with a teaspoon of water before baking
For a softer and more flavorful crust, brush homemade french bread with melted butter right when it comes out of the oven.
How to make french bread video
Homemade french bread recipe
So easy to make and comes out golden and crispy on the outside, while remaining soft and chewy on the inside.
Ingredients
- 2 cups warm water about 110°F
- 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 5-6 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons table salt or fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
Instructions
-
In a small bowl, combine the warm water, yeast and sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes, or until it has begin to foam.
-
Place 2 cups of flour into a large mixing bowl with the salt. Stir in the yeast mixture and begin to knead by hand or using a dough hook and stand mixer. Add 1/2 cup of the remaining flour at a time until the dough is smooth but not sticky. Rub the olive oil around the dough ball and let rest for 15 minutes.
-
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and divide it in half. Roll one half into a rectangle. Starting from the long side, roll the dough into a cylinder. Turn both ends in and pinch the seams closed. Round the edges and place onto a baking sheet. Repeat with the second dough ball. Let rise for 30-45 minutes. Make three diagonal cuts across the top of each loaf.
-
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
-
Brush the top with melted butter if desired. Slice and enjoy! :)
Recipe Notes
For a crispier/shinier crust brush 1 egg white (whisked) with a teaspoon of water before baking.
I hope you try this french bread recipe! Don’t be intimidated. If you’ve made homemade rolls before, you got this in your back pocket! This really is the best french bread recipe and my family begs for it weekly!
Enjoy!
I don’t see the oven temperature?
400 degrees! :)
I might be missing it but it doesn’t say what Temp to Bake at?
400 degrees. :)
Perfect
Thank you! :)
I wanted to try this but realized I only have rapid rise instant yeast on hand. Can that be used in place of active dry yeast? Will it make a difference? New to bread making.
Hi Tara! Yes you can, you’ll just need to adjust the rise time and watch it closer. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jamielyn, thanks for your steps and ingredients for making french bread and I can’t wait to have a try right now.
Hope you enjoy! Thanks for stopping by. :)
Homemade bread is just the best! I love baking all sorts of bread at home, but this French one: my favorite!
Same, homemade bread is the best! :)
I went to the recipe and hit the print button. It took three pieces of paper to get this simple recipe. The first page had 2 lines saying where this recipe came from. The second page was a full page picture of the bread. Finally, the third page provided the recipe. I really didn’t appreciate this.
Sorry it took so much paper. I usually just print the one page with the recipe, but some people like to have a picture to see what it should look like. :)
What kind of flour please? Bread? White flour?
I used all purpose flour! :)
Do you use AP flour or bread flour? What is the difference? I haven’t made this yet but I will soon. Bread making has always been super scary to me!
I just used all purpose flour! :)
Hi! The dough really seems to have the “chewyness” I’m looking for. May I ask you the type of white floor you’re using? Regular white flour? Unbleached flour? Bread floor? Thanks!
I just used all purpose flour. :)
i noticed there was no risening of the dough in bowl for one hour like most bread the only rising was after you roll up the dough is this correct?
Hi Judi! There is a 15 minute rise of the dough before rolling it up, it’s just a short rise! :)
What about gluten free? Have you tried it?
I haven’t tried making it gluten free! Definitely let me know if you give it a try! :)
Can the sugar be left? I buy similar-looking bread at Trader Joe’s with no sugar in the ingredients. Would love to make it at home but prefer sugar-free.
You could definitely try leaving it out or substituting with honey. :)
Can I use honey instead of the sugar?
I think that should work well! :)
Do you have any good gluten free bread or roll
Recipes?
First bread I have ever made and it was perfect. So much better than store bought. My husband loved it.! Thanks so much for the step by step pictures.
I’m so glad you and your husband loved it! Thank you for your comment Carol. :)
I normally make your favorite white bread every weekend, but I switching over to try this today. Looks great!
Hope you enjoy this too! It’s fun to switch it up every once in a while. :)
My family loved this recipe. Could this be made up to freeze before baking?
Hi Carrie! I haven’t tried freezing it before baking, but I think it would freezer great after baking! :)
Thanks for this recipe! I can’t wait to try it. Have you tried making French Toast with this yet? I’m sure we’ll scarf up the first loaf, but if the second loaf will last a while I’d like to try using it for french toast! Thanks! Also, if freezing after, how to reheat it?
I haven’t tried french toast with the recipe, but I bet it would be delicious! I would probably recommend using frozen french loaf for your french toast since it won’t be quite as fresh. Just let it defrost, cut and use. :)
Delicious!
Doea thia require 5 cups or 2 and half cups of flour? It says 5-6cups on the ingredients list but in the details it aays use 2 cups and the remaining 1/2cup.
Hello! This recipe will need 5-6 cups of flour. You will first mix in 2 cups, then 1/2 at a time until you reach 5 cups. Hope that helps! :)
Dear Admin
thanks for sharing this very delicious recipe!
Followed the recipe exactly and it came out great. Have made regularly now for the last few weeks. It is an incredibly easy and surprisingly quick recipe for great bread. Thanks for posting.
I’m so glad you have enjoyed this french bread! Thank you for your comment and review Felix. :)
OMG thank you so much for this recipe, it turned out great, the best bread I’ve tried in a while, will definitely make it again in the future.
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! :)