Easy Homemade French Bread
Homemade French bread has never been easier! This simple recipe produces a light and fluffy loaf of French bread that will rival any bakery!
It’s no secret that I love bread.
My love for really good bread rivals my commitment to dark chocolate. And this easy homemade French bread is right up there with some of my favorite bread in the history of ever. It is SO simple. So, so simple and perfect for a beginning bread maker.
But it is also jaw droppingly delicious enough for you expert bread makers, too.
This French bread has easily fit into my Best Of bread category for years (many of you have made it and loved it, too!). And it’s high time it got a makeover and updated recipe post, if you ask me. Plus, I have some fun, new details to share about it!
Because I make this bread at least monthly (probably more than that, actually) and have done so for the last 9+ years, I’ve learned a couple things I’d like to share.
What is a Baker’s Lame
Investing (ha!) in a $15 or less baker’s lame (fancy name for bread slashing tool) has upped my bread making game. Especially with this homemade French bread. Before, I would choose the sharpest knife in my drawer (admittedly my knives aren’t always as sharp as they should be – oopsie).
And then I would hack at the bread to get artisan-looking slashes, instead deflating the whole life and ending up with flatbread. Sob.
About five years ago, I found a baker’s lame at a local kitchen store and eyed it warily, wondering if this unassuming, lightweight tool could help me. And it has, oh it has.
It’s basically a razor blade on a stick shaped in a slight curve to get those gashes and slashes just perfect. Bonus: I have this one from Amazon {aff. link} now and it’s less than 15 buckaroos.
I use it for my homemade bread bowls, soft pretzel rolls, rustic crusty bread, sweet molasses bread…and any other bread that needs a swift, but loving, gash.
If you have a super sharp razor blade or knife (needs to be extremely thin and sharp so it doesn’t deflate the bread), that should do the trick as well.
How to easily get crusty golden French bread
The other little variation I’ve added for this homemade French bread is a nifty bread baking hack that I’m pretty sure one of YOU suggested to me years ago in the comments. And it’s stuck with me – I do it all the time for almost any freeform bread I make now.
Right as you place the bread in the piping hot oven, toss 3-4 ice cubes onto the bottom of the oven and close that door as quickly as you can (but gently! don’t slam it and make the bread fall, for Pete’s sake). The instant steam as the ice cubes hit the fiery bottom of the oven will lightly crisp up the outer crust as the bread bakes.
Quick note: consult your oven’s manual for details or caution on putting ice/water on the bottom of the oven floor – I’ve never had a problem, but everyone should do their own research and use their own best judgment (also take care not to toss the ice cubes on the glass oven door as it could crack).
And don’t blame me if you shriek in absolute delight and scare the children when your bread comes out of that oven looking (and tasting!) like a legit loaf of bakery French bread.
Truly, this homemade French bread is the stuff dreams are made of.
I make it often to deliver to people that need a pick-me-up or just because I like them or if I’m also taking dinner to someone.
It makes an appearance when we have family fondue night or opt for French bread pizza. And it is the bread recipe I turn to the most (along with these divine breadsticks) when I need (ok, let’s be serious, when I want) a no-fuss, easy bread to serve with dinner or just use for mood therapy.
Bread can do that you know. And it makes the best French toast. Just sayin’.
P.S. if you’ve struggled with your bread flattening out while baking instead of holding the perfect shape, you might try these French bread pans {aff. link}. I have them and LOVE them. I don’t use them every time I make this bread, but I do pull them out quite often (I also use them for this rosemary bread).
Using Whole Wheat Flour
I’ve noted this in the recipe below, but this homemade French bread is also a friend to whole wheat flour. I make this quite often with at least half whole wheat flour. And sometimes, I live on the edge and kick the white flour out completely, making it 100% whole wheat.
I’ve found that adding a couple tablespoons of vital wheat gluten, when going the 100% whole wheat route, helps fluff the bread up a bit and avoid the heavy denseness that can come from using whole wheat flour.
FYI: I always use white whole wheat (info on the different varieties of wheat can be found here).
Enough talking! If you haven’t made this homemade French bread, I hope you try it soon! Your life may or may not be changed for the better.
FAQs for Homemade French Bread
I would suggest halving all the ingredients –just keep an eye on the flour amount and judge the exact amount based on the texture of the dough.
Yes, it freezes great (after baking and cooling).
Sometimes moving an oven rack up or down in the oven is the trick to good browning. In my oven, it tends to be in the upper half of the oven that my bread browns the best.
You can mix the ingredients in a bowl with a spatula or spoon and knead by hand.
I always use the same amount interchangeably, however some people use 1/4 less if using instant yeast vs active dry yeast.
Yes, just adjust the baking time.
One Year Ago: Harvest Pasta Sauce {Trader Joe’s Copycat}
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Three Years Ago: Easy Homemade Egg Noodles {Step-by-Step Pictures Include Food Processor Method or By Hand}
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Easy Homemade French Bread
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups warm water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon instant or active dry yeast
- ¾ tablespoon salt (see note)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, canola oil, vegetable oil or avocado oil
- 5 ½ – 6 cups (781 – 852 g) all-purpose flour or bread flour (see note)
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the water sugar and yeast. If using active dry yeast, let the mixture bubble and foam before proceeding (this can take 3-5 minutes). If using instant yeast, proceed with the recipe (no need to let the yeast activate).
- Add the salt, oil and 3 cups of flour and mix. Add in 2 1/2 to 3 more cups of flour gradually. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl and form a soft ball that doesn’t leave a lot of dough residue on your fingers. Knead for 2-3 minutes until the dough is smooth. If the dough starts to cling to the sides of the bowl (or the center column if using a Bosch or other mixer with a center), add 1/4 cup of flour at a time until a sturdy but soft ball of dough forms.
- Rising Method 1: Leave the dough in the mixer, cover with a lid or towel, and let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Stir it down by turning on the mixer for 10 seconds or so. Repeat the "rest and stir down" cycle five more times.
- Rising Method 2: Instead of letting the dough rest for 10 minute spurts and then stirring it down, transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with a towel or greased plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled, about an hour or so, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly greased surface and divide in half. Pat each section into a thick rectangle, 9X13-inches or thereabouts (doesn’t have to be exact). Roll the dough up starting from the long edge, pressing out any air bubbles or seams with the heel of your hand, and pinch the edge to seal. Arrange seam side down on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper (I use separate baking sheets for each loaf). You can slash several gashes in the top of the bread now or wait until after it has risen (to avoid the risk of the bread deflating, especially if you don’t have a very sharp razor or knife, slash now – see pictures above in the post for a visual).
- Cover with greased plastic wrap or a kitchen towel, and let the loaves rise until noticeably puffy and nearly doubled in size, about an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and make sure an oven rack is in the center position. If you haven’t already, with a very sharp knife or baker’s lame cut several gashes at an angle on the top of each loaf (see pictures above in the post for a visual).
- Optional: Place the baking sheet in the hot oven and immediately toss 3-4 ice cubes on the bottom of the oven (this gives a delicious, classic, French bread crispness to the crust). Close the oven door quickly.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and baked through. Remove from the oven and slather with melted butter (optional, but delicious). Repeat with the 2nd loaf (or if you have convection setting, the loaves can bake at the same time, just rotate the baking sheets halfway through baking).
