The BEST homemade french bread recipe made in just 90 minutes! So easy to make and comes out golden and crispy on the outside, while remaining soft and chewy on the inside.
Homemade bread is one of my favorite things to make. It can seem a bit intimidating at first, but this easy french bread recipe is a great place to start. It has a quick rising time and takes only 90 minutes from start to finish. If you’re a beginner to bread baking, make sure to check out my 3 ingredient artisan bread and my 45-minute breadsticks. Both are so simple along with my favorite dinner rolls and french bread rolls!
Easiest French Bread Recipe
If you’re looking for an easy 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. Trust me when I say, this is the best french bread recipe!
How To Make Homemade French Bread
- Proof the yeast. In a small bowl, combine the warm water, yeast and sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes, or until it has begin to foam.
- Mix and let rest. 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.
- Shape and let rise again. 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.
- Bake in oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Brush the top of the homemade french bread with melted butter if desired. Slice and enjoy! :)
Baking Tips
- The key to the perfect consistency is to knead in flour a little at a time, until the dough becomes soft and not sticky.
- 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, brush on egg wash (1 egg white (whisked) with a teaspoon of water) before baking.
- For a softer and more flavorful crust, brush with melted butter right when it comes out of the oven.
Favorite Ways To Enjoy
- Top with butter, garlic herb butter, honey, cinnamon butter, jam or apple butter
- Use it to make classic bruschetta or bruschetta caprese
- Serve with all types of soup, like lasagna soup, corn chowder and hearty vegetable soup
- My family loves to make french bread pizza, stuffed french bread or garlic bread
- We also like to make spaghetti boats using leftovers of my easy spaghetti recipe.
- Make a french dip sandwich
- Once it’s a few days old, make french bread french toast, bread pudding or croutons
- Cut into cubes and serve with this cold Knorr spinach dip.
Freezer Instructions
Since this recipe makes two loaves, sometimes we freeze one of them for later. To freeze, wrap the bread tightly in foil or saran wrap (make sure it has cooled completely). Then place in a zip top bag and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
More Homemade Bread Recipes To Try:
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all the newest recipes!
Homemade French Bread Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups warm water , about 105°F
- 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
- 2 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
- 5 cups (650 g) all-purpose flour , more as needed
- 2 ½ teaspoons table salt or fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Melted salted butter , optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let sit 5 minutes, or until it begins to foam.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl, stir together 2 cups flour and salt. Stir in the yeast mixture on medium-low speed or by hand. Knead in 1/2 cup of the remaining flour in increments until the dough is smooth but not sticky (depending on climate you could use more or less than 5 cups). Add more flour as needed.
- Rub the olive oil around the dough ball, cover the bowl with a towel and let rest 15 to 30 minutes. If you have more time, let rise up to 1 hour.
- Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and divide it in half. Set one half aside. Roll the other half into a rectangle (about 15 inches). 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. Make three diagonal cuts across the top of each loaf. Cover loaves lightly with a towel. Let rise 30 to 60 minutes (the longer the better, if you have the time).
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Bake 17 to 23 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. When you knock on it, it should sound hollow. If it's browning too fast, lightly cover with foil and lower the temperature to 375°F.
- Brush the top with melted butter, if desired. Slice and serve while warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
White Homemade Bread (two loaves)
I am liking this recipe very much. Quick question for you – when using the half cup of Carnation evaporated milk… do you dilute it, half milk and half water or just the evaporated milk?
Thank you in advance.
Denise
Hi Denise! I don’t use evaporated milk in my french bread, but in my homemade white bread recipe I do NOT dilute it, just add it in straight from the can.
How do I keep the 2nd loaf?
Hi Lisa! You can freeze the 2nd loaf or you can wrap and store at room temperature.
I made this exactly as directed and the dough did not rise. The dough was thick and tough. Any suggestions? This is my 2nd time trying the recipe, happened both times.
Hi Shane! I’m sorry you haven’t had a good experience with this recipe. Is your yeast fresh? Did your yeast bubble after activating it with the warm water and sugar? That would be my first guess. Every climate is very different, so you may need to let it sit out longer as well.
