This French Bread recipe is a simple and easy one that will give you two gorgeous loaves of homemade French Bread in under 2 hours! It’s the perfect way to make homemade bread for dinner!
While I might be biased toward this recipe, I think it’s simply the best French Bread recipe ever (and trust me, I’ve been looking!) When you figure out how to make French Bread from scratch, you’ll wonder why you hadn’t tried it sooner. With soft bread on the inside and a chewy outer crust, you have the perfect classic French Bread recipe for meeting all of your bread eating needs.
There are several steps in the recipe, but they’re quick and easy!
How to Make French Bread at Home
French breads are simple by nature, but until I found this recipe on a blog called Jamie Cooks It Up I had been looking for the perfect french bread recipe. Everything was off in one way or another and seemed to be more work than they were worth.
I recommend reading the instructions a few times before starting just because there are a lot of steps and it helps you to stay focused (especially the first time you make this recipe).
Is French Bread Vegan?
The recipe for this homemade french bread is vegan but the egg wash used to help get the crust a beautiful shade of brown is obviously not. You’ll need to use cooking spray or some other vegan alternative for the egg wash.
What to serve with French bread?
French bread is often used as a side dish besides a hearty soup, just cut a slice and lather on some spreadable butter and you have yourself a tasty treat. You can also use it for french bread pizza instead of pizza crusts, or turn the stale loaves into bread pudding. There are a lot of great options out there besides soup and sandwiches, but eating fresh and warm French bread straight out of the oven is a good enough reason for me!
Fabulous French Bread Ingredients
-1 TBSP shortening
-1 TBSP coarse salt {or 1/2 TBSP regular salt}
-2 TBSP sugar
-1 cup boiling water
-1 cup cold water
-1/3 cup warm water
-1 TBSP yeast
-5 – 6 cups white all purpose flour {I used bread flour}
-1 egg
How to Make Homemade French Bread
Here’s how to make this French Bread recipe:
Dissolve Yeast
Place 1 cup of hot water in the microwave for 3 minutes to get it boiling.
In another container, dissolve the yeast into the warm water (not the boiled water!) Stir it around until it is all mixed.
Combine the salt, shortening, and sugar in the bottom of your stand mixer with a fork. {I used my whisk attachment on high. It took about a minute and was perfect.}
Next, pour the boiling water over the shortening mixture. Mix slightly to combine.
After that, pour in the cold water and turn the mixer on low.
Then pour the warm water and yeast into the mixer bowl.
Add Flour & Knead Dough
Begin to add the flour, one cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the side of your mixer. Add the dough enhancer at this time, along with the flour. The dough should be balmy but not sticky.
Then let the dough mix on high for 8 minutes.
First Rise
Turn the mixer off and remove the dough hook. Let the dough rise in the mixer for about 20 minutes. {This step can actually be skipped if you are in a hurry, but I recommend it as it allows the dough the chance to rest and improves the flavor and texture.}
Shape Loaves
Separate the dough into two parts and place them on a large jelly roll pan sprayed with cooking spray. Let the dough sit for about 5 minutes. Letting it sit will make it MUCH easier to shape into loaves.
Spread the dough out with your hands. Stretch it slightly until you have an oval about 1″ in thickness. Roll the dough up into a log shape. Take the ends of the log and fold them into the middle, with the ends touching. Turn the loaf seam-side down onto a greased pan. I used my french bread pans, but you could also use a jelly roll pan. Repeat with remaining dough.
Using a sharp knife, quickly cut 3 diagonal slits into the top of each loaf.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg until frothy. Cover the loaves with egg wash, making sure to get it in each slit.
Second Rise
Place the loaves in a warm 170 degree oven and let them rise for about 15 minutes.
Bake French Bread
Turn the oven up to 400 degrees and then re-set your timer for 15 minutes. {Leave the loaves in while the oven increases in temperature.}
Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and turn the pan around in the oven. Bake for another 10-12 minutes, until the loaves are a nice golden brown. If you prefer crustier loaves, mist the outside with water a few times during the final 10 minutes of baking. Enjoy!
