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Soft, simple and no-fail, this homemade French bread has simple step-by-step directions and comes out perfect every time!
the best homemade French bread!
We love a homemade loaf of bread and especially today’s French bread recipe.
Grandma mastered this homemade French bread recipe decades ago and now that she has taught us how to make it, we love it even more.
Like with most french bread recipes, this one uses basic pantry staples, simple ingredients, and the steps are easy (plus it stores and freezes well). If this is your first time making yeast bread, this is a great one to try – it’s no fail with our step-by-step directions. No need for a bread machine!
It’s especially delicious served with our favorite pasta and salads, right up there with our Italian Bread! Plus, this easy french bread recipe is versatile – it can be eaten on its own, used to make Croutons, French Toast Casserole, or served with your favorite soup recipe.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 55 minutes
COOK TIME: 20 minutes
- 2 tablespoons rapid rise yeast – Active dry yeast, instant yeast, and rapid-rise yeast all work for this bread recipe.
- ½ cup warm water – This is used to activate the yeast. And should be between 110-115°F
- 2 cups hot water – adding hot water helps keep the dough warm which helps it rise better
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil – canola oil or olive oil
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 6 cups all-purpose flour – or bread flour, see how to Measure the Flour Correctly. If you are baking on a wet or humid day you may need more flour. Add enough for the dough to be soft and not overly sticky.
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup cornmeal – or vegetable oil. It prevents bread from sticking to the pan and adds a delicious texture to the bottom.
How to Make French Bread
- PREP. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle evenly with ¼ cup cornmeal. (Greased baking sheets work too, but we prefer the cornmeal method.)
- YEAST. In a small bowl, dissolve 2 tablespoons yeast in ½ cup warm water.
- DOUGH. In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, combine 2 cups hot water, 5 tablespoons oil, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon salt, and 3 cups of flour. Mix with the paddle attachment (not the dough hook attachment).
- Add yeast mixture and mix to combine.
- Add the remaining 3 cups of flour 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Once all of the flour is added, cover with a kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
- SHAPE. Place dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into three equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 9×12-inch rectangle (add extra flour if needed so it’s not overly sticky). Roll each rectangle up from the long edge like a jelly roll.
- Place each dough roll on a prepared baking sheet, seam side down.
- Score the bread across the top 3 or 4 times (diagonal slashes will allow the bread to expand as it bakes). Beat 1 egg and brush each loaf with the egg wash for a crisp and shiny crust. Let dough rise, uncovered, for 30 minutes in a warm place.
- BAKE. Toward the end of the rise, preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Some recipes call for baking in a French bread pan, but I found that for best results simply use a regular cookie sheet, jelly roll pan, or baking stone.
- Bake on the middle rack for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Let cool and cut with a sharp knife and serve warm.
Make it extra crusty
You’re going to need to simulate a baker’s oven to create a crispy crust:
- Place a baking pizza stone on the center rack. Preheat oven to 450ºF. Put a metal broiler pan on the rack at the bottom of the oven (at least 4 inches below the baking stone).
- Once risen, transfer the bread to a baking peel sprinkled with flour, and lightly spray the loaves with water.
- Slide the loaves onto the preheated baking stone and add 1 cup of HOT water to the broiler tray. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake for 10 minutes. Use the water bottle to spray the bread every 3 minutes for the remainder of the baking time, 10 more minutes.
- Use the baking peel to remove the bread from the oven and cool. The result – crusty French bread which is to die for!!
Complete The Meal
Main Dishes
Bread Recipes
Italian Bread Recipe
2 hrs 40 mins
Baguette Recipe
15 hrs 14 mins
Focaccia Bread
8 hrs 55 mins
Sourdough Bread
8 hrs 40 mins
Collections
Complete the Meal
- Ways to eat French bread: Buffalo Chicken French Bread, Barbecue Chicken French Bread, Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Bread
Homemade French Bread Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons rapid rise yeast
- ½ cup warm water, 110–115°F
- 2 cups hot water
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 6 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 egg, beaten
Instructions
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle evenly with cornmeal. (Greased baking sheets work too, but we prefer the cornmeal method.)
