Homemade French Bread doesn’t get any easier than this. The perfect golden crust on the outside & soft & chewy on the inside, and the best part is that it is ready in just about an hour. You can’t help but fall in love.
My friends, I think it is fair to say that I have an obsession with bread. No matter the occasion, I always gravitate toward the bread recipes & this Homemade French Bread is no different. Bonus for me that it is so simple to make.
I’m sure that I should probably kick it back when it comes to bread, or really, carbs in general. But man oh man do I love some good bread. It pairs so perfectly with just about anything.
I mean, when I was at my last conference I think I ended up eating at least 6-8 dinner rolls in a 3 day period of time. There was even a day when I had 2 dinner rolls & a brownie as my lunch.
But in all fairness, the other food being served posed some allergy issues for me, so that was pretty much what I was left with. But still.
Homemade French Bread Recipe
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I’m not at all complaining, I was perfectly happy living off of bread for days. My pants, not so much. But I was sure happy while it lasted.
When it comes to bread, french bread is at the top of my list of favorites. I always say I will make my own & for years I just kept putting it off. Until I finally had a free Saturday & made it happen.
I honestly can’t believe that it took me as long as it did to make it. I’m sort of shooting myself now because it wasn’t hard or time-consuming at all. So there really wasn’t a reason for me to procrastinate as I did.
This homemade french bread recipe is amazing!
Here are some commonly asked questions
Does this really take an hour?
Yes- I know that it is hard to believe, but yes you can make bread in just about an hour.
Unlike my One Hour Dinner Rolls that literally take exactly 60 minutes to make, or my 30-Minute Garlic Parmesan Dinner Rolls that take 30-minutes right on the dot, this French bread recipe comes in at about 65-70 minutes depending on how warm your kitchen is when you are proofing the yeast & letting the dough rise.
Still not too bad for a bread recipe, right?!
What is the best way to store this Homemade French Bread?
While you can keep it in an airtight container on the counter or in the pantry, I have found that since it doesn’t contain any preservatives, it lasts the longest when refrigerated.
Just pull it out about 15 minutes before you want to enjoy it so it can warm up to room temperature. Or if you plan on toasting it, just slice it straight from the fridge.
Can this recipe be doubled?
I don’t recommend doing this, because even with my pro-sized mixer, the dough fills the bowl. Doubling it would make it really difficult to mix & knead as needed. I have however made back-to-back batches.
While one round is raising, I will have another batch proofing so those loaves are ready to bake as soon as the others come out. We sure like our French bread in this house.
How many loaves does this make?
This recipe makes 3 decent-sized loaves. We like to enjoy one right away when it is still warm, right out of the oven. I then plan my meals for the next few days around making sure we can pair whatever it is around having this bread along with it.
HOW DO YOU MAKE Homemade French Bread?
- Dissolve the yeast in ½ cup warm water.
- In a separate mixer bowl, combine hot water, granulated sugar, table salt, oil & 3 cups of flour, and stir.
- Using the paddle attachment for the mixer, slowly fold the proofed yeast into the flour mixture.
- Add the remaining 3 cups of flour, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Once all of the flour is added, allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
- Using a dough cutter, portion the dough into 3 pieces.
- On a well-floured surface, roll each dough ball into approx. 9×12 rectangle.
- Then roll that rectangle, starting on the long end like a jelly or cinnamon roll (long way).
- Place the dough on a parchment-lined baking pan, seam side down.
- Score the bread across the top 3 or 4 times.
- Combine egg with a splash of water in a small bowl & whisk well.
- Brush the tops of the loaves with the egg wash.
- Let dough rise uncovered for 30 minutes in a warm place.
- Bake on the middle rack for 20 minutes at 375 or until golden brown.
Homemade French Bread Recipe
What baking pan do you recommend?
Honestly, I can’t live without these 3/4 sheet pans. They are the perfect size for making this bread & everything else.
I once picked up this perforated French loaf pan that is meant for making French bread loaves.
I did give them a try with this recipe & while they helped with keeping the shape, I didn’t feel they were quite necessary when it comes to this particular recipe.