AVOID SUNKEN BREAD
The easiest and best way to avoid sunken bread is to use a cooking thermometer to check the inside of the loaf. Fully cooked bread will register 200°F on a thermometer. My all-time favorite thermometer is the Thermapen. It’s super fast and incredibly durable. Another great cooking thermometer is the ThermoPop which is a more basic version that works just as well!
FABULOUS FRENCH BREAD
Ingredients
- 1 TBSP shortening
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 TBSP sugar
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1/3 cup warm water
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 TBSP yeast
- 5 - 6 cups white all purpose OR bread flour
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Place the 1 cup hot water in the microwave for 3 minutes to get it boiling.
- Dissolve the yeast into the warm water. Stir it around until it is all mixed.
- Combine the salt, shortening, and sugar in the bottom of your mixer with a fork or use your mixer's whisk attachment. Pour the boiling water over the shortening mixture. Mix slightly to combine.
- Pour the cold water in next. Then pour in the yeast mixture.
- Begin to add the flour, one cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the side of your mixer. The dough should be tacky but not sticky.
- Let the dough mix on high (using the dough hook) for 8 minutes.
- Let the dough rise in the mixer for about 20 minutes. {This step can actually be skipped if you are in a hurry, but I recommend it as it allows the dough the chance to rest and improves the flavor and texture.}
- Separate the dough into two parts and place on a large jelly roll pan sprayed with cooking spray. Let the dough sit for about 5 minutes. Letting it sit will make it MUCH easier to shape.
- Spread the dough out with your hands. Stretch it slightly until you have an oval about 1" in thickness. Roll the dough up into a log shape. Take the ends of the log and fold them into the middle, with the ends touching. Turn the loaf seam-side down onto a greased pan. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Using a sharp knife, quickly cut 3 diagonal slits into the top of each loaf.
- Whisk egg until frothy. Cover loaves with egg wash, making sure to get in each slit.
- Place the loaves in a warm 170 degree F oven and let rise for about 15 minutes.
- Turn the oven up to 400 degrees F and re-set your timer for 15 minutes. {Leave the loaves in while the oven increases in temperature.}
- Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and turn the pan around in the oven. Bake for another 10-12 minutes, until the loaves are a nice golden brown. If you prefer crustier loaves, mist the outside with water a few times during the final 10 minutes of baking.
Nutrition
Can French Bread Be Frozen?
Yes, you can freeze your French Bread for up to 3 months if you keep them in an airtight container or keep them well wrapped. Just thaw them at room temperature for a few hours and pop them in the oven to warm up to help recreate the fresh from the oven feel you got when they were newly baked.
How Long Will French Bread Stay Fresh?
If left at room temperature and kept well covered and wrapped, your french bread can be expected to last up to 3 days. Just make sure to keep it on the counter/room temp or in the freezer because placing your bread in the fridge will cause it to lose moisture and dry out faster.
Why Is My French Bread Hard/Dense?
You may have under kneaded the bread dough or unbaked the loaf. These are two of the most common culprits for a dense loaf. Make sure that your bread dough is properly kneaded by pressing your finger into the dough. You want it to immediately begin springing back and trying to cover the indentation that you made.
Enjoy this bread recipe? Here are even more recipes for homemade bread to try:
-
- Easy Bread recipe
- Homemade Hawaiian Bread
- Honey Oat Bread recipe
- Cinnamon Raisin Bread
- Parmesan Garlic Dinner Rolls
- Sweet Orange Dinner Rolls
- Homemade Hawaiian Bread
- Easy Homemade Cheesy Breadsticks
- Tomato Parmesan Flatbread
- Potato Bread Recipe
- Soft Cornmeal Dinner Rolls
- The Best Pumpkin Bread
- Honey Whole Wheat Bread
- White Bread
- Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread
With one simple bread recipe making 2 loaves of delicious Fabulous French Bread in under 2 hours you can have them ready in time for dinner and watch them be gone before dessert. Everyone will enjoy the soft, chewy, flavorful Homemade French Bread.
Anonymous says
Hi! I just found your site and am loving it! For this french bread, do you reset the timer for an additional 15 minutes at the same time you turn the temp up to 450°, or do you reset it once it hits 450°? Thanks!