- In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine hot water, oil, sugar, salt, and 3 cups of flour. Mix with the paddle attachment.
- Add yeast mixture and mix to combine.
- Switch to the dough hook attachment and add the remaining 3 cups of flour 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Once all of the flour is added, let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
- Place dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into three pieces. Roll each piece into a 9×12-inch rectangle. Roll each rectangle up from the long edge like a jelly roll.
- Place each dough roll on a prepared baking sheet, seam side down.
- Score the bread across the top 3 or 4 times and brush each loaf with beaten egg for a crisp and shiny crust. Let dough rise, uncovered, for 30 minutes in a warm place.
- Toward the end of the rise, preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Bake on the middle rack for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
After you have shaped the dough, do not let it rise, instead place it on a baking sheet and freeze it. Once solid, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and again with foil. Freeze for 3-4 months. Thaw to room temperature (this will take several hours) and then let it rise for 30 minutes before baking.
Store baked bread inside a plastic bag, bread box, or aluminum foil. The bread should last 2-3 days.
To freeze, wrap it in parchment paper, then foil and freeze for 3 months. To reheat, thaw wrap in foil, and place in oven, preheated to 400°F, until warm.
fabulous everytime
When I bake I just use metric because I always have best results
….my question is … can you add to your site to change to metric. A lot of sites are doing that now… imperial/metric.
Just made this. Come out nice and soft. Great recipe!!!
You stress the importance of measuring correctly but fail to give the weight of the ingredients.
I love this french bread recipe. I would like to make it while we are glamping next week. Is there anything I should change for high altitude? I know it will rise faster and I will need to increase the temperature on the oven
This recipe is fast and wonderful. I don’t use the egg wash on top so it is great for vegan or those allergic to egg and milk, (my grandson). Since it has no milk or egg I use it for sweet rolls using Imperial margerine, (no milk in it), and regular rolls. I either flour or oil my hands a little to pull the dough from the bowl onto a floured surface. The stickiness is worth dealing with for the speed and taste. It is stickier than normal dough but tastier and more versatile than normal dough. I bake for 20 minutes whether it is bread or rolls.
Thanks for sharing how you use the recipe!! So glad the bread it a winner!
French bread is not supposed to have sugar in it.
Not every recipe calls for sugar, that’s true. This one calls for a bit and we think it tastes delicious! You’ll have to let us know what you think if you make the recipe. 🙂
I’ve made this recipe several times and we love it. But I dread making it because it is sooo sticky. It takes me so long to be able to roll it out. I spoon and level the flour. But how long should the dough mix with the paddle before letting it rest 10 mins. Maybe I’m not doing it long enough. Please help!
We made this bread for our tiny family of 2. As you can imagine 3 loaves is quite a lot. So we experimented with the leftovers, we made, cheesy garlic bread, I froze one loaf raw, and I froze half a loaf wrapped in bee wax wrap. The one froze in beeswax wrap I pulled out today and allowed to thaw on my counter for dinner. I am AMAZED that the texture and quality are almost fresh. This is a keeper.
So so glad you enjoyed the bread! And could use store and use it for later!
I love your recipes. I always for your recipes whenever I’m in the mood for cooking.
Oh thank you!! That makes me so happy to hear!
Can this be made using wheat flour?
It can. I would recommend using half whole wheat flour and half all purpose flour, because wheat flour is much heavier and dense. You’ll want to add a few minutes to the kneading time to help develop the gluten. It you need more tips on how to substitute whole wheat flour, you can find lots of info online!
I was skeptical of this recipe while making it. I didn’t have to oil any bowl and let the dough sit covered, or any of those other steps in most bread recipes. I have tried quite a few. I’m by no means good at making bread and typically always struggle with the rolling / shaping portion. I use a lot more flour to coat than is called for. I have also never followed the steps to shape any loaf and just shape my into a loaf in my own way. This recipe came out fantastic, even with me being not great at making bread. It was beautiful and rustic looking, crispy on the outside soft and flakey on the inside and slightly sweet which is a new thing from any bread I’ve made in the past and it tasted amazing. Will not make any other bread recipe again
Oh that makes me so happy to hear! So glad the bread recipe was a success!