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from The Sister’s Cafe
1,367 Comments on “Easy Homemade French Bread”
This recipe is a keeper. Everyone in my family loved it. We cut some slices heated in the microwave for a few seconds the put butter on it. YUM! Even without butter it was amazing. Thanks for the recipe.
I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong with this recipe. It’s very straight forward but my guess is that because I don’t have a mixer it’s not turning out. I have to mix and knead by hand and I’m not an experienced bread baker. My first attempt and the loaf came out dull so I brushed the top with butter and cooked a little longer. Looked perfect at that point but when I cut into it it was so dense!
Read into that and I let it rise a lot longer than before and tried to knead it as long as I could handle and I definitely had to have over kneaded it because it came out flat and dull again. The crust is also super hard so I probably over cooked it trying to get the nice brown color. I’m sure it’s user error and I just wish I had a kitchen aid but any tips will help!
I have raised the oven 25° and moved the loaf higher and that didn’t help the dullness
Hi Haley, it’s really hard to over-knead this dough, so I don’t think that would be the issue. My guess is that either the dough is getting over floured and needs a bit less flour and/or the shaped loaf needs to rise a bit longer before baking. What is the texture and consistency of the dough as you are kneading it?
Mel, nice recipe! Easy to make and tasted good. Thank you.
I found this recipe last year and I’ve been making this bread at least once a month usually more often. It’s amazingly easy and tastes oh so good. Horrible recipe if you’re trying to cut carbs, very addictive especially warm!!
I made this bread and it was so easy and delicous. Think i will try and add fresh herbs next time. Never thought i could make french bread. So easy. And the ice cubes gave it the perfect crust. Thank you. Definitely a five star recipe in my cook book.
Wonderful! Nearly 100 times better than what you can find at a chain grocery store. The first loaf is nearly gone on the same day and the second is waiting in the freezer after the first proof.
Mine came out a little flat. I think maybe my package of yeast was shy of a TBSP. C: Still tasty tho. Thank you!
I just made this bread this afternoon to go with my smoked London broil! OMGOSH!!! This came out soo good! The texture and all. First time I’ve ever thrown ice cubes on the bottom of the oven. I used to just put a pan of water on the bottom of the oven. Thank you!!!
I just made this bread this afternoon to go with my smoked London broil! OMGOSH!!! This came out soo good! The texture and all. First time I’ve ever thrown ice cubes on the bottom. I used to just out a pan of water in. Thank you!!!
ive tried making bread for some time now and this recipe worked flawlessly!! easy to make and came out as pictured! Thanks
I am not a baker or even come close to being one . Your homemade bread recipe was great. Easy to follow, easy to understand. More importantly the taste and texture was perfect. Made 2 loaves yesterday they were gone before dinner was over with. Well I was hoping to have a loaf of bread for dinner tonight,. Its 7 am and they are in the finale resting than off to the oven. I will probably never buy another loaf of French bread , easy and doesn’t take long .
This is a great and easy recipe! I don’t know what I might have done wrong as the only issue I have is that it was all good until I put it in the oven….it came out looking a bit flat and pale. It tastes great though. I’m hoping you can let me know what to do differently next time!
Hi Donna, sometimes it can flatten if it over rises before going in the oven or if there isn’t enough flour (was the dough really soft and/or sticky?). If it’s not browning very well, increase the oven temp by 25 degrees and/or move an oven rack to a higher position.
I tried this recipe yesterday and it worked great, but was confused by the 2cup+ flour difference so I tried it again today and double checked the ingredient amounts to make sure I wasnt crazy, (it was a little less than 8 cups this time). Which is good! It still turned out great, but I’m kind of confused how and why?
Hi Nate, just so I understand, are you saying that you have to add two cups flour in addition to what is called for in the recipe? What elevation do you live at, out of curiosity?
Made the recipe only to find out you did not put the oven temp setting.
The oven temp is included in step #7. 🙂
Loved this recipe! It was so good and moist. I don’t entirely trust my oven so instead of throwing ice cubes in the bottom of the oven, I put ice water in a small pyrex pan on the bottom rack under the bread while it was cooking and it turned out great!
I was surprised how good it turned out, but it took more than 8 cups of ap flour to get the dough to the right consistency with the rest of the ingredients, rather than the 5 1/2-6 cups that it said. I’m not sure how it still turned out so well with such a difference in the amount of flour?
Easiest recipe to follow and so delicious! Brought a loaf to dinner at my friends house and she couldn’t believe I made it myself!
Omg//this deserves 5 stars.my family lived them
I made it twice, by hand, with 2 cups whole wheat flour and 3 1/2 bread flour, 11gr dry yeast. It is amazing. Thanks a lot!
I had never made French bread before, only loaf bread. I made this today; it was easy, beautiful, and delicious! My family loved it! I will definitely make this again.
Can the dough be made in a bread machine? I can’t knees with my hands anymore.
I don’t have a bread machine, so I haven’t tried it, but I’m guessing if the quantity of dough fits in the bread machine, it should work just fine.
I had never made French bread before, only loaf bread. I made this today; it was easy, beautiful, and delicious! My family loved it! I will definitely make this again.
Can this dough be froze after the first rise, then thawed and rolled out and left to rise again before putting in the oven?
I haven’t tried that, but I believe others have with good results.
Excellent recipe, I made it today and it’s great, thanks! I used garlic infused olive oil, it’s a game changer. I cranked the temp up to 400 half way through and added more ice. I wish I could share the pic, it’s beautiful!
I want to make this bread for my bingo crew but i already have my hands full with this big dinner, was just wondering if i could make this bread a day ahead and bake the next day? If so any special thing i need to do?
Hi Melissa, you could make the dough a day ahead of time and pop it in the refrigerator. Let it come to room temp and puff a bit before shaping into loaves and baking.
Thank you so much for this recipe! My daughter has been on an elimination diet as she is nursing her baby who has some food sensitivities. She hasn’t had bread in months. She just added wheat back in to her diet (but not dairy or soy) and I made his for her last weekend. She literally cried as she ate this bread. It turned out perfect!
LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe. Works perfectly every time!
I absolutely love this recipe and my family goes nuts over it but lately we have been cutting sugar from our diets so I was wondering if there is a replacement for the sugar or if it would be fine without it?
Are you eating honey? You could use honey or try leaving it out (it helps with the bread rising).
I’m about to make this for the third time, this is pretty much the only bread we’ve eaten in two months. So good!
Very good. My oven has electric coils on the bottom so when I use ice for my bread a just stick another pan on a rack on the lowest setting. That way I can toss ice in it without worrying about my oven. Lol.
I haven’t baked mine yet and my loaves are like soggy or something, they look like they’re melting when I try to shape it !
If the loaves aren’t holding their shape, it sounds like you need to add more flour to the dough when mixing. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl and be soft…but shouldn’t be overy sticky.
I’ve made this recipe several times and it turns out perfectly each time. I want to cut it into four loaves and am wondering how long they should bake. I bake them at convection 375 which actually bakes at 350. Thank you.
Hi Chris – I would check around 22 minutes. They might take upwards of 28 or so minutes.
Best. Bread. EVER. This recipe was so easy to make and so delicious!! I will be making this recipe all the time!! Thank you so much!
I love making nread
This recipe is easy and is the BEST bread I’ve ever made – I’ve been baking for years. My family each gave it two thumbs up!
I found your recipe a week ago and have made it twice already! Once for a meal I made for my SIL and tonight for my family. It’s turned out great and smells so good while baking. What would you say the ‘shelf life’ is for the bread (if you don’t eat it all right away!)?
