The BEST Homemade French Bread recipe – so soft and tasty!! Serve with butter or turn it into a delicious appetizer. Everyone loves this bread recipe!
I love making a loaf or two of french bread because it not only makes the perfect side for a pasta dish, but you can use it to make french toast, bruschetta, and even croutons! Definitely a favorite bread recipe.
better than store bought
We’ve always loved french bread and were so excited when my mom mastered it. We know homemade bread can’t be beat, and to have this homemade french bread recipe to add to our bread recipes is just what we needed.
If you’ve ever made French bread, then you’d know it’s ten times better than anything bought at the store. It’s great to have on it’s own with butter or jam or even as a side with soup. You can also make mini sandwiches out of it or even bread for homemade bruschetta – the possibilities are endless!
We think you’ll be surprised just how easy this recipe is, and we have a feeling you’ll want it as a side dish to every meal!
How to Make French Bread
French bread isn’t as intimidating as you’d think. Just follow these simple steps to make this homemade french bread recipe that everyone loves!!
Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. In another bowl, combine hot water, sugar, salt, oil and 3 cups of flour – stir. With the paddle attachment, mix the yeast and hot water/flour mixture until combined.
Add remaining flour, one cup at a time, mixing after each cup. Once all flour is added, let sit for 10 minutes.
Separate dough into 3 pieces. On a flour surface, roll each piece into a 9×12 rectangle. Roll it up like a jelly roll (long way).
Place dough on a greased baking pan, seam-side down. Score the bread across the top 3 or 4 times and brush with beaten egg.
Let dough rise, uncovered, for 30 minutes in a warm place. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
make it extra crusty
You’re going to need to simulate a bakers oven: place a baking stone on the center rack. Preheat oven to 450º. Put a metal broiler pan on the lower rack (at least 4 inches below the baking stone)
- Once the french bread has risen transfer to a baking peel sprinkled with flour.
- Slash the loaves and using a water bottle spray the loaves.
- Slide the loaves onto the preheated baking stone and add 1 cup of HOT water to the broiler tray.
- Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.
- After 10 minutes use the water bottle to spray the bread in 3 minute intervals.
- Use the baking peel to remove the bread from the oven and cool
The result – crusty french bread which is to die for!!
Using and Storing
How do I properly store french bread? Keep your baked bread in a plastic bag, bread box, or foil. The bread should last 2-3 days.
Can I freeze french bread? Yes, Once the bread has been baked let it cool, wrap in parchment paper and then foil. It can last for up to 3 months in the freezer. When you’re ready to eat remove from freezer and thaw. To reheat place in oven, preheated to 400 degrees F, for 4-5 minutes or until warm.
Recipes using French Bread:
This French bread is great alone, but also wonderful to use in other recipes. Here are some of our favorites we make using the french bread too:
- Homemade Bruschetta – just cut up and toast!
- Buffalo Chicken French Bread
- Barbecue Chicken French Bread
- Spinach & Artichoke Bread
So many options! You can also make Croutons out of it, French Toast and more!
We love that this french bread loaf is simple and so delicious. You’ll never want to buy store-bought french bread again after trying this! It’s SOOO good!
For more bread recipes, check out:
Easy French Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp dry yeast
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 2 cups hot water
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp salt
- 5 tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 cups flour divided
- 1 egg beaten - for glazing bread
Instructions
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Dissolve your yeast in ½ cup warm water.
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In a separate bowl combine hot water, sugar, salt, oil and 3 cups of the flour. and stir.
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With the paddle attachment mix the yeast mixture and the hot water-flour mixture together.
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Add the remaining 3 cups of flour, one cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Once all of the flour is added, let sit for 10 minutes.
-
Separate your dough into 3 pieces. On a floured surface roll each piece into a 9x12 rectangle. Roll it up like a jelly roll (long way).
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Place the dough on a greased baking pan, seam side down. Score the bread across the top 3 or 4 times, and brush with your beaten egg. Let dough rise uncovered for 30 minutes in a warm place.
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Bake on the middle rack for 20 minutes at 375 or until golden brown.
Make this bread all the time, I shape it into long loaves,knot rolls,braided, sub rolls and sandwich loaves.
Light and crispy. I will not buy store bread again. The cost is half the price.
Smart idea! Will have to try that next time. Best of all, it tastes better than the store bought bread!! 😉
Can the bread dough be froze or is it best to make bread and freeze bread
I would freeze the bread, not dough 🙂
If you want to freeze these, do all the steps except letting it rise. After setting up the loaF/ves on a PARCHMENT lined baking sheet, set it over into your freezer for about an hour, then wrap each INDIVIDUAL loaf in plastic wrap and foil, put into a zip top bag, and place in the freezer. Make sure you label and date the bag. Should keep up to approximately three months in the freezer.
To bake, set out loaf, and allow to thaw/rise (usually about double in size), then follow the baking instructions.
Thanks for sharing that, Bev!
I love homemade bread! This looks so delicious! Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome! 😀
Hello there!
Its a pretty cold morning here in Colorado, a perfect day to make bread in your kitchen! While I have made bread before it is the first time I have ever made French bread, and made it so fast! Being new I was all thumbs, not sure of how this dance was suppose to go…..and I almost didn’t attempt it but I thought, what will I be out of if I botch it? Some flour and yeast? So I carried on and whipped up three loaves of bread that looked just like yours! Great instructions, and great bread! Are there any variations of things you can add to the bread before you bake it ? Herbs or such? This is such a great recipe that I just want to do all that I can with it! Thanks again for the great bread recipe! Homemade bread for dinner, wont my family be happy!