Add a little more water. 1 table spoon at a time. I had to use 4 extra tablespoon. I live in an area where winters are cold and summers are hot. I made this just now. It came put perfect. Yeast, I bought a fresh jar of fast acting yeast. Sometimes, yeast are expired and that is why it did not activate.
I am very new at baking bread, so I didn’t know if my bread would turn out. Well… this recipe is perfect for beginners!!!! It turned out beautifully!!! It is absolutely delicious!! I know this is a recipe I will make often!
I’m so glad it turned out well for you! Thank you for your comment Nancy! :)
Love love love how easy this recipe was. I am on an autoimmune diet so I can’t eat bread but made this for my husband and he loved it! He said the texture and taste was amazing! Thanks Jamielyn for sharing a fantastic recipe!
I’m so glad you tried it! Thank you for your comment Alina. :)
This is, by far, the BEST bread recipe!! The recipe I used to use took 8 hours, and it wasn’t even that good! This recipe is easy, fast, and delicious! I definitely recommend! But good luck finding yeast at the store, everyone is buying it due to covid-19.
Your comment made my day! Thank you so much. Yes, unfortunately yeast is really hard to buy right now!
I used this recipe for my first time making bread. It turned out so good. This is a great recipe for a beginner like me.
My only question is how do you store it? Do I need to cover it and leave it on the counter?
Hi Amanda! I’m so glad it turned out well for your first time! I just store it in a ziploc bag on the counter. :)
Thank you Jamielyn, this is by far the bestest ever french bread I’ve made. I started to give up baking because I can never get the right texture, it’s always too hard or the crust is over done. But, I’ve found you and your recipes and this one? can’t thank you enough.
My grown kids luv it!
This was my first time making bread. I used a little less salt based on reviews, and I had to add 2.5x the amount of yeast and sugar to the warm water since I was working with compressed yeast.
The bread came out amazing. My husband and I could not stop eating it warm with butter. I had to try the recipe especially after seeing we have the same name!!!!! Never found someone who spells it the same way :)
Thanks for the great recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! I’ve only met one other Jamielyn. Glad to have met another! :)
I have made this bread several times and my family loves it!
I tried different varieties this time and it’s to die for! I chopped green onions and garlic then mixed with olive oil. Rolled out the dough and spread it the above mixture around then rolled it up and pinched all of the edges. After it had risen I shredded cheese on top before baking. It’s AMAZING!!
I did the same thing with cinnamon sugar before rolling the dough up. It made a beautiful swirl on the bread
Both ways sounds AMAZING! Thank you so much for your comment. I’m definitely going to give these a try!
Love this recipe! So simple and easy. I’ve made it many times now and its a hit each and every time! Its now my go to recipe for bread. Thank you so much!
I’m so happy to hear that it’s your go-to! Thank you for your comment and review Aliyah! :)
Make note that this is NOT french bread. It’s more so the americanized french bread, it’s a lot softer. But either way, this has been my go-to recipe for bread. I love how easy it is and how it tastes amazing every time. My family really loves this recipe and they use it for everything, sandwiches, garlic bread, etc.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! :)
Bread turned out wonderful crisp outside with tender soft inside. Easy to make It disappeared in one meal so remaking recipe for tonight’s meal great with dipping oil or just butter!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for your comment Deb! :)
Great recipe. Very good and very easy. I followed the directions and it came out perfect.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! :)
This is AMAZING! The best bread I’ve ever made. My family loves it. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Especially in times like we are going through now.❤
I am so happy your family loves it! Thank you for your kind comment! :)
Great recipe, quick and easy! I’ve made this twice in the last 3 days!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! :)
This bread was so easy and quick to make and it turned out super yummy and delicious on my very first time ever making bread before! What a fun recipe to create and devour with the family. This will be a new staple in my home. I highly recommend it!
Way to go! I’m so glad you enjoyed it and that you will continue to make it! :)
If I wanted to make little buns, could this recipe work? Wondering if I would need to adjust oven temp / time..?
Hi Maria! I haven’t tried it so I’m not positive, but I think that should work! :)
The bread came out great!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! :)
Best bread, little high in salt for me, will try a little less.
Excellent!