This is the BEST Homemade French Bread recipe and is so easy to make! It’s soft, tasty and comes out perfect every time.
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.
the best homemade french bread!
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. Make mini sandwiches out of it, homemade bruschetta, or slather on some garlic butter for a side of garlic bread- 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!!
PREP. Prep baking sheets by lining with parchment paper and sprinkle with cornmeal. Preheat oven to 375° F.
YEAST. Dissolve yeast in ½ 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.
DRY INGREDIENTS. Add remaining flour, one cup at a time, mixing after each cup. Once all flour is added, let sit for 10 minutes.
ROLL. 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).
SCORE + BRUSH. Place dough on prepared baking sheet (greased baking sheets work too, but we prefer the cornmeal method), seam side down. Score the bread across the top 3 or 4 times and brush with beaten egg wash.
RISE + BAKE. Let dough rise, uncovered, for 30 minutes in a warm place. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
French bread Pairs well with:
- Crock Pot Spinach Tortellini Soup
- Slow Cooker Beef Stew
- Easy Spaghetti
- Chicken Alfredo
- Italian Meatballs
- Antipasto Salad
- Tomato Mozzarella Salad
make it extra crusty
You’re going to need to simulate a bakers oven to create a crispy crust:
PREP. 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)
SCORE. Once the French bread has risen, transfer to a baking peel sprinkled with flour. Slash slits on the top of the loaves and use a water bottle to lightly spray the loaves.
BAKE. 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 20 minutes.
SPRAY. After 10 minutes use the water bottle to spray the bread every 3 minutes for the remainder of the bake time.
COOL + ENJOY! Use the baking peel to remove the bread from the oven and cool. The result – crusty french bread which is to die for!!
Bread FAQ + Tips
Yeast: I used active dry yeast for this bread which requires it to bloom in warm water before being mixed in with the rest of the ingredients. You can also use an equal amount of instant yeast or rapid rise yeast. These two types of yeast do not need to be activated in warm water first.
Knead: You won’t need to hand knead this bread, but be sure to mix each cup of flour sufficiently. Use the paddle or dough hook attachment on a stand mixer and mix at medium speed. Mixing well will help activate the gluten to make an elastic dough which will then create a better structure to the bread.
Score: Scoring bread simply means to use a sharp knife, razor blade, or bread lame to make slashes on top of the dough that has been shaped, risen and ready for the oven. The slashes help control the way the bread will expand while it bakes, otherwise it will expand anywhere that the dough is weak, creating an odd shape.
Healthy: Homemade is always better than store bought because you can control exactly what ingredients you use. It is full of carbohydrates, so it’s wise to consume in moderation.
Special Pan: Some recipes call for baking in French bread pans, but I simply use a regular cookie sheet.
Storing Tips
STORE baked bread inside a plastic bag, bread box, or aluminum foil. The bread should last 2-3 days.
FREEZE. 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°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:
- 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:
French Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons rapid rise yeast
- ½ cup warm water 110–115 degrees 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 the flour. Mix together with the paddle attachment.
- Add yeast mixture and mix to combine.
- Add remaining 3 cups of flour 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Once all of the flour is added, let dough rest for 10 minutes.
- Place dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into three pieces. Roll each piece into a 9-x-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 degrees F.
- Bake on the middle rack for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Video
Notes
Use It Up: This recipe is a great bread for some of our other recipes, including Bruschetta, French Toast Bake, French Toast and Cheesy Garlic Bread.
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 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!
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!
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
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. =:)
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 .
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 🙂
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/
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 🙂
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!
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
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.
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.
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!
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 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.
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!
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!
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!!!
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!
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.
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.
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!
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!
Really good bread
My son loves it for pizza
It makes a great pizza for sure!
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 🙂
Homemade bread is the absolute BEST, but Homemade French Bread is even better! Thanks for the step by Step instrucitons.
My family loves this bread! We use it for many things. It is so soft & easy to make!
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!
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
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’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.
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!
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!
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!
Just wondering if you can substitute the oil with belted butter?
Yes, you sure could 🙂 Enjoy!!
Should bread flour or AP flour be used?
Either work just fine 🙂 I’ve used both.
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!
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!
Made this to go along with our dinner! The bread turned out fantastic! It was the favorite part of the meal!
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!!!!!
Always turns out great! This is a fantastic recipe that the whole family loves!
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 🙂
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! 🙂
The easiest and tastiest bread!
Glad you think so 🙂 Thank you for trying it!
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!
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 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!
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 🙂
Fricken AWESOME recipe !!!
Thanks so much for sharing!
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!
So easy and came out great!!! Thank you!!!
Yay! So glad to hear. You’re welcome! Thanks for trying the recipe.
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.
Best and easiest recipe. Ever.
Thank you!! So glad you enjoyed the bread!
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.
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!
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.
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. 🙂
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!
Can I use olive oil instead of the vegetable oil?
I absolutely love this recipe. It’s so soft and delicious my family requests it all the time. Thanks for sharing
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 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.
I thought french bread would be too hard to make – these tips and steps make it easy! It’s absolutely delicious.
Great recipe! Easy to follow and doesn’t take too long. My family loves this bread!
Homemade French Bread ready to go in about a half hour? Yes, please! This is such a great recipe!
This bread is amazing! I’ve made it a couple times and it’s super easy and so delicious! 😋
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!
I love how quick this bread recipe comes together. Yummy!
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 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.
What Temperature is Hot Water?
105-110 degrees Fahrenheit
The perfect French bread recipe. It is always a hit in our family
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.
Excellent recipe. I used bread flour and whole wheat flour and a second rise to get some awesome flavor
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. 🙂
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 made this today. It was surprisingly easy to make! My has smells awesome!
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 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!
Super easy yo make and Absolutely delicious!!
Turned out insanely yummy. Super easy too. Thank you!
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!
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. 🙂
Thank you. Simple and can be thawed.
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.
I use all purpose flour. You may need to add a little more 🙂
Thanks for the feedback.