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!
This easy homemade French bread is so simple and perfect for a bread making beginner.
But as you can see from all the comments below, it’s just as valued by expert bread makers, too!
Making French Bread Dough
This straightforward bread dough can be made in a stand mixer or by hand.
- Warm water
- Yeast (instant or active dry yeast)
- Bit of sugar and oil
- Salt
- Flour (all-purpose or bread flour)
At the start, the dough will look shaggy and rough.
But as it kneads, it will become soft and smooth.
The most important part of this dough (and other yeast doughs) is to judge the amount of flour by the look and feel of the dough rather than the exact amount of flour called for in the recipe.
Factors such as humidity, elevation, room temperature, how we each measure flour, and more can affect the amount of flour added. So don’t stress about precise flour measurements and continuously feel the dough to achieve a soft dough that is slightly tacky but doesn’t leave a lot of residue on your fingers.
Too little flour and the dough will be a mess to handle. Additionally, the bread won’t hold its shape as it rises and bakes.
Too much flour and the dough won’t rise well and the bread will be tough and dense.
Two Methods for Dough Rising
In the recipe, there are two methods to letting the dough rise:
- 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.
- 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.
I alternate between the two methods depending on my mood. The 10-minute increment rising method is unique to this original French bread recipe. The idea is that allowing the dough to rise this way produces a lighter crumb.
But the more traditional rising method also results in a delicious, fluffy loaf.
How to Shape French Bread Loaves
The question I get asked the most about this easy homemade French bread is how to shape the loaves.
The loaves can really be made any size or shape; I usually end up making 12-inch loaves, but if they end up being a bit thinner or chubbier, it’s no big deal!
Press each portion of dough into a flat rectangle and fold the bottom edge up and over the dough, pressing the seam flat with your hand.
Then, roll the dough up again to meet the top edge.
Fold the top edge over and press or pinch lightly.
Take the end of the bread dough and fold it up and over an inch or two to give an even thickness all the way down the loaf.
Pinch to seal the end. Repeat on the other end of the dough.
Then, deliberately and thoroughly pinch and seal the entire length of the loaf.
How to Score the French Bread Dough
Scoring the bread dough (in my house, also called: slashing or gashing) helps the dough rise better AND prevents it from cracking in unexpected places while baking.
Using a bread lame for this task is extremely helpful. A bread lame is a long stick or utensil with a razor blade on the end. The razor is used to make thin cuts in the dough.
If you don’t have a bread lame, using a clean, sharp razor blade or an extremely sharp kitchen knife can work. Be aware that if the knife isn’t sharp enough, it’ll likely deflate the dough.
The bread loaves can be scored before or after the final rise. I prefer to do the slashing and gashing before they rise as I’ve had one too many loaves of risen bread deflate at the first touch of the razor, and there is nothing so soul crushing as when that happens.
Let the bread loaves rise until noticeably puffy before baking.
Easy Hack for Crusty French Bread
For a delicious golden crust, immediately before putting the bread in the oven, toss 3-4 ice cubes onto the bottom of the oven. Add the bread and quickly (but gently!) close the oven door.
The steam as the ice cubes hit the toasty bottom of the oven will lightly crisp up the outer crust as the bread bakes.
Important Note! Please 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).
If you are struggling to get a deeper golden crust on the French bread, try:
- Increasing the oven temperature by 25 degrees and/or
- Moving the oven rack up one position (I find my bread browns the best in the middle or upper middle area of my oven)
Whole Wheat French Bread
As noted in the recipe, French bread works quite well using whole wheat flour. I’ve found the best results are when using white whole wheat flour (red whole wheat flour makes a denser, heavier loaf).
I recommend subbing in half whole wheat flour to start and then adding more whole wheat flour as you continue to make subsequent batches of bread.
If using whole wheat flour, add a 2-3 minutes to the kneading time to help develop the gluten (also, adding a couple tablespoons of vital wheat gluten/gluten flour can also help the whole wheat bread bake up light and fluffy).
Helpful Tip: 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).
Perfect Homemade French Bread
With over 2,500 5-star reviews, this homemade French bread has become a favorite for so many of you.
Hundreds of you have let me know that you have been intimidated by homemade bread until you found this recipe! It is easy, foolproof, and will make you feel like a bread making rock star.
Helena says: Finally, after 5 failed bread attempts using other places recipes, this is THE recipe to use! Happy dance! Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe! Delicious bread!
