Homemade French Bread

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.

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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

1. 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.)
2. YEAST. In a small bowl, dissolve 2 tablespoons yeast in ½ cup warm water.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.

Complete The Meal

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4.98 from 232 votes

Homemade French Bread Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna

Soft, simple and no-fail, this homemade French bread has simple step-by-step directions and comes out perfect every time!

Servings: 3 loaves

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Rest & Rise Time: 40 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Equipment

• cookie sheet
• pastry brush

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 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

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.

Use it up. This recipe is great to serve as a slice of bread but you can use it to make other recipes, including Bruschetta, French Toast Casserole, French Toast, and Cheesy Garlic Bread.

Nutrition

Serving: 1loaf, Calories: 1037kcal, Carbohydrates: 214g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 55mg, Sodium: 2363mg, Potassium: 357mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 79IU, Vitamin C: 0.01mg, Calcium: 55mg, Iron: 12mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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