Do you recommend these as a gift for the neighbors?
This Homemade French Bread recipe is perfect for giving to the neighbors. Around the holidays we like to make up a bunch of this bread and add it to a gift basket full of pasta sauces & noodles & some new pot holders.
It makes a wonderful gift & then they have an easy dinner option when they are probably tight on time during the busy holiday season.
I know that I really love a thoughtful & homemade gift like this any time of year. Add some paper plates & napkins too. I promise they will LOVE it.
How do I make the crust soft after making it?
This is easy, even though you have added the egg wash before baking, just take a little melted butter & brush it over the top of the loaves right when you pull them out of the oven.
This helps keep the crust chewy. I also like to sprinkle a little kosher salt on top of the butter, but this isn’t necessary.
How to reheat French bread?
Wrap the loaf in foil and crimp the ends tightly to close. Place the wrapped bread in the oven at 400 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the bread is warmed.
This method will help the bread retain its moisture & not get hard when reheating. I also like to just toast or broil any remaining bread once it gets to a point where it isn’t reheating well to be buttered & enjoyed that way.
Can these be made gluten-free?
I have not tried making this gluten-free. However, I have heard that there are certain gluten-free flours out there that do allow for a one-to-one replacement.
You could give them a try & see how it turns out. If you do this, please come back here & let me know the results. I would love to hear about it.
Can French bread be frozen?
Like most other baked goods, you can freeze French bread. Like most bread, it will dry out & get freezer burn quite easily, so make sure you properly wrap the loaves & keep them airtight.
Also, lean the bread up on its end against the wall to keep as little contact with the counter as it is thawing. This will prevent the bottom from possibly getting soggy while thawing.
How long does homemade French bread last?
For the best quality, flavor & texture this homemade French bread should be enjoyed within 3-4 days if it is being stored at normal room temperature.
If you live in an unusually hot, dry, or humid climate, that will change things quite a bit. This is why I prefer to store mine in the refrigerator to maintain a consistent environment & maximize its freshness.
My dough didn’t rise, what happened?
Most of the time this means your water was either too hot or too cold. If it is too hot it will kill the yeast, too cold & it just won’t rise. I find that using a thermometer helps & bringing the water to 115-125 degrees is best.
Also – check the date on the package. If the yeast is too old it won’t rise properly or at all or it could take a lot longer to rise.
What is the best yeast?
You can use rapid rise, premium, or whatever you have on hand. I buy my yeast in the bulk section of my store, so it’s not brand-name or anything fancy & it works just great.
To make this recipe you will need…
- dry yeast (or rapid-rise yeast)
- warm water
- hot water (115-125 degrees)
- granulated sugar
- table salt
- vegetable oil
- all-purpose flour- divided
- egg beaten – for glazing bread
Products I love when making Homemade French Bread…
This Homemade French Bread is so easy and delicious – and you probably already have many of these items on hand as I do!
OR If you’ve never made French Bread before, you might be a bit nervous – but you’re going to love the how easy & delicious this is. I have made a list below of the things I absolutely can’t live without when it comes to making this French bread recipe.
- mixing bowl
- mixer
- spatulas
- parchment paper
- perforated French loaf pan
- 3/4 sheet pans
- Yeast
- gluten-free flours
- Dough Scraper
- oil
- all-purpose flour
- granulated sugar
easy french bread recipe
If you love this Homemade French Bread, you’re going to love these other bread recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks
Easy Garlic Parmesan Breadsticks
30-Minute Garlic Parmesan Dinner Rolls
Heavenly One-Hour Dinner Rolls
One Hour Brown Bread Dinner Rolls
Incredibly Easy Crusty Artisan Bread
Garlic Parmesan Pull Apart Biscuits
how to make French bread
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Homemade French Bread
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp dry yeast or rapid rise yeast
- ½ cup warm water
- 2 cups hot water 115-125 degrees
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp table salt
- 5 tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 cups all-purpose flour – divided
- 1 egg beaten – for glazing bread
Instructions
- Dissolve the yeast in ½ cup of warm water.