Easy ,Easy recipe came out excellent!And delicious.
Can the dough be seperated into two loaves instead, and if so, how much longer should they bake? If you know. 😊
You could make two larger loaves, as long as you have a pan that will fit them. As far as baking times go, I’d say add 5 minutes and then just keep checking. You’ll know it is finished when the bread is a nice golden brown.
I have never made good bread. It’s usually very dense and heavy and gets tossed out to the pigs to eat. This French Bread recipe was absolutely WONDERFUL!!! It’s perfect the first time I tried it. So easy. So much faster to make than white bread and taste wonderful.
I didn’t wrap it up after day 1. I just placed it in the breadbox expecting to toss it out on day 2. This is day 3 and it’s still soft and delicious!
Made this recipe and although it was good, it was super dense. The recipe never really states how long to mix the dough before letting it rise…If you are going to make this recipe, I suggest letting the dough mix for 5-10 minutes in a mixer with a paddle attachment to make this a fluffier loaf.
Thanks for the feedback and for giving the recipe a try!
What is 0.33 Eggs??
Technically that would be about 1/3 of an egg. If you are wanting to reduce the recipe to only make one loaf, you could just a small egg. This bread also freezes really well! So if you did make a full batch, you could freeze the other two loaves. Then when you wanted to eat them, just pull out a few hours early and let them thaw.
Thank you. Simple and can be thawed.
Would the 2T yeast be one packet or two?
It would be just over 2. So I’d suggest getting 3 and then measuring it out. 🙂
I made this recipe, it was excellent!
Only difference i did was put the egg in the mix. I also brushed the top with butter.
When I rolled it out I put Garlic and butter in it, It was sooooo moist and yummy!
Many years ago I made a bread similar but in the middle I used fresh local honey and garlic.
Mmmm that sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing what you did. I’m glad you enjoyed the french bread recipe!
Turned out insanely yummy. Super easy too. Thank you!
Super easy yo make and Absolutely delicious!!
I tried this recipe because I needed a loaf of French Bread faster than 3 hours. I followed the recipe exactly as written, other than cutting the amounts of ingredients in half. PERFECT! My husband loved it better than the recipes that take 3+ hours. He said don’t lose this recipe. 😉 Thank you!
Hello.In your bread tips……you said you used active dry yeast but in the recipe it says rapid dry yeast.So if I used rapid dry yeast do i still need to dissolve the yeast in warm water or just add it with the rest of the ingredients?Thanks!!
You do not need to activate the yeast first in the warm water if using rapid-rise. We’ll update the recipe card.
I made this today. It was surprisingly easy to make! My has smells awesome!
This is absolutely delicious!! The instructions were easy to follow and it turned out just like the picture (which doesn’t always happen when I’m cooking). Thanks for a wonderful recipe!!
I haven’t made it yet, but having made various yeast breads, this one looks closest to the Albertson’s bread I was looking for. There are several sites with an alleged copycat recipe for the bread, but I think they all copied from each other, because they all have sesame seeds included, and the Albertson’s bread does not. So this is promising. 🙂
Excellent recipe. I used bread flour and whole wheat flour and a second rise to get some awesome flavor
Very good recipe but not a traditional crusty french loaf. This recipe makes a very soft bread. Going to try it as hoagie buns for cheese steaks.
The perfect French bread recipe. It is always a hit in our family
What Temperature is Hot Water?
105-110 degrees Fahrenheit
I hate giving low stars for this because I assume I must have done something wrong based on the overwhelming positive reviews.
I’m giving this a four to not pull down the rating in case I screwed up. However, I have made a fair amount of breads and this to me was not a French loaf. It was dense and did not have that crunch I expected from a French loaf. This was far more like a classic American roll in tubular form.
