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:
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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!
Does the baking sheet need to be greased or lined w/parchment or anything before placing the loaves on? Also when kneading by hand, about how long should I knead?
Hi Kaylah! I usually bake mine on a siplat liner, but parchment paper will work too! :) I would knead 3-5 minutes.
Awesome bread recipe! Works great every time!
I’m so happy you love this recipe. Thanks for leaving a comment and review Ashley!
Great recipe, with stretch and consistence. Will save it for future use. Double the salt for flavor.
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for your comment. :)
Have you tried this with gluten free all purpose flour, by chance?
Hi Misty! I haven’t tried this bread with gluten free flour. I’m sorry! Please let us know how it goes if you decide to give it a try! :)
incredible recipe! I’ve been making a lot of homemade breads and rolls lately and wanted to give French bread a try…it came out perfectly! Only change I made was that I used half whole wheat flour and half all purpose, love the light wheat flavor. This will be my go-to French bread recipe for the rest of my life.
Your comment made my day! I’m so glad you love this recipe. Thank you for leaving such a kind comment and review! :)
Can I use Splenda instead of sugar?
I haven’t tried it before, but I think it should be fine. Please let us know if you give it a try!
Hi! I’m so sad I just try baking this French bread with Wheat flour and follow all directions took me over two hours and it was a disaster. the bread after baking Was hard as a rock. Wasted time and my ingredients oh well not a good recipe to follow😞
I’m so so sorry it didn’t work well for you with the wheat flour!
Could a bread machine be used for this bread?
I haven’t tried it before so I’m not sure. Let us know if you give it a try! :)
I have tried MANY “easy” French Bread recipes and this one is by far the best and easiest!!! I followed the instructions on how to make the crust crispier…I also baked it a few minutes longer but was the most perfect bread. Will make again.
Your comment made my day! I am so glad you love this french bread recipe. :)
Really enjoy making and eating this bread. I was looking for a french bread recipe for my middle grandson and found it with this one. He loves it and wants all his sandwiches made with it! The whole family agrees that I don’t have to look any further for a french bread recipe.
Your comment made my day! I’m so glad everyone enjoys it! :)
If you want to just make one bigger loaf, is it the same temp and baking time?
Hi Jenna! I’m a little worried that the loaf will brown too fast before the inside cooks if you do it in one loaf. I would definitely decrease the baking temperature and increase the baking time. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! :)
Just made this because I didnt want to go to the store for bread. Amazing. So glad I found this. I will definitely make it again. I made the recipe exactly as is. Although next time I will just do 1 big loaf instead of 2 small ones.
I’m so glad you loved it! Thanks for leaving a comment and review Rosa! :)
Very good bread! Just as you said chewy and delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
The best and easiest bread. I love it and so does my family it has made me a hit
I’m so glad your family loves it! :)
How many packets of instant dry yeast is this?? One? Two?
Hi Amanda! It is 1 Tb of yeast. I buy the big jars and just use a Tb. A package of yeast has approximately 2 1/4 tsp inside so you will need a little less than 2.
I could not find my tried and true recipe after several years of not making bread. This is my new “tried and true”. The bread is not only tasty but the texture and sponge is like it was bought at a bakery.
A keeper for sure. Thank you
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for your comment and review Lee! :)
I thought I followed the recipe and I tried to let the dough rise in a warmer place for the allotted amount of time, but my bread still is a little dense inside. I think next time I’ll wait for it to rise a little longer.
I absolutely love this recipe xo xo
This is the BEST french bread recipe I have found. It is great made as is, but I also use it as the base for making wheat french bread and rosemary-herb french bread. My whole family loves it!!!
Sounds delicious, I’m going to have to give it a try with the rosemary herb. Thanks for sharing!
Delicious and so easy! Thank you!
Very simple and tasty!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! :)
Excellent easy to make nice consistency.