- In a separate mixer bowl, combine the hot water, granulated sugar, table salt, oil & 3 cups of the flour. Stir.
- Using the paddle attachment for the mixer, slowly fold in the proofed yeast into the flour mixture.
- Add the remaining 3 cups of flour, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Once all of the flour is added, allow a resting period of 10 minutes.
- Using a dough cutter, portion the dough into 3 pieces.
- On a well-floured surface, roll each dough ball into approx. 9×12 rectangle.
- Then roll that rectangle, starting on the long end like a jelly or cinnamon roll (the long way).
- Place the dough on a parchment lined baking pan, seam side down.
- Score the bread across the top 3 or 4 times.
- Combine the egg with a splash of water in a small bowl & whisk well.
- Brush the tops of the loaves with the egg wash.
- Let dough rise uncovered for 30 minutes in a warm place.
- Bake on the middle rack for 20 minutes at 375 or until golden brown. It is done when it sounds hollow when tapped with your fingernail.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Yummi Haus cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
Lisa says
This bread was a big hit and I will be making it again. It truly is a one-hour recipe & making 3 loaves at once is a bonus. The one problem I had was that the dough was much too gooey so I added a significant amount of extra flour. I bake bread twice a week and I know how much weather can affect the dough. I looked to see if anyone else had this issue in a comment but didn’t see any. I’d love any hints from you as to what I did wrong.
Gina Kleinworth says
I’m not sure you did anything wrong – it could really be elevation and weather. Since you bake a lot – I would assume that you are measuring the flour correctly, so that probably isn’t the issue there. Sometimes it just needs more gluten to make it springy – which can be accomplished in the kneading process – so more kneading by hand on a well-floured surface might be the trick.
Tatiana McDowell says
Agree and I measured exactly I added 1 extra cup of flour
V says
My dough was sticky too but I just threw some extra flour down and it was no problem. My bread came out perfect and everyone loves it!!
Jerilea says
Very good. Easy and turned out great. My family enjoyed it…especially my husband.
Hannah Hornung says
This was so easy! I added 2 eggs and turned this into a braided loaf. My family was thrilled. 🙂
Thank you for the recipe!
Bree says
My first time EVER making any kind of bread besides biscuits. Really excited to see how this works out and to learn tips along my bread baking journey.
Haley Lumpkin-Kuss says
I’m not sure what I did wrong but mine came out dense and not edible.
Gina Kleinworth says
Can you tell me how you measured the flour? How fresh was your yeast? Did it rise?
JPT says
Recipe was great just as written! My family loved it.
Michelle B. says
Came out exactly as I hoped..easy and delicious..Makes it a winner in our household!
Cheryl E. says
I didn’t believe it until I tried it – 30 min from start to finish baking. This was amazing and tastes as good as any bakery french bread!!!! A definite keeper!
Samantha LaRocque says
Added three cloves of garlic and it is SO good!
Monet Dufala says
The recipe was easy to follow and quick for a bread recipe!! Thank you so much the outcome was amazing !!
Sandi C says
Hello, is this recipe available with the Ingredients show by weight. I am in the UK.
Gina Kleinworth says
I’m sorry – I don’t have the conversions. However, I have used some really great free ones available online when I am converting UK recipes to a US version.
Alicia says
Declared the best new recipe I tried of 2022 and of the entire decade. We make this twice a month and everyone goes wild for it. Some butter and flaky sea salt on top, no one can resist..
Gina Kleinworth says
That is GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m so glad you came back to share that. You made my day.
Mary says
Literally so good. I thought mine wasn’t working cause it barely rose at all. Turned out when I put it in the oven it rose right up. I did put it in while it was only just starting to preheat, not sure if that makes a difference. I ate almost an entire loaf 😬
Cass says
I have tried probably 10,000 bread recipes and managed to mess every single on up. Literally I have never made an edible loaf of bread (even with a bread maker) bread and I just don’t get along. When I say this bread came out AMAZING… it was literally perfect and I’ve been making it 2x a week since. It’s everyone’s favorite in my house we don’