Made this today and it was fantastic! I halved the recipe and made one large loaf. More dense than many french breads, which is exactly how I like my breads. I brushed mine with two egg yolks mixed with a little half & half and water because I had yolks leftover from making a French Silk Pie. The only thing I would change is that I would add a touch more salt next time. So easy to make with excellent results!
I love how quick this bread recipe comes together. Yummy!
Dear Kristyn,
This recipe yields perfect Baguettes which I am confident even novice bakers will ace. In fairness, I believe the warm ambient climate during our Summer in sunny South Africa greatly aided the short proofing time which resulted in well risen, light loaves. I would recommend enjoying these loaves fresh, and to use the leftover stale bread like I did – to top French Onion Soup with a generous crown of Gruyere au gratin!
This bread is amazing! I’ve made it a couple times and it’s super easy and so delicious! 😋
Homemade French Bread ready to go in about a half hour? Yes, please! This is such a great recipe!
Great recipe! Easy to follow and doesn’t take too long. My family loves this bread!
I thought french bread would be too hard to make – these tips and steps make it easy! It’s absolutely delicious.
I love this recipe! Not only because it’s easy but because it doesn’t take too long to rise and fits within the time frame of most of the dinner meals I make.
Amazingly easy and awesome! Used a dough hook and had to add more flour. Cook time was spot on. Will make again!!!
Yay! So glad to hear the bread was a hit! Thanks for giving it a try.
I absolutely love this recipe. It’s so soft and delicious my family requests it all the time. Thanks for sharing
Can I use olive oil instead of the vegetable oil?
Yes, I just made this recipe a couple of weeks ago and I used olive oil labeled for cooking and baking. The bread came out great.
Love making this for all kinds of things, but I’ve always wondered can I use the dough hook for it also?
Yes, I think you could!
I used the hook and it came put perfect
I’m so glad it turned out! Thanks so much for trying it!
There is no video of the entire process. I sat through so many ads before I realized it just stops and goes to another partial recipe. I wanted to see how high your dough rose. It was frustrating with too many pop ups.
The video does come up. Please remember that those ads are how I make money and allow me to spend MANY hours testing and testing recipes to be able to give them to you for FREE. 🙂
This recipe is very easy! I taught my daughters and now they know how to throw the recipe together quickly when I don’t have the time. We sometimes throw the extra loaf in the freezer to save for the next time we need French bread to compliment our entree.
Turns out amazing every time! Everyone loves this bread recipe and it’s great for so many different meals- pasta night, French bread pizza, soup night, … so good with anything!
Can I refrigerate the dough at any step to add flavor and to make a few days in advance of baking?
I haven’t tried that, so I’m not totally sure. You should be able to refrigerate the dough after it’s all been mixed and kneaded. I don’t know if it would refrigerate for a few days… perhaps a few hours. Or overnight at most. You can also freeze the dough. After step 5, you’ll still score the bread and make sure it is in it’s loaf. Then wrap with plastic and put in a freezer bag. When ready to bake, you can defrost in the fridge overnight or set out at room temperature and has completed the second rise (from sept 6). Then bake as the recipe indicates. You’ll have to let us know what you end up doing and how it turns out.
Best and easiest recipe. Ever.
Thank you!! So glad you enjoyed the bread!
This the best bread recipe I have ever tried. Tried a lot of them lately and this is definitely the BEST!
Thank you so much!! So so happy to hear you love this bread.
So easy and came out great!!! Thank you!!!
Yay! So glad to hear. You’re welcome! Thanks for trying the recipe.
Can I pre freeze this before baking
Yes you can. After step 5, you’ll still score the bread and make sure it is in it’s loaf. Then wrap with plastic and put in a freezer bag. When ready to bake, you can defrost in the fridge overnight or set out at room temperature and has completed the second rise (from sept 6). Then bake as the recipe indicates. You’ll have to let us know how it turns out if you freeze the dough!
Fricken AWESOME recipe !!!