Valerie writes: Such a fantastic, easy recipe. The “hands on” time is minimal and it comes out perfect every time. Thanks for sharing a recipe that’s become my “to do” dinner bread!
Nichole says: Followed instructions exactly! First time making any sort of bread ever. The bread turned out perfect!!!!
Pia commented: Hands down my go-to bread recipe. Today’s edition is 1/3 dark rye flour, with Italian herbs and caraway seeds mixed in and sprinkled with everything bagel topping. Yum! Best bread recipe ever, and so easily customizable!
FAQs for Homemade French Bread
Yes! Halve all the ingredients straight across – just keep an eye on the amount of flour and judge the final amount by the look and feel of the dough.
Yes, it freezes great (after baking and cooling).
Moving an oven rack up or down can help. In my oven, the bread browns best in the upper half of the oven. Also, you can try increasing the oven temp by 25 degrees.
Absolutely! You can mix the ingredients in a bowl with a spatula or spoon and knead by hand.
I always use the same amount interchangeably. Recently, I’ve heard that active dry yeast doesn’t need to be proofed in liquid first, but I always still do when using active dry yeast (no need to proof with instant yeast).
Yes, just keep an eye on baking time – smaller loaves may need less baking time.
One Year Ago: Harvest Pasta Sauce {Trader Joe’s Copycat}
Two Years Ago: Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake with Chocolate Cookie Crust
Three Years Ago: Easy Homemade Egg Noodles {Step-by-Step Pictures Include Food Processor Method or By Hand}
Four Years Ago: Black Bean and Butternut Enchilada Skillet
Five Years Ago: Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Cookies
Easy Homemade French Bread
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups warm water, 110-115 degrees F
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon instant or active dry yeast (see note)
- 2 ¼ teaspoons 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).
- With a bread lame, razor blade or VERY sharp knife, cut several gashes at an angle on the top each loaf (you can wait to score the bread until after it rises, but it can easily deflate if the razor/knife isn't sharp enough).
- Cover the loaves with greased plastic wrap or a kitchen towel, and let 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 find your bread isn't browning as much as you like, preheat the oven to 400 or 425 degrees and/or move the oven rack up one position (watch carefully so the bread, especially the bottom, doesn't burn).
- Optional: for an extra golden, crisp crust, place the loaves in the preheated oven and immediately toss 3-4 ice cubes on the bottom of the oven. Close the oven door quickly but gently. (See note below!)
- Bake the loaves for 25-30 minutes until golden and baked through.
- If desired, brush melted butter over the hot loaves (this softens the crust a bit, so if you want a crispier crust, don't butter the top).
Notes
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from The Sister’s Cafe
I wish I could show the picture the bread is so easy to make turns out great every time I make it …
I found this recipe while looking through your tips for sourdough starter. Could you use sourdough discard or starter for this recipe?
I haven’t tried that, but I’m sure you could experiment!
Do you brush the dough with anything before putting it in the oven? To help with the golden look ?
No, I don’t – but some people brush with an egg wash.
I’ve been making this for several years now and it’s a no fail recipe.
I absolutely love this recipe! I’m very new to making bread still, this is the third recipe I’ve tried and it’s definitely the winner so far! i just made the exact recipe this time but divided into four smaller loaves instead of two to make it easier to split among friends! I also sprinkle everything bagel seasoning on one just before cutting with the lame! Turns out delicious every time! Thank you for the recipe! 🙂
Lovely recipes you have and thank you for sharing it with us!
There are so many ads on the screen it’ s very slow and difficult to read.
I guess we’re supposed to accidentally click them. Adware risks is not good for your visitors.
Will have to skip this site.
The recipe and tips are free. If you read it rather than “click” you’ll never have any dealings with ads. You and your internet connection are what is slowing you down. How about being thankful for this truly amazing and easy recipe? I’m a man and never baked anything in my life. It came and comes out perfect every time.
What settings did you use on your stand mixer? I used the first setting stir in the beginning, but was not sure what setting I should movie it up to for kneading. My loafs came out tasty, but I’m sure they could have been better.
Should you knead the dough until you can do the window pane test?
Different brands of mixers might have different speeds, but I use 1 or 2 to mix and knead. I don’t necessarily use the window pane test, but you could use that to improve this bread if you are looking for little tweaks.
Hands down my go-to bread recipe.