Hi Jacy, the bread is best the day of and it’s pretty good on the second day, but after that, it tends to dry out.
Thanks for this recipe, it is my go to for French bread. I have tried a variety of recipes…some were so complicated. This is simple but good. I have always used water in the oven for some breads. The ice cubes are a great idea. I put a small foil pan in my oven while I preheat and drop the ice cubes in the pan when I put the bread in.
I’ve made this a few times now and no one believes I made it my parents liked it so much they asked me to make them some for every event from now on that’s how good it is! The only thing I can’t seem to get right is that beautiful color.. It cooks perfectly but the color is always so pale how can I get it to look nice and dark like yours ?
Try increasing the oven temp by 25 degrees and/or moving the bread to bake on a higher rack in the oven.
Easy and delicious! This was my first attempt at homemade bread. I’ve made it several times now and with great success . I plan on making Mel’s Rosemary Bread next.
Can you make ahead and refrigerate before baking?
I haven’t tried that…but you could. If so, I’d suggest cutting down the yeast otherwise the slower rise in the fridge might allow the bread to over rise.
Troubles with oven spring. I got good rise but experiencing a deflation after scoring with my lame.
Fantastic! So easy and turned out better than what you buy at the store, OMG!
Can I use this recipe on the dough setting on my bread machine?
A lot depends on the capacity of your bread maker – if the dough ingredients fit, it should work just fine.
I’m not sure what all the fuss is about with failing bread. I just started baking bread about 6 months ago and this recipe is my favorite! It has never failed me….well except for that one time I wasn’t paying attention when I used a sealer and it sucked all the air out of my bread…but it was still good when we ate it dipped in oil. I have applied cinnamon sugar to one loaf before rolling up and it taste great to me. I have bought the bread sheet and the lame that Mel suggested…I’m still trying to get the hang of that lame. I bake bread once or twice a week with this recipe and today I am going to use this recipe in mt stone loaf pans. Thank You Mel for a wonderful recipe for a beginner bread maker.
The BEST bread, consistently!! I didn’t have any regular yeast, so for the first two batches, I used a sourdough yeast culture….then back to regular yeast. This recipe is perfect. Nice thick crust, and the interior is a thick, dense sponge. Freezes great! Slices great! Thank you for this recipe!!
I love you and bread. and I hope to establish bread maker factory as soon as possible in my town.
I am confused….A standard cup of flower weighs 120 grams. You list 5.5 – 6 cups which should be 660 grams to 720 grams. Instead you say it’s 781 grams to 852 grams. This would mean 6.5 cups to 7.1 cups
I test my recipes using 142 g of flour per cup.
Buy a Stanley Knife or any razor blade holder and keep if for only kitchen stuff
Great recipe, easy and delicious. Thank you for sharing.
How can I triple the recipe? The liquids are making the dough wet. I have been experimenting but it is not quite right. Have you figured it out? Is there a formula? I use quick rise dry yeast. Thank you!!
Sylvaine
Hi Sylvaine, for a triple recipe, only double the yeast. Triple all the other ingredients. Add flour until a soft dough is formed (don’t worry much about the exact amount of flour – judge the dough based on the look and feel).
The bread tastes great! But – it is not the beautiful toasty brown color. Any suggestions? I’m a newby at this
Hi Pattie, try increasing the oven temp by 25 degrees and/or moving an oven rack to the middle or upper middle position.
I love this recipe! I haven’t tried any other but why try another one when this one is easy and perfect!
Hi Patti, I had the same problem with it not browning nice.increasing my temp did not help so i tried a trick that i had read about from another receipe. and it came out perfect-take a egg white and 1 tsp of water and whip it with a wire wisk till its somewhat frothy ,and brush the bread with it before you place it in the oven
First time making French Bread and won’t be the last. This recipe was awesome. Great direction and turned out beautifully! I purchased a bread pan and lame which I think are game changers. Thanks for the notes and tips, Love your site!
If you are worried about harming your oven with ice cubes, just place a pan on the lowest shelf when preheating your oven. When you put your bread in, just put the ice cubes in the hot pan.
It is what I do when making sourdough.
Amazing!!!
Great recipe!! Came out perfectly. Thank you.
Good but a bit dense for myself and my husbands taste.
A dense bread just didn’t rise enough. So, next time let it rise 2-3x longer or let it slowly rise overnight and bake in the morning.
Also, knead longer or use a mixer on a high speed for 5 min to really knead.
This was easy and delicious. First time I ever made French bread – thanks for making it a great experience!
I LOVE this recipe! I have made this multiple times and the only thing I’ve changed is adding more salt. I do bake both loaves at the same time on the same cookie sheet. I just swap them about halfway through. Put the melted butter on it, it’s sooo good! Also, like most bread, this isn’t as good the next day. Unless you freeze it! We usually eat this with soup, so we cut the bread into individual pieces and then put it in a freezer bag in the freezer. Just pop it in the microwave and it’s just like the first day you made it!
Wondering how to keep my crust crunchy? It came out nice and crunchy and then as it cooled it seemed as if the crust got soft. Any ideas?
There’s not a super great way to keep the crust from softening on this bread. It always softens for me too. You could try reheating the bread in the oven for a crispier crust but it might make the crumb dry.
Great recipe, if you want the crust crunchy, just brush with water instead of butter.
I have made this 3 times now. This last bake was my best yet. I don’t have a mixer so I hand kneed, this time I did it for 15 minutes and the dough rose so much quicker and the end result was bigger, more airy, and very good! Also this time I did one loaf with egg wash and one without, the one with the egg wash was awesome like I bought it from the store. Next time I will divide the dough into 3 or 4 loaves, I realized absolutely love the crust and want more surface area.
Man, this is by and large the BEST bread I have ever made. I real keeper.
BTW, I used the full tablespoon of salt instead of the 3/4.
So I made this recipe this morning and ate it for lunch. Couple changes I made. during the dough making process I put in 1 tablespoon of Salt instead of the called for 3/4 tablespoon. Before I placed it in the oven I egg washed it the cut slits then egg washed it again. Lastly sprinkled Kosher Salt on top and it was amazing.
Recipe was easy to follow, did an egg wash instead of the ice and came out beautiful. Crispy outside, soft fluffy inside. Only issue I had was a slight yeasty taste in the bread. I used active dry yeast. I think next time I’ll try 2 teaspoons of yeast instead of a whole tablespoon.
Followed the recipe somewhat exactly… used 3 cups all purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat, and 1 cup bread flour. Bread was still fluffy and tasted great…. Made some little bread sticks too.
Highly recommend this recipe if you want to make a loaf of bread using whole wheat and bread flour. It has great texture and isn’t heavy.
I save a knob of my last loaf of French bread and throw it into the next one as a preferment. It adds a lot of flavor. I also often make a poolish by mixing a cup of water with a cup of flour and a pinch of yeast and letting it sit overnight. Then I finish with the rest of the recipe (although I cut back on the yeast,) It’s another preferment to add flavor.
Super easy, and so yummy!
I don’t have any idea why I was intimidated to try and make French bread… because they turned out PERFECT! We loved this and I will be making this recipe A LOT more! Thank you Mel!!!
Smelled so good while baking, I will never buy french bread again!
Came out just like the picture. The ice cube trick made the outside nicely crusty. The inside was perfect. I made it by hand so no machinery necessary.
Easy to follow and the bread turned out amazing!