Thanks so much for sharing!
Delicious and easy!
Wondering if this bread can be par baked for use next Day, if so how long does it need to be par baked? How long after mixing and resting can loafs sit before being baked? How much would wheat flour change the recipe? Any information would be appreciated.
Glad you think so! I’m so sorry, but I haven’t tried any of those, so I would need to experiment myself, before just saying anything. Don’t want to tell you the wrong things 🙂
I just made this recipe and it came out perfect! Thank you for sharing it, as well as the extra directions to get a nice, crispy crust.
You are welcome! Glad it came out perfect! Thank you!
Thanks so much!! I made this recipe the other day and my family really loved it. My first attempt at yeasted bread. I will make this again in a heartbeat. Wondering if you have a tip. I’d love to make buns with the dough. Any suggestions? Is it is simple as forming balls instead of logs? Thanks a million. I’m hopefully over being intimidated by yeast. 🙃
Yay! Glad you tried it! I have not tried this recipe for buns, but I would assume forming them into balls would be the way to go 🙂 Great idea!
I have made a lot of bread. Soft. Chewy. Crunchy. So many kinds. THIS IS THEEEEEE SOFT FRENCH BREAD RECIPE. I WILL SEARCH NO LONGER. I HAVE FOUND IT.
THANK YOU!!!
You made my day!! Thank you for letting me know!
The easiest and tastiest bread!
Glad you think so 🙂 Thank you for trying it!
Are the calories listed for the entire recipe or one loaf?
I need to know this too because what it says is a huge amount.
It would be for the whole recipe! 🙂
I LOVE this recipe! Thank you SO MUCH for sharing it!
Sharing my tweaks… I’m kinda lazy and like to minimize work any chance I can, lol!
Water: total amount = 2.5 cups
I hear 1 cup to 108-110deg and dissolve *2 1/4 tsp* active dry yeast and 1 Tbsp sugar, and let the yeast bloom.
Whisk the remaining sugar and all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl – make a well. Heat the remaining water to 108-110. Pour the yeast mixture into the well of dry ingredients, add the oil and 1.5 c heated water, and combine.
Transfer the dough to a bread machine. Pizza Dough setting, but stop it when it reaches the rise time.
Transfer dough onto surface to shape loaves, place loaves on baking trays in proving drawer/80-100deg oven for 35mins or until double in size. Bake as directed.
FYI, 3oz flattened dough ball = perfect hamburger bun size.
Nutrition info (3oz=serving size): 200 cal, 4.3g fat, 375g sodium, 34.3g carbs, 2.1g sugar, 4.8g protein
*HEAT* not hear!
Sounds great! Thank you for sharing that 🙂
Always turns out great! This is a fantastic recipe that the whole family loves!
I made this French Bread 🥖 for my family. They loved it!!! I can’t believe how easy and fast it is to have fresh bread. It is so yummy and my house smells amazing!!!!!
Made this to go along with our dinner! The bread turned out fantastic! It was the favorite part of the meal!
The most easiest recipe by far. I was able to get 3 full loafs of delicious bread
I am so happy to hear that! That makes me so happy! Thank you!
This made perfect bread for dinner, followed by the best French toast the next morning. Thanks!
Yay! Happy you think so 🙂 Thank you for letting me know!
Should bread flour or AP flour be used?
Either work just fine 🙂 I’ve used both.
Just wondering if you can substitute the oil with belted butter?
Yes, you sure could 🙂 Enjoy!!
I made this. The recipe was great and easy to follow. My husband and I loved it. I will definitely be making again. Thank you for this recipe. It’s a keeper.
You are welcome! Glad it’s a keeper 🙂 Thank you so much!
Wow, I’ve been trying to find a bread recipe forever. This one was perfect. The way she described how to make it happen–to so flawless.
Awe, you are too nice 🙂 Thank you so much!
My go-to for quick easy bread. Love to keep some in the freezer. Our favorite for garlic bread too!
Me too! Thank you for saying that!