I just made this bread tonight, and my husband and I found it had a yeasty taste to it. I’ve never made bread before (other than banana bread) so I’m wondering if this is normal? Or if there’s a less yeasty tasting bread I can make (my husband had a bad experience with pizza dough, and can’t stand the yeast taste anymore). I also found it wasn’t very crusty, which I was hoping for, although it was still fairly warm when we tried it.
thanks!
This bread looks so easy! I may have to try it this week after work.
It is the best bread!! It’s perfect for everything!!! Hope you try it and love it, as much as we do!
Im gonna try your loafs of bread. Looks good.
When you say “warm water”, what is the temp? Then when you say “hot water”, how hot?
I don’t have temps, warm just means that it’s not hot or cold..just right in the middle, right before the water starts getting hot and hot would mean the spout is all the way to the hot side & running for a few seconds to get that hot temp. I hope that makes sense. I just use tap water, so I’m not warming it on the stove or anything.
With the yeast i used water at 115. The other water was at 140. Temp went to 120 after sug salt and oil
I love French breads. They are so easy and delicious. I would try this out. Thanks for sharing.
Aren’t they the best!? I’m glad to share! Let me know what you think!
Sounds like a great recipe but I have one question: When you roll the bread up do you tuck the ends under or just leave them? Can’t wait to try this.
What is meant by the measure TB
I have just come to make these and I am wondering too is it Tablespoons ? or Teaspoons ? there’s an enormous difference ? I am going to guess Teaspoons as that is what other recipes normally deal with in bread making .
TB it tablespoon & tsp is teaspoon. Hope that helps!!
I used teaspoons where it said TB but I don’t think that is right as had to leave it to rise for hours . So I think they do mean tablespoons . They had a good texture and an element of baguettes but a little bland .
Tablespoon 🙂
Really looks good and I’ll be trying it. Your white bread recipe you use an electric mixer and was wondering what type do you use.
The french bread is so good!! I did the other bread by hand mixing. You can use a mixer. I’m not sure which one is used in the video. Someone did that for me 🙂 My hands are my best tools 🙂
I hate it when a photo and message says one thing and you click on it and it’s not what it said.
Ok where are the 50 Quick Breads with No Yeast.
There is this one…https://lilluna.com/quick-bread-recipes/
Just made. Delicious! Can you freeze the extra loaves?
Yes 🙂 Thanks so much!
Excellent bread! I usually just make bread out of xtra pizza dough but it’s just not the same. I thought maybe it was going to be too much yeast but it’s not. This is a perfect bread recipe, I tried it with rosemary and one garlic and the other plain. The middle came out light and spongy, perfect. Thank you so much for the recipe I am a bread lover….
That sounds yummy!! Thank you for sharing that!! I am a bread lover too!
How many servings does this recipe make?
Hello,
Im looking for a good bread recipe that work for build your own pizza-basically just topping with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese and some veggies. Would you recommend this recipe for that?
This should be great! I haven’t used it for a flat pizza, but we’ve added pizza toppings on it as a loaf. This dough is soft & so good! Let me know what you think!
In the midst of making these…been in bed with the flu all week, and I need some home cookin to put me in my happy place again.Making some Loaded Baked Potato Soup and this French bread is EXACTLY what the doctor ordered! I can’t WAIT!! So easy to whip together…who knew??
This will help!! Always puts a smile on my face! I hope you are feeling better!
great recipe!!!!!!!!
i really love it it is sooooo tasty!
It is our favorite!! Thanks for trying it 🙂
I dont have much expreient of making bread . Frist to wet I try to add more flour but I’m afraid the bread will be tough.
Finally It’s come out very good all my gust love it.
Thank you again
I am so glad to hear that!! See, you can do it 🙂 Thank you so much!
This was the best bread ever!! Right out of the oven, with some butter…heavenly!! It was gone in minutes! I will be making it again soon, so I could make sandwiches, garlic bread, bruschetta…so many recipes!
This bread is totally intimidating to me. but it worked out well. My family thought so too as it was gone quickly. I think with some practice it will get even better. I loved the first comment below about shaping it differently.
This was so good! Thanks for the recipes and the video!
Wow!! This bread was so oooh good! Definitely wi be making this going forward. I will not be buying French bread from the store! Thank you for sharing this! It’s amazing!
I am glad to share! Yeah, we never have to buy it anymore 🙂
The best bread recipe I’ve ever found. I have added this to my permanent collection of recipes that I will use forever! Absolutely nothing needs to be modified about the recipe, unless you want to add various herbs to get a different flavor. It actually is perfect for normal sandwich bread slices, so I bake two loaves in bread pans for 30 minutes instead of 25 (at the same temperature). I wish that the nutrition information catered more to “per slice” since I don’t eat an entire loaf in one sitting.
Thank you for sharing all that!! Yes, you can add herbs to give it more flavor, but you are right, it is perfect on it’s own!
Thanks for sharing the crusty bread tip. It is alot simpler than i thought it would be.
This is perfection! Seriously delicious!
This is by far the best bread!! My family loves it! We’ve used it for sandwiches, garlic bread, just some warm homemade bread with butter…the list goes on!
Nothing better then home bread. So delicious
This is total french bread perfection, so soft and fluffy and delicious!
Thanks for making French Bread less intimidating — so good!
Best homemade bread I’ve ever made! Thanks for the recipe!
The only recipe i use for french bread. Its easy and quick to make. My family loves it
this is so good. I was a little INTIMIDATED to make but it actually was easy. i will be making it again, My family loved it.