Wonderful dough easy quick & tastes great.
what does it mean to roll the dough and the stuff about sealing it? is there a video?
It’s regarding shaping the dough into a loaf. I’ll try and post a video soon.
Ice, try preheating a small pan on the bottom rack and toss the ice cube in that.
If I use convection oven to bake 2 loaves, do I change the oven temperature?
Sometimes it is recommended when using convection bake to drop the temperature 25 degrees. Each oven is different. In my current oven, I would leave the oven temperature the same (but that’s because it tends to cook on the cool side of things vs the hot side of things). Also if you are baking the bread on separate oven racks, I’d recommend switching oven racks halfway through so both loaves brown evenly.
If I use
Just perfect!! Thanks for the recipe!
This was just ok. I think two tablespoons of sugar to feed the yeast is excessive as my loaves came out tasting much sweeter than I would have liked.
I was wondering about that, I’ve seen recipes that only used 1 and a half teaspoons so I wasn’t sure if that was a typo or if it was going to come out on the sweeter side
Can you freeze this dough and then use it later?
I haven’t tried that, but many yeast doughs like this freeze well, so it should work pretty well.
Amazing bread works every time
So I made this recipe and it looked beautiful. I egg washed and sprinkled “Everything Bagel” seasoning on top. Hard lesson learned tho, after second rise I touched unbaked loaf and POOF…Fell flat.
Tastes yummy anyway, just not pretty.
Instead of using ice cubes which could harm your oven, I keep a cheap sprayer filled with water close to my oven to spritz inside of my oven. If I rotate the pan, then I spritz again.
Instead of using ice cubes which could harm your oven, I keep a cheap sprayer filled with water close to my oven to spritz inside of my oven. If I rotate the pan, then I spritz again.
I have made this recipe for years and it’s great. Pulled it up online today and noticed an alternate proofing method has been added…. which is much easier, esp if you want to mix the dough and then run an errand, pick up a kid, etc. while it’s proofing. Do the different proofing methods result in any significant difference to the final bread structure?
I haven’t done a side by side comparison, but I don’t think the end results are very much different from each other.
Recipe tasted meh at best, found a much better recipe on YouTube with clearer and more concise instructions.
I have never made bread before and I was so pleasantly surprised by how delicious, even better then hot store bought. Maybe try again. It was super easy even for a beginner who knows nothing like me
Awesome recipe! Will absolutely make again. I used this loaf for garlic bread and it was great, but I think next time we will just eat it as is! Very easy, and the dough rose up beautifully. I didn’t have a bakers lame or a sharp knife to score with, so I just used a normal knife I had and cut the bread after I formed it into a loaf before it rose. Worked great! I wish I could post a picture.
Comes out wonderful every time
And EZ
Love it bake one every weekend
“French Bread Law:
Bread may only contain 4 ingredients: wheat flour, water, salt and yeast.”
Tastes similar to French bread but is not traditional French bread.
Correct, adding fat (olive oil) and sugar make it Italian bread. Good recipe regardless but, I would not use as much sugar to feed the yeast, maybe tsp. or 2 of honey.
This was the best bread I’ve ever made. It tastes just like the fluffiest fresh bakery bread with a flaky crusty crust- just perfect! I used bread flour and weighed it as directed. This makes two huge loaves.
A wash should be added before the baking process and temp needs to be higher
Fantastic! I used 1/2 water and 1/2 buttermilk and used the ice cube trick. Turned out amazing. I paid attention to the details and read his blog about yeast and the proper consistency of the dough. Very educational and helpful to know when to stop adding flour. My previous breads were always so dense because I over floured the dough. Highly recommend reading up on that if your a first time bread maker.
I have made this recipe but my bread isn’t soft inside and a good crust on the outside why I use the cold water under the bread and even spray it before it goes in hot oven what I’ m I doing wrong
I make this almost once a week! It’s the best!
Do you have instructions on how to bake after freezing? Like oven temp and time?
I’m not much help for that because usually I bake and then freeze.
No problem! How do you bake it after baking and freezing?
I don’t bake it again after baking and freezing…I just thaw and we slice and eat it or reheat lightly in the oven or microwave.
Best French bread I have ever made.
Could I form this dough into breadsticks? Made it once as loaves of bread and it was delicious I would love to be able to make individual breadsticks…
I haven’t tried it, but I bet you could!
Not french bread. French bread is a lean bread. No oils also it is made with a poolish
This is by far the best French bread recipe I have EVER tried! My bread turns out perfect every time! But I’d love to find out how to sweeten this bread for cinnamon rolls.
By far the best bread recipe I have found. My fist batch got deflated but my 8 year old said I should open a bakery. It tastes great even when you mess it up. ❤️❤️❤️
Nah, never use this again.
Hey. Sounds like you just didn’t make it right
The bread came out so well I’m incredibly impressed! The dough fluffed up perfectly and the loaf tasted heavenly. This was my very first attempt at baking bread and I was not disappointed. I ended up halving the measurements to make only one loaf, but ended up with enough to make 2 slightly smaller loaves. Definitely worth giving this recipe a try, even for a beginner like me!
The recipe was easy to follow and the French Bread was amazing!
I made this recipe but ended up with 2 loaves that were completely as long if not slight longer than the bread mold suggestion in the post. I live in the Southwest USA at 5000 ft. elevation. Any suggestions of why the loaves were so huge? By the way the flavor of the bread was to die for.
You can split the dough into four loaves if you’d like. It could be that I roll them a bit thicker and not quite as long.
Love this recipe! Followed to the letter and came out beautifully! My family asked immediately when they could have a slice!
It passed the Hilary test (our daughter is very picky!). Thank you, Mel! I appreciate all your baking and look to you first for a very good recipe to use for my family and friends.
Amazing recipe! We liked ours on the lighter side.
Great!! I use half buttermilk half water to give it that twang French bread has. Can do tsp lemon juice or vinegar as well! I only use instant yeast so I cut both rise times in half. Also a good old fashioned straight razor is what I use can be found at any beauty supply “sallys” for under $3 pack of 10 will last forever if just using for bread!
Also you can brush with beaten egg b4 you bake if you want a darker crust
I’ve made this bread several times in the past few months and I get perfect bread every time. This time, however, I switched things up. I added more salt as the recipe is a little bland, and this time I seasoned with garlic powder, onion powder, sage and Italian seasoning after I rolled the dough out, just before rolling it up to form the loaf. And just before popping it in the oven I added the same spices to the top. Never in a million years did I think it would be possible for me to bake bread this well!
Used it several times. Now it is my forever french bread recipe
i really love this recipe! can i double the batch?
Yes, it doubles great!
What weird animals do you have at your farm?
Hey Eliza, we have miniature donkeys, kunekune pigs and a wide range of specialty chickens (not necessarily weird, I guess, just kind of fun and unusual)
Delicious and so easy, very good directions !
which do you prefere ap or bread flour
I almost always make this with unbleached all-purpose flour.
Made this today, turns out perfect just as u mentioned. Love this French loaf so much. TQVM
French bread does not contain sugar or oil.
This one does and it’s AMAZING
I followed the instructions, just used a sharp knife to slit the top. Came out GREAT!
I have made this multiple times and it’s always a hit. Taste great the next few days too and makes good toast.
Thank you 🙂
Excellent but it needed more salt 🙂
This is the best French bread recipe! I have made it multiple times and always cut dough into 3 pieces so I have three lovely loaves. I make them a bit longer and cut the slashes in right then, never after they rise. They freeze beautifully (so make a full recipe) as long as you let the loaves fully cool. I double bag them for freezer.