I’ve made thia recipe Several times and love how easy it is! However, the last two times, The Bread is undercooked/doughy but the top is Dark golden brown. I tried dropped the Oven shelf down, leaving it in long…i woNder if i am letting it over-rise? Ive set them On the open oven door to raise before because my house iSN’t a warm environment to encourage rising (once it turned out the next, not so much!) Maybe It’s too much to have three loaveS on One tray? I’m not sure How i should modify.
Best bread ever! Im not much oF A baker But this comes out perfect every time.
Happy to hear that!! Thank you for letting me know 🙂
I looked this up on the Red star yeast page.. this is what they suggest… THE TEMPERATURE OF YOUR LIQUID IS KEY TO SUCCESS IN BAKING!
Since yeast is a living organism, accurate liquid temperature is of utmost importance as it directly influences the yeast activity. Liquid ingredients can be mixed together and brought to the correct temperature in a small saucepan over low heat or in a mixing bowl in a microwave oven. If liquids are too hot, there is a risk of killing the yeast or over-stimulating it to multiply too quickly, thus causing the dough to overproof (rise inconsistently). On the other hand, if liquids are too cool, the yeast will not activate properly and the dough will rise too slowly or not at all.
Using a thermometer is the most accurate way to determine the correct liquid temperature. Any thermometer will work as long as it measures temperatures between 75°F and 130°F.
The appropriate temperature depends on the bread making method being used.
Traditional baking
Dissolve dry yeast in a water temperatures between 110°F – 115°F.
If yeast is added directly to the dry ingredients, liquid temperatures should be 120°F – 130°F.
Use 90°F – 95°F liquids for cake yeast
Bread Machine baking
Use 80°F liquids for bread machine baking
Your recipe doesn’t say what type of yeast to use. I’m going to use the quick rise since the time seems to be pretty fast. Please correct in recipe.
I use active-dry yeast. Hope you like it!
My family loves this bread! We use it for many things. It is so soft & easy to make!
Homemade bread is the absolute BEST, but Homemade French Bread is even better! Thanks for the step by Step instrucitons.
preTty good, however a few tips: since this makes three loaves, i highly recommend putting two on one pan and doing the third separate. I fos all three on a pan and they kind of smushed together. It also took about 35 min with all three on one pan. I did use the spray water method snd it is a must!
Thanks for trying this recipe 🙂
Really good bread
My son loves it for pizza
It makes a great pizza for sure!
tHIS BREAD WAS FANTASTIC! I MADE IT FOR OUR EASTER DINNER AND THOUGHT WE WOULD HAVE SOME LEFT OVER WITH THREE NICE SIZE LOAVES. BUT NO – IT WAS GONE! WILL BE MAKING THIS AGAIN.
Woohoo!! With bread..there is never anything left..lol! Thank you!
Amazing bread!! Great results. Used two loaves for spaghetti dinner, the last onE for artichoke bruschetta. Yum! Another Delicious recipe from your website.
Awe, thank you for saying that!! That sounds yum!
made this today with my grandson. We loved it! So easy and turned out great!!! Thank you. Question, I saw on the nutrition you list 1197 calories per serving and 206 carbs??? That cant be right. ??regardless, my daughter nad her family devoured 2 loves in 1 day! Love it.
Easy & delicious. A little softer than a typical baguette.
Yes, that’s one of the reasons I like it. Thank you so much for letting me know.
First time trying to make bread. turned out lovely. Thankyou for the recipe . Will definitely make again
You are welcome!! I am glad you tried it. Thank you so much for letting me know!
just finished making this bread for some subs tonight for dinner. Absolutely the best French bread I’ve ever had. It was so light and fluffy and had an amazing taste. Only issue I had was with the dough being very sticky so I had to add quite a bit extra flour a tbsp at a time. Not an issue though…definitely a keeper!!!
Hi, This bread looks great. What kind of flour? Can i use Bread flour?
Thank you! I used all-purpose, but yes, you can totally use bread flour. I hope you like it!
