Homemade French Bread is the kind of recipe that makes any dinner feel extra special. These loaves bake up golden and crisp on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, and they are perfect for slicing alongside soup, pasta, or turning into the best garlic bread.
If this bread recipe seems intimidating, we promise it is not. Like with most French bread recipes, this one uses basic pantry staples, simple ingredients, and the steps are easy. 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 and there’s no need for a bread machine!
For more bread recipes, try Italian Bread, Baguettes, and No Knead Bread.
Why you’ll love it + Why it works:
- Three loaves! One batch makes 3 loaves; perfect for sharing or freezing.
- Versatile. Perfect for dinners, sandwiches, croutons, or French toast.
- No-Fail. It bakes up crisp on the outside and soft and fluffy inside.
- Rest and rise build structure. A short rest plus a warm rise helps the dough bake up light and airy.
- Egg wash upgrades the crust. Brushing before baking adds shine and helps the top brown beautifully.
French Bread Ingredients
- Cornmeal (¼ cup): Keeps loaves from sticking to the pan and adds a pleasant texture to the bottom.
- Rapid rise yeast (2 tablespoons): Gives lift and structure, helping the loaves rise reliably. Active dry yeast, instant yeast, and rapid-rise yeast all work for this bread recipe.
- Warm water (½ cup, 110–115°F): Wakes up the yeast so it activates quickly.
- Hot water (2 cups): Keeps the dough warm, which supports a better rise.
- Vegetable oil (5 tablespoons): Tenderizes the crumb and keeps the bread soft for serving.
- Sugar (3 tablespoons): Feeds the yeast and adds a hint of sweetness to balance the salt.
- Salt (1 tablespoon): Strengthens the dough and seasons every bite.
- All-purpose flour (6 cups, divided): Forms the dough’s structure, added in stages for easy mixing and the right texture. You can also use bread flour.
- Egg (1, beaten): Brushes on for a shiny, crisp crust.
How to Make French Bread
PREP. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle evenly with cornmeal. (Greased baking sheets work too, but we prefer the cornmeal method.)
YEAST. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water.
DOUGH. In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, combine hot water, oil, sugar, salt, and of flour. Mix with the paddle attachment (not the dough hook attachment).
- Add yeast mixture and mix to combine.
- Add the remaining 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 it 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 the 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 the 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.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Measure flour correctly, spoon and level to avoid dense loaves. If the day is humid, add a bit more flour until the dough is soft and not overly sticky
- For extra crust, lightly mist the loaves with water and create steam in the oven using a hot water tray, then bake at 375°F. See the FAQ for steps.
- To score, make 3-4 diagonal slashes at an angle that are about ¼ inch deep.
- Slather with Honey Butter, Cinnamon Butter, or Strawberry Jam.
Homemade French Bread Recipe
Video
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.
Notes
- Measure flour correctly, spoon and level to avoid dense loaves. If the day is humid, add a bit more flour until the dough is soft and not overly sticky
- For extra crust, lightly mist the loaves with water and create steam in the oven using a hot water tray, then bake at 375°F. See the FAQ for steps.
- To score, make 3-4 diagonal slshes at an angle that are about ¼ inch deep.
- Slather with Honey Butter, Cinnamon Butter, or Strawberry Jam.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Complete the Meal
- Ways to eat French bread: Buffalo Chicken French Bread, Barbecue Chicken French Bread, Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Bread
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.
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 at least 4 inches below the baking stone.
Once risen, transfer the bread to a baking peel and lightly spray the loaves with water. Slide the loaves onto the baking stone and add 1 cup of HOT water to the broiler tray below.
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.
Complete The Meal
Main Dishes
Bread Recipes
Easy 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
This post was originally published September 2014.
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!