Is 1 tablespoon of yeast the same as 1 packet of yeast?
I think I it’s 2&1/4 teaspoon so almost a tablespoon
Hi Barb, a packet of yeast is 2 1/4 teaspoons and one tablespoon is three teaspoons.
I was so excited for this bread. My bread never freaking rises but this one did. Then I made the slashes and it deflated 🙁 I should have read the instructions better. Since I don’t have a bread slashing tool and my knives aren’t the sharpest I should have done it before the second rise. This is like my 4th batch of bread and I swear the 5th batch will finally be perfect. Lol
You’re supposed to score the bread before the hour of proofing; I worked at Subway and if you score when it’s big it’ll deflate. I forgot this and the same thing happened to me lol
No I haven’t where is the recipe looked all over
Made 1 loaf last night, Used a Kitchenaid for the mixing. Sprinkled 5-6 chopped cloves of garlic before rolling up and then served with lasagna. Excellent. Thanks.
Yes I halved the recipe it was fair . Definitely did not look like your loaves.
Made this today, easy recipe to follow and the bread is delicious!
Made this bread last night and it came out perfect. Was so easy. Cut in half to make just 1 loaf.
hi do you ever use the “proof” setting on your oven for this?
Just made this tonight and it was perfection!
This recipe turned out amazing! The only thing I did differently was I w used a European-style Artesian flour and in place of the water, I used whey I had from making mozzarella cheese. The crust is very and the inside is soft. It has alot of flavor. Thanks Mel for a great recipe!
Have you ever added cinnamon and sugar after the first prove before rolling it up to make a cinnamon bread? Do you think that would work? Thanks so much for the recipe! My family LOVES it, and we were thinking of switching it up and making one sweet loaf this time. Any suggestions appreciated!
I haven’t, but I definitely think it is worth a try!
I have totally done this multiple times and the kids love it! You can also add butter and garlic and spice it up. It’s all delicious! The recipe is amazing!
I’m at sea level and I don’t know if that was the problem or my oven, but the crust did not crisp up – even with the ice cube trick. It wasn’t the flavor I was looking for either.
You can brush with beaten egg for a darker crust. I use half butter milk half water to give it that twang French bread has otherwise this is just white bread. You can add a tsp of vinegar or lemon juice too! You may like it more if you try those tricks I do!
I just made this and its doing the second rise. I got confused when rolling it up. What is starting at the long side?
Hi Charlie, sorry for the confusion. In step #5 when the dough is patted into a thick rectangle, start rolling it up from one of the longest sides of the rectangle (vs a short side). Does that help?
I made the bread according to the recipe, using bread flour and instant yeast. I placed ice cubes in a tray underneath the bread. I baked both loaves at the same time, side by side. They came out beautifully! Thank you!
I made this recipe for my family and THEY COULD NOT GET ENOUGH!
They thought I had bought it from a bakery!
It turned out, light and fluffy inside with that crispy outside. Absolute perfection!
I used a loaf to make garlic bread and that was an enormous hit as well!
Hi I just finished making this last night, I want to use it Saturday for French toast, how do you recommend storing it?
I usually store sealed in a bag (once it has cooled completely).
Your bread looks delicious and I would like to try it. Just a little note, technically French bread does not have any kind of fat added, but Italian loafs do.
Hi! My bread came out very light in color. For some reason I’m not able to get that beautiful golden color. Do you know what the reason might be?
Hi Sabina, you can try increasing your oven temperature by 25 degrees and/or moving the oven rack to middle or upper middle position (I’ve found this helps my rolls or free-formed bread brown better).
Is the rise method an either or? Or do you do both rises?
The dough needs to rise but you can use either method #1 (rise in one big mass in a bowl) OR method #2 (rise in 10 minute increments).
This was so easy and turned out so yummy!
I’ve made this bread twice in 2 nights. We love this recipe. The bread tastes amazing, the texture is perfect and the crust is exactly how I like it. My boyfriend waited and waited to cut it but then photographed it first. Haha That was flattering. I used bread flour the first time and all purpose flour the second time. I think, I like the Ap best, but both were delicious! Thank you for a great recipe! I can’t wait to use this recipe on holidays.
Can’t wait to make this! If I plan on refrigerating the dough overnight, should I shape it into loaves first? (I am a novice baker). Also, how long would I wait to bake it after removing it from the fridge?
I would shape into loaves and then refrigerate. After you take it out of the fridge, I’d let the dough come to room temperature and continue rising until puffy.
I haven’t made bread in years and finally decided to give it a go. I used bread flour and followed the recipe perfectly and the bread came out absolutely delicious. Thank you for sharing!!
Easy and yummy!
Made this bread. Two large loafs! It was oh so good! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
bread tasted great but my loaves were flattened. they rose great both times and when i put them in the oven it flattened. any tips?
Try adding a bit more flour, if they flatten while they rise or bake it usually means the dough needs more flour for structure and/or they should rise for a little less time.
I made this bread today and almost half a loaf is gone. It is a very, very easy recipe to follow and the results had my hubby drooling.
Thank you for giving me confidence to bake bread, something I was always reluctant to do before, but it is easier than baking cookies or cakes! So little work for great results.
So good! Thanks for the recipe.
I’m not picky about fresh-baked bread (it’s all good!) but this was indeed tasty AND easy. I kneaded by hand and let it rise en masse. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m curious why your loaves have smooth, round ends, rather than looking rolled up like a cinnamon roll log?
Also, how do you keep your dough from spreading across the pan during the second rise?
This bread was pretty good the first day (a little dense but not chewy), but it was a bit chewy and not as good the next day.
This bread is definitely best fresh/same day. I tuck the ends of the loaves under so they are smooth and round. If the dough is spreading during rising, you probably need to add a bit more flour to the dough or roll/form into tighter loaves.
This recipe is excellent. Very easy to make and the results were outstanding. I did not use my Kitchen Aid mixer, I did it by hand and it came out perfect. I baked them on my pizza stone with parchment . Thank you for sharing such a great recipe
Best bread recipe I’ve ever used.
Family adore it.
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe.
It turned out delicious! I used bread flour and good olive oil and yes I added the salt. My husband loved it!
This is my go to recipe for bread. I use it for rolls, burger buns, brat buns, and French bread loaves. My favorite
Do you just shape into the type of rolls you want after first rise?
What if you use butter instead of oil to give the bread a buttery taste? Will it work?
You can definitely try – should work fine.
So excited to try this! Would you recommend the same kneading time (3-5min) if you are doing it by hand rather than in the mixer?
If making by hand, I’d suggest kneading for double the time.
WOW!! Without a doubt this is one of the very best bread recipes I’ve tried in many years!! The texture is exceptional and the taste is perfection!! I know I will be making this frequently for quite some time! Simply scrumptious!! Thank you!!
Can the dough be kept in the fridge before the final rise and baking? Some of my recipes encourage 2-3 days in the fridge.
Yes, the dough should do fine in the refrigerator.
It did end up working out very well – it works great to bake some right away and the rest a few days later. There’s just two of us now, so we get the freshest outcome that way. 😉
Easy recipe and amazing taste. First made on New Year and now making twice every week. Stopped buying bread from store. Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful recipe!
THANK YOU! I tried this recipe and it turned out great!