I was not sure how this would turn out Using oil and Only one risE. I Used 2 cups of bread flour but not sure iT an affect on reSults.
Great texture, Tastes wonderful. Will make again. Thank you
You are so welcome! Thank you for trying it!
Thank you so much for this recipe came out PERFECT and DeliCious i doubled it in the making cause i knew one batch wouldnt be enough my kids loved it
I am so happy to hear that! Yes, one loaf is never enough! Thank you so much!
i AM GOING TO TRY MAKING THIS WONDERFUL FRENCH BREAD EVERYONE IS RAVING ABOUT! I LIKE CRISPY CRUST IS THERE A SECRET TO MAKING IT? I TRY TO SAVE MY BREAD BUT WHEN I STORE IT IN PLASTIC BAGS IT TURNS SOFT… WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?
I store mine in plastic bags, so not sure. It is a soft bread.
What if u don’t have a paddle mixer what can u use
Personally, I like to use my best tools..my hands 🙂 Your mixer might have the “PowerKnead” (spiral) attachment you could use.
I TRIED THIS RECIPE YESTERDAY BECAUSE MY HUSBAND LOVES HOMEMADE BREAD! IT IS EASY TO MAKE AND IS ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. IT WAS A HUGE HIT AND WILL BE MY GO TO RECIPE FROM NOW ON. THIS IS HANDY TO FREEZE AHEAD FOR SANDWICHES! BESIDES…THREE FULL LOAVES FOR THE SAME EFFORT AS ONE!
You made my day! Thank you for sharing that! That’s why I love it!
Is the dough not meant tO be kNeaded? Also is it Supposed to be so wet? Thank you! :):)
If you aren’t using a machine, then yes, you would knead it until mixed & no, it doesn’t have to be wet. I mean it’s brushed with butter before rising, but then baked.
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.
The only recipe i use for french bread. Its easy and quick to make. My family loves it
Best homemade bread I’ve ever made! Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for making French Bread less intimidating — so good!
This is total french bread perfection, so soft and fluffy and delicious!
Nothing better then home bread. So 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!
This is perfection! Seriously delicious!
Thanks for sharing the crusty bread tip. It is alot simpler than i thought it would be.
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!
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 🙂
This was so good! Thanks for the recipes and the video!
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 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!
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!
great recipe!!!!!!!!
i really love it it is sooooo tasty!
It is our favorite!! Thanks for trying it 🙂
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!
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!
Hi There,
Any recommended changes for high altiude?
thanks!
I think the recipe would still work just fine as is! But, you can certainly tweak if needed. Here are some high altitude baking tips… https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking
How many servings does this recipe make?
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!
Just made. Delicious! Can you freeze the extra loaves?
Yes 🙂 Thanks so much!
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/
I made this before and it was so good. I’m going to make it again and I have alot of Bread Flour. Can I use that.
Thank you so much
I personally haven’t tried, but I am sure it’d be great 🙂
What type of flour do you use?
I use all-purpose. You can use bread flour or I am sure others would work, too 🙂
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 🙂
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 .
Thank you I was wondering about that. I seen in another bread recipe it is halfed. I think there is so much for the fast rise time. Going to make this today. I’ll use all the amount and post back. Thanks again!
Tablespoon 🙂
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.
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!
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
Traditionally, the water for yeast is 115°F. Too warm will kill it, and too cool won’t wake it up. If you do happen to have a failure to yeast, you can always try again. You bread will just take a little more yeasty, which I don’t thin is a bad thing. =:)
Im gonna try your loafs of bread. Looks good.
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!
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!
Thank you.. one reviewer said it was bland with less yeast…
Maybe I will do 1/2.. and wait for a longer raise time. Thanks again. I love real posts!
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 love homemade bread! This looks so delicious! Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome! 😀
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!
Yes! You can freeze dough. You would do it after the first rise and in the final shape for the second rise before baking. Thaw it in the freezer, and when you bring it out it will go through the second rise and ready for the oven!
I use all purpose flour. You may need to add a little more 🙂
Thanks for the feedback.