Today’s edition is 1/3 dark rye flour, with Italian herbs and caraway seeds mixed in and sprinkled with everything bagel topping. Yum!
Best bread recipe ever, and so easily customizable!
Can I add extras like cinnamon and chocolate chips ?
I haven’t used add-ins for this recipe, but you could definitely try!
I started making bread a few months ago. This one is my favorite!
How can I make this at high altitude?
Try making it per the recipe and see how it goes? You can also google high altitude adjustments for bread if you want to try to tweak the recipe.
I have been making this bread with this recipe over and over again! It always turns out wonderfully and we love to use it for crestinis!
This is a staple in my home when my kiddos can’t seem to get enough bread! It’s fast, easy, and my family loves it. Thank you for sharing this recipe, it’s a lifetime keeper.
I’ve made this recipe lots of times. Trying it out in my steam oven today instead of using ice cubes. One question, why do you recommend rotating the sheet in the middle of the bake when doing both loaves on convection? I’ve never done it. Just curious.
It probably really just depends on the oven, but in my oven, it helps the loaves to brown evenly.
Can you cut the recipie in half
Yes
This recipe is perfection.
Mine were not crispy despite me popping ice cubes in but not the less delicious!! I will turn my oven up a bit next time and spray the loaves with water. Beautiful bread , a keeper for sure
Just made and it is amazingly delicious!!! I almost cut the recipe in half thinking it would be too much breach…but never enough bread lol. I did not use ice cubes in oven and still came out perfect!!! Another winner recipe!!! Thanks Mel
Can you omit the sugar in these recipe?
If doing this by hand without a mixer how long should you knead?
Probably 10-12 minutes – but more than anything, just keep an eye on the texture and feel of the dough and knead until it is soft and supple.
I made this today. Best bread recipe ever. My family ate it all up immediately. Now none for supper !! Thanks for your delicious recepe.
I really want to try this! Did you use regular table salt, Morton’s kosher, or Diamond Crystal Kosher? Thanks!
I use table salt. If using a coarse, kosher salt, you’ll need to increase (with Diamon crystal, you’ll likely want to double the salt amount).
For me this is a go to recipe for sandwich bread as well as a french loaf. I tried others and did not like the end results. This is easy with few ingredients and has a great flavor and crust.
I have never attended to make any kind of bread before. I followed this recipe to the letter! Even put the ice cubes in the oven. The bread turned out freaking fantastic!!!! Highly recommend
Made this for a crowd. Everyone loved it!
Thanks for the very easy and delicious bread recipe!
This is the very best bread recipe I’ve ever tried! I’ve been baking bread for years but THIS recipe is my new gem. I found it just a month ago and I’m already making it for the fourth time as I write.. It turns out PERFECT every time thanks to your fabulous directions. Thanks also for the ice cube trick! Ingenious!
Great recipi! I used a very sharp raser blade to make the slits since my knife crushed one loaf when trying, but even the flattened loaf turned out delicious! One loaf looked picture perfect and the other loaf looked like flat bread, but both were equally delicious! I used extra virgin olive oil, soo good! Better than store bought for sure! I followed the recipe exactly, great instructions!!!
I made this bread it was excellent.
This bread recipe is amazing!! Such a nice crust and soft and fluffy inside.
I made this in a dutch oven instead of on an oven tray. I also made a fruit loaf variation and put some mixed fruit, cinnamon and mixed spice in it- it was SO good!
I will definitely be using more of your recipes!
Being the first time I made it I halved the recipe. It turned out great. Love the texture. Only thing I have to say is even doing the “ice cube thing” it was crispy when it first came out of the oven byt got soft as it cooled. Next time I think I may do an egg white wash before baking to make it crispier. This recipe was a great find.
Divided the dough into thirds, spread spaghetti sauce, cheese and pepperoni on them before rolling up and baked them on a perforated baguette pan at 350 on my pellet grill. Daughter claimed it was perfection!
Just made this. The ice cube trick didn’t work for me, but the bread still came out very good. Wife and kids lived it, and so did I.
OMG! I made this for the first time tonight and followed the recipe. Here are the alterations I used : I used a pizza stone, baked the first loaf for 30 mins and it was wonderful. Then, for the second loaf, I used an egg wash and baked for 40 mins ( this one was crispier). I did BY HAND and only kneaded for the 2-3 mins. I used no more than the 6 cups of flour suggested in the recipe.
both loafs are gone lol
TRY THIS ONE OUT, just do it 😀
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