Hi! I made this yesterday and halved the recipe. It turned out so well, I made another one. It is so freakin’ easy! Question, though. After spreading out the dough, prior to rolling up, would it hurt anything to sprinkle cinnamon/sugar and then roll? It seems such a mild and soft dough you could flavor it. TIA!
I haven’t tried that but it’s certainly worth a try!
I don’t know how to rate this recipe but it is 6 Stars for me! I made this with whole red wheat and added the gluten like you suggested. Topped it with some honey out of oven and let the honey soak in for a day. It is soooo light! Never made a wheat bread that wasn’t heavy. I’ll let you know how the cinnamon turns out. Thank you!
Can you make the dough, let it rise first time and put it in the fridge and bake the next day?
Thanks
I haven’t tried that but usually yeast bread dough does fine refrigerated overnight.
Oh my goodness, I just made this and sprinkled everything bagel seasoning on it right before I put it in the oven and it is so very very very good. I will be using this recipe often can’t wait to take it tomorrow my family for lunch after church. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Absolutely delicious and easy to make! I have made this a few times and the bread has come out great each time. It’s very hard to not devour the entire loaf with butter when it come out of the oven!
Do you think that bread flour would be good for this recipe?
Yep! Works great.
I’ve made this recipe twice, first time flat, second flawless in looks but it tasted like sourdough. And it wasn’t as airy as I wanted it to be. What did I do wrong? My family loved it but I wasn’t a fan. How long should it rest after baking? I’ve got plenty of supplies for trial and error
If the bread was flat, it sounds like it needs a bit more flour to hold the structure of the bread as it rises. This bread isn’t airy and filled with holes like an artisan bread (that starts with a very wet dough). The crumb is tighter than that type of bread.
Made this and LOVE it. Very easy recipe to follow and results were perfect.
Could you let this rise in a banneton basket for shape, or does it have to be rolled?
Yes, you definitely can…I did that today with a double batch I made of this bread.
What a great way you phrase the ways to mix-after reading & successfully getting two loaves-I wish I had read it through twice&cooked them one at a time-must find how you get credit for the Amazon kit – lame& soon the weird pans you showed-
This was fantastic!!! Great recipe for beginners. I chose rise option 2 and threw 4 ice cubes in a separate cookie sheet under the bread in the oven. Wonderful rise, texture, and flavor. Will definitely use this one again and again!
I have made this recipe dozens of times and it always comes out perfect. I was wondering if you think I could turn it into rolls. I need some good crusty roll for french dips…any suggestions? Thanks!
The dough should work great as rolls! I’d roll them into balls (about 2.5-3 ounces each), let them rise and bake them for 15-17 minutes.
Made it a couple days ago and am already making it again. I halved the recipe and it came out perfectly (all purpose flour, active dry yeast since it’s what I had on-hand, the rest & stir down method, and used a lame to slash the loaf before rising). The loaf was huge! I am making the recipe again right now, this time doing the full recipe, and I plan to divide into 4 loaves, 3 of which I’ll freeze after baking. There are only 2 of us, and so I ended up eating 3/4 of the giant loaf in 2 days, whoops! Hopefully this spreads the wealth a bit. Am looking forward to making this for friends & neighbors in the future.
I used the french bread pans advertised above. They rose over the sides. Any suggestions?
You could try forming longer skinnier loaves or make three loaves out of the batch (also take care not to let the bread rise too long).
Great recipe! My only issue was my crust wasn’t as golden and crispy as it appears in your picture. Tasted great though and super easy to follow for a bread making rookie.
I’ve never made bread of any kind. This being my first attempt I had so many questions of the process and the end result after hearing how tricky it can be – well, it wasn’t at all. I followed to recipe to a “T” (1/2 batch) and it worked perfectly. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, not a ton of flavor but wasn’t expecting too much. Made great French toast!
This is a perfect intro to bread making. Thanks for sharing!
2020 has been the year where I learned to make bread. I made all kinds of bread. And this, which I made on the last day of 2020, is the best! My kids and husband and I filled out bellies!
Have you ever used high gluten flour before? I have been trying to use it up. In the beginning of April after everything went nutty in the world, it was all I could find and I do not want to waste it. So even though I really don’t care for it too much, I try to use it. Works fine for cookies. Well I have been waiting for it to rise for a good hour and its not rising. So any suggestions on what to do now would be greatly appreciated. I suppose I may need to just toss it if not….
Hi Connie, is it bread flour?
I did make this bread several times before. It’s a fantastic recipe! It’s not a traditional French bread recipe but it does make a fabulous tasty and beautiful bread. Wish I could post pictures with this comment because my bread came out stunning.
My bread was done but didn’t really come out as brown and crispy looking. Any tips for what might have gone wrong?
You can try increasing the oven temp by 25 degrees and also baking the bread on a higher oven rack (I find the best browning happens above the halfway mark).
This is a good loaf of bread. That being said I think it lacks the typical French bread flavor. Possibly fermentation would make it taste more like French bread. Regardless it’s good bread and I’ll make it again.
Nothing better than the perfect French baguette! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
I’d like to make this for Christmas so is there a way that I can pre-make the dough and either freeze it or partially cook the bread so it comes out of the oven crispy and fresh on Christmas day?
I am not the author, but this is a pretty standard recipe and nearly the same as mine. You can freeze the dough at any point after the first rise. Let it come to room temperature, work it into a loaf and allow it to rise a final time and it’s good to go!
I would like to make this in one loaf, preferably in a bakers pan. What temperature and length of time would I use? I have clay pans (Emile Henry).
I love your recipe.
I’m making bread pudding and have always used French Bread.
Thank you!
I don’t have or use clay pans so I’m not sure how they bake, but you could try 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes and see how that goes. Good luck!
I would like to make this in one loaf, preferably in a bakers pan. What temperature and length of time would I use? I have clay pans (Emile Henry).
I love your recipe.
I’m making bread pudding and have always used French Bread.
Thank you!
What would be some suggestions if I wanted to cook both loaves at the same time? Use a bigger baking sheet and rotate during cooking? Does it matter if loaves are horizontal or vertical when cooking two? Also does this freeze well after baking & what’s the best way to reheat ? Thank you so much!
It doesn’t or shouldn’t matter how the loaves are shaped. You can experiment cooking both loaves at once by rotating the pans. Yes, it freezes well after baking.
How do I half this recipe. I only want one loaf. It looks really good but I know you’re not supposed to just half everything. So how should I half this properly.
I would suggest halving all the ingredients – should work just fine (just keep an eye on the flour amount and judge the exact amount based on the texture of the dough).
I just made it and it’s so good! It was so easy and I can’t wait to make it again!
The ice cubes tip was great. Recipe turned out a perfect french bread. Made a garlic bread on 1 out of the 2.
I’ve made this recipe a couple of times now and while it is easy… this bread has NO flavor. It’s incredibly bland… maybe I’m doing something wrong but I did follow directions and added ice cubes to oven.Next time I might try to experiment with adding more salt or sugar?? Or I’ll probably just look for a different recipe.
I have seen some other recipes call for baking at 400 or 450. What is the reason for 375? Genuinely curious as to what the higher temp does for it? Would it rise more or have a thicker crust?
Every recipe has differences – I like the 375 degree temp for a slightly lighter, less dense crust.