Utah Deal Diva says
Hi! Ok, so here's what I do: put bread in an already preheated 170 degree oven for 15 minutes. When that beeps, I increase the temp to 400 and re-set the timer for another 15 minutes, so it's not in there an entire 15 minutes at 400. Down to 350 for 10 minutes- I do the same thing. Does that make sense? I hope so. It's really easy bread!
Debi says
Mmmmmmmm!!!!!!!1
judi says
there is no dough enhancer in the ingredientas i do have dough enhancer but not sure how much to add
Jessica says
Not many people use dough enhancer (and they have trouble finding it!) so I omitted it. You can just replace 1-2 TBSP of the flour with dough enhancer. 🙂
J c says
I wrote this down from the original site where it was posted, then my device broke. The girl came up with that rolling trick —makes all the difference—and I was looking for her tonight but don’t remember her name. Can you link to her and credit her?
Jessica says
It’s Jamie from Jamie Cooks it Up! 🙂
Katie Holts says
Step 10 says to divide dough into 3 portion which made me think there were 3 loaves. It appears it is a 2 loaf recipe though. What have I misinterpreted. Thanks!
Jessica says
I just divide it in 3 before letting it rest. You’ll combine it back together before splitting the loaves into 2 and shaping them. 🙂
Samantha Ann Schultz says
Hey I’m trying to recipe now I’m not sure what you mean by dough enhancer I can’t find that on the list of ingredients
Olivia says
Not many people use dough enhancer (and they have trouble finding it!) so I omitted it from the ingredients list. You can just replace 1-2 TBSP of the flour with dough enhancer.
Patricia says
I would like to try this recipe. It look a little easier than the recipe I currently have. My only problem is the shortening. I live overseas and shortening is hard to come by. Could is substitute equal amount of olive oil or other oil? I tend to use olive and canola oils more even when back home in Texas. Thanks!
Jessica says
Yes- you can use oil instead!
PJ Leary says
If I’m using instant yeast( Instaferm or SAF) that is not to be proofed, do I still use the 1/3 cup water that recipe calls for to proof the active yeast?
Looking forward to a nice warm slice!
Jessica says
Yes, you’d still use that water, just skip the step of proofing yeast. Although I always proof it!
PJ says
Great! Thanks for prompt reply. Warm, crusty French bead will be out of the oven in about 2 hours! Thank you!
Vini says
Hi, What is the difference between using bread flour and purpose flour?
Jessica says
Bread flour yields a chewier slice of bread, if that makes sense. I prefer it- it’s softer and spongier.
Vini says
I ended up using all-purpose flour and it turned out great. I didn’t use the egg wash but still got a mild browning on the crust. Thank you so much for the recipe.
Leticia Hernandez says
I made this yesterday and shared with my neighbors. We were all in French Bread and Butter heaven!!! The taste and texture of these loaves were outstanding. What a great and wonderfully easy recipe. Once things open up, I’ll be making this for parties. But wait…today I will make the Hawaiian Bread. Aloha and Merci boucoup!
Jessica says
So glad to hear you enjoyed it Leticia! Happy Baking!
Kathy Kulberg says
Can this be done without the mixer?
How long do you mix it by hand so as not to get tough?
Jessica says
Yes, it can, but I never do it that way anymore. Using an electric mixer will just yield much more consistent results. It’s difficult to define by hand knead times- one person can knead one way, another person much slower, etc. If I had to guess, I’d say double the knead time. It certainly can be done! I think tough bread is most often caused by adding too much flour during the kneading process, so maybe grease your hands just a bit so that the dough doesn’t stick and you don’t continuously add flour to compensate.
AnG says
Easy recipe to follow and the bread was delicious. Can’t believe this is done without yeast.
Alison says
We love how easy this one is too AnG!
Addison says
Easiest bread recipe ever and it tastes amazing
Melissa Martin says
In this recipe it calls for dough enhancer in the put together instructions but not in the ingredients list?? Why is that?
Nicole says
It’s an optional ingredient that you can choose to use or leave out. Jessica likes using it now and then but her bread recipes taste fabulous with or without the enhancer added.
Rachelle says
Hey, does it matter how long the first rise is? I understand you can shape right after mixing and skip the 20 min rise time. But I’m wondering if it changes anything by letting the first rise go for an hour or so. Thanks! We love your bread!!!! 🙂