I wanted some French bread to go with a pot of chicken soup and didn’t want to venture into a store just for a baguette. This fit the bill perfectly! I think I could have used a little more flour – at the end of the 1st rise, it was just a bit stickier than I thought it was at the beginning. They still turned out great! Most of my bread making has been rye breads in pans. I tried to minimize loaf spread by placing wine bottles under the parchment on each side of each loaf during the 2nd rise. No idea if this was actually beneficial or not but they came out looking like loaves of French bread! I’m looking forward to making future batches. Thanks!
Kevin! Hopefully you solved my issues of the bread spreading out! Using wine bottles!! Brilliant. My bread is always 4 feet wide and 1 inch high!! Hope this does the trick! Thanks!
This was my second time making bread and I loved this recipe!!! It was so easy and it turned out amazing! Very nice crunch on the outside and very fluffy on the inside!
Has anyone tossed the ice cubes in a sheet pan underneath the baking bread? I don’t want to break the oven. It’s not mine.
I did this today and it worked out! I live in an apartment and wasn’t willing to risk ruining my landlords oven
I am not a baker! This recipe caught my eye and so I said why not! OMG! I even surprised myself with how good it turned out. The whole family loved it! One of my son’s said “ wow, it looks like the one from the store”.
I have bookmarked this recipe for future needs. I will for sure bake this again!
Great recipe Mel! I usually do my french stick with sourdough but I was in a hurry and this turned out really well. I especially liked the ice cube trick! I sometimes put a dish of water in but last week I broke a dish in the oven and this trick is much easier!
Im not sure why others fail at this recipe, I make it on average twice a week. I do sometimes add a quarter cup of sourdough starter (because I have the starter but not the patience to make that bread) in place of the last quarter cup of water. This does give the bread a bit of additional flavor for those who feel it is lacking.
Excellent recipe, first time success, just need confirmation of “cup” amount in grams for U.K. going to try more of your recipes. Thanks for helping me take a step forward.
I halved this recipe and boy does my family wish I hadn’t. I went with the original amount of salt and can see why the poster cut it down a bit. It wasn’t too overwhelming, but it was a lot of salt flavor. All in all it tasted great and the texture was perfect, I’ll definitely be using this recipe again.
Has anyone ever used a pizza stone to bake these on? I was thinking it might do a great job crisping them (of course they would be on parchment paper that would first go on the pizza stone until they are crisp enough on the bottom to remove the paper).
Hello,
First let me start by saying that this was my very first time making bread from scratch. I feel like I followed the recipe but my bread came out flat and pale. Did I under or over proof it? Also, how do you get a nice golden color on the bread?
It does taste good, so I’m definitely going to eat but I want to be able to improve it.
Hey Katie, just scrollin’ the comments and noticed yours, without any reply. 🙁
Flat is a very big problem, and could be related to the following? In order of importance?
Yeast. Internet “proofing yeast”, which will give you tons of info related to your specific yeast and techniques. Get this right e.g. make sure your yeast is proofing or bread-making will just go sideways. Thermometer for your proper proofing water temp is the only tool I might suggest.
Kneading. Might as well internet that as well. After making sure yeast is truly active, an appropriate amount of kneading for your recipe is pretty important. Sometimes less is better…for a beginner I would pick a less is better recipe. Try inter-netting “no-knead bread”, and I bet you’ll get very rewarding recipe ideas.
Proofing. All about the yeast first, and then kneading. if it ain’t rising, those steps failed.
if this advice fails…I’m sorry. Maybe replace your yeast (it can go bad quick), and start again! Bread can be very easy, but has some tricky beginnings before you can bake multiple loaves a day!
I am vegan and love this recipe made it so many times. I was wondering if I can make them into like small bread loaves instead of two big ones. If so would the temperature or time change?
Yes, absolutely! The baking temperature stays the same but you might want to check them about 5-7 minutes early (depending on the size of the loaves).
My second time making this & it has been great both times. I used Option #1 for rising.
Very easy to make in the stand mixer, almost zero cleanup!
My go to recipe for French bread, we use this for pizzas, meatball subs or just as a side with dinner. I’ve made it probably 10 times and always perfect
Horrible. Dry and crumbly. Worst recipe ever
Perhaps you didn’t follow the recipe? I just made it and they came out perfect.
This a great recipe! Delicious bread! Great texture. I added “Everything bagel” seasoning after the egg wash to one of those loaves, and it was delicious.
This recipe is delicious. I’ve never made French bread before and it turned out great. !, thanks for the recipe. I will be making this bread again. I wanted French bread for beef dips but didn’t want to go out… yumm
Why is there no egg?
Hard as a rock
Full offence, you did something wrong here. I’ve made this like 3 times already and its always turned out very soft and fluffy, not “hard as a rock”
Maybe you used dead yeast and burnt it?
Also tons of breads don’t use eggs. Dairy is not a requirement for delicious.
I have seen other French bread recipes suggest leaving a cast iron skillet in the lowest rack and using that as the place to put your ice cubes or just a cup of boiling water, to create the steam. No need to worry over whether the oven can handle the ice cubes.
My wife stores our cast iron skillet in the oven when the oven is not in use., so I would use the skillet for the above technique.
Very easy and very good! I have also mixed it up with wheat flour, turns out wonderful every time ! I divide into four loaves, bake and then freeze a couple loaves! Nothing like homemade bread! I’m not sure why a few people have given negative comments because this recipe is as I said very easy and delicious! Thank you for sharing!
I make your white sandwich bread every weekend. Absolutely awesome! I totally trusted your recipe to venture out to French Bread. It’s baking now and so far has been absolutely perfect! I used method 1 for the first rise and the dough feel was great when done. I was daring and scored the bread after the second rise. Had to adapt and use a thoroughly cleaned cutter that normally serves in the garage. Super sharp and worked like a charm. Have now ordered a lame only addition was an egg wash and a valiant attempt to cook two loaves on one pan. If that doesn’t work, that’s on me, the product going in was perfect. Baking keeps me happy, so this is a great addition to my repertoire.
The finished product was amazing! Loved by my whole family and half a loaf sent home for lunch box treat for the grandkids ❤️
Made this bread for the first time tonight. We all loved it, especially the crisp crust! I have been baking bread for some time now, and really enjoy finding new recipes! I only baked one loaf, because I decided to freeze half of the dough after the first rise (I’ve done that before with other bread doughs and have had success). I would’ve liked to see a video on shaping the dough, as my loaf did expand (widen) a bit more than I would’ve liked it to, and it was a very long loaf! I felt like the texture/feel of the dough after being kneaded was good, but perhaps I will add a bit more flour next time and it won’t spread out as much. I have always done an egg wash over my breads before baking, and so did that with this too. It did have a nice shine. I used a lame to slash it, as well. Overall, delicious bread and easy to make! Thanks for sharing and I’ll be watching for that video!
This is an excellent french bread recipe that doesn’t last long in my house. Yes, it is that good.
This is now my go to recipe! Everyone thought that it was bakery grade. One suggestion for cutting slits that works well for me is using scissors. It helps avoid deflation.
First time making bread. Brand new kitchen aid mixer. Came out perfect! I did the pit in a bowl for an hour rise and shaped mine into round loaves. My hubby loved it. Excellent flavor nice crust. Thank you Mel.
Seriously, 1 Tablespoon of active dry yeast? I figure you would’ve caught the mistake before 12 years went by, but a Tablespoon?
I am kind of confused by your comment. How is this a mistake? I’ve been making this recipe with 1 tablespoon yeast for almost 15 years – turns out great!
I think what Alex means is a tablespoon of active dry yeast is a TON of yeast for homemade breads. Most NY style pizza recipes call for 1/4 teaspoon of yeast, because using more than that causes the bread to taste very yeasty and turns it grey/brown in color. This recipe is similar to most pizza recipes, except for the amount of yeast. That is a lot of yeast.
Most bread recipes call for a packet of yeast, which is 2 1/4 teaspoons. A tablespoon is three teaspoons. Having made this recipe along with many others, this recipe uses less yeast per loaf that most other bread recipes. Pizza dough doesn’t need as much yeast because it ends up being flat anyway. I’ve never had a problem with bread being too yeasty either, and this is a phenomenal recipe. You did a great job Mel, thank you for the great recipe!
This may be why several comment that their loaves were flat – they may have used 1 packet instead of 1 tablespoon.
Sometimes I think trolls like this just have zero life. I just made these and totally came out perfect with 1 TABLESPOON of yeast… which also happens to be the exact amount they give you in the single serving packets….
This is my favorite bread recipe! I make it every week for my family. However, we are moving to a state with a much lower altitude than where we currently live. Do you have any suggestions for what I may need to change?
Hi Laura, I would suggest making the bread as is and see how it goes. Chances are you may not need to change much (possibly adding a bit less flour but maybe not)
I love this recipe! Sometimes I add butter Cinnamon and sugar before I roll it up. My daughter who has five kids puts cheese and ham in before rolling. Best recipe ever, thanks so much.
Had to scroll for 5 minutes are so to get to the recipe. Did not bother with the recipe.
Not sure if you know, but I don’t want anyone missing out on this great recipe…….. there is a link directly under the title at the top of the post that reads “jump to recipe”. If you click the link, you can bypass the blog post.
Hi Mel,
Sorry for the extreme rudeness and lack of brain power from some of your commentors. I hope that doesn’t discourage you from releasing recipes. Thanks for all you do!
Thanks for your kindness, Allison! I’m not going anywhere! 🙂 But I really do appreciate the comments that are civil and kind (even if they don’t love the recipe!).
Tastes ok. Ended up flat and pale and not at all appealing looking. Not sure what I did wrong.
If it went flat, you most likely over proofed it. “French” bread isn’t meant to be incredibly flavorful. The goal is a pretty neutral bread you can dip, or add flavor on top of.
Mine is also pretty flat and pale, unfortunately.
Thank you! I chose this recipe because I just bought a perforated sandwich bread pan that would accommodate five, foot-long subs. This recipe worked out perfect. I tossed everything in the bread machine on dough cycle. I should have transferred it to another bowl because it rose to the very top, thankfully didn’t spill over. But I really loved the crisp crust and tender interior. We enjoyed them as carne asada tortas and will have them for cheesesteaks. Also looking forward to trying other readers creations.
My family loves the bread and asks me to make it once or sometimes twice in a week. It is so easy! I add garlic salt just before I place the bread in the oven. Thanks.
The hardest part of this recipe is the waiting! Amazingly flavorful and delightful. I’m going to devour the rest of the loaf before my husband gets here.
I just ran a crossed this today, I have made 2 loads, one soft crust other crunchy. Have to say it was really good bread.
I don’t normally comment on recipes, but this one is so good and foolproof that I felt compelled. My rating is for the recipe exactly as written. I’ve also found that it makes excellent sandwich bread. I follow the recipe to the end, but instead of rolling into loaves, I put into two 9” loaf pans. Rise and bake time is no different. I also like to make one of the loaves with fresh chopped rosemary. This is my go to recipe for every day bread!
Kevin! Hopefully you solved my issues of the bread spreading out! Using wine bottles!! Brilliant. My bread is always 4 feet wide and 1 inch high!! Hope this does the trick! Thanks!
I am a novice bread baker trying to improve my skills. I have made this recipe twice and it turns out so beautifully every time! Thank you for such an easy recipe that yields perfect results! I would love to try the whole wheat version next.
I’ve used this recipe countless times and it always comes out amazing. The ice trick changed my life. This is the perfect french bread!
Needed a quick French bread for family dinner tonight, made this recipe, both loaves look beautiful, house smells wonderful – can’t wait for the family to show up – thanks for the recipe!
Can you cook this on foil instead of parchment paper?
All I had was wax paper or foil.
I just baked directly on the baking sheet, as I also did not have parchment.
The crust didn’t stay “crunchy” once it cooled. Any suggestions?
No punching down after the second rose method?
You kinda end up punching it down when you roll it out into the rectangles, so not really necessary.
First time ever making any kind of bread. I baked it for 25 minutes, took it out put some butter . Then put it in for another 5 minutes.
The crust is golden…but not brown. Also, it’s kind of crumbly, but it doesn’t actually crumble. I was making this for bruschetta …but I don’t think it will work.
Where did I go wrong? Should I have baked it longer? Suggestions?
Have you checked your oven temperature? (I recognize I’m a few months late!)
I had this struggle when my oven was dying and the temperature wasn’t actually hitting my set point.
I have made this recipe multiple times. I love it and so does everyone else who eats some. It is gone within two days or less. I have also used it to make garlic bread and it was the perfect bread to do so.I recently got whole wheat flour and want to use it in this recipe by substituting all the all purpose flour for whole wheat. You mention adding a couple of tablespoons of gluten flour if using 100% whole wheat flour. Is this vital gluten flour? How much tablespoons would you recommend?
Yes, gluten flour is sometimes labeled vital wheat gluten. For this recipe, I’d use about 1/4 cup.
I just made this bread today after meaning to make it for over a month, and it ended up absolutely beautifully. I would 100% recommend this to any first-time baker. This was my first time making actual loaves of bread, having done bread machine bread (that turned out badly) and breadsticks (that turned out beautifully), and they came out soft, fluffy, and flavorful with a crispy crust that started quite dull. However, as soon as I brushed it with the melted butter, the color became absolutely vibrant and shiny, and the loaves were picturesque. I’m going to use one on its own and one to make into garlic bread!
just made this as my first time ever baking bread!! the recipe was easy and yields delish results. thank u so much!
I cut recipe down to 2/3 and it made two beautiful french baguettes. Only rose each time in warmed oven for 1 hr! Baked 30 minutes. Texture was light and delicious. This will be my go to recipe from now on! The quickest and best recipe I’ve ever made!
I really liked the ease of this bread recipe. When searching for a good recipe ,I also looked at the pics, and yours looked lovely. However, I found my bread looked nothing like yours ! It was dull looking ,not golden and shiny. Tasted good ,but I was after that nice shiny golden crust. I did my own searching and found the egg white and water glaze ,Viola!! Now it looked more like yours. It was disappointing that you did not give out that information with your recipe. I know to get that crust that a glaze was needed. Bread tastes great!!
Mine came out like that, but the melted-butter wash will fix that up quick- it enhances the color and the shine!
The amount of time I’ve made this bread is ridiculously high. I love it and while I make changes (add more flour since my dough is always wet) I make round loaves, brush oil on the bottom and top, bake at 425 they always turn out perfect and I love it!!!
Hosnetly my favorite recipe!! A useful thing I learnt from a.frined is to get a spray bottle with water put the loaf in the oven and spray and much water as you can on the loaf it will help the get the crust, instead of the icecubes.
Do you think you could make this a day ahead a refrigerate it before it does the second rise?
Usually bread dough like this does well being refrigerated so I think that should work.
I made this recipe but added chopped fresh Rosemary. It was beautiful and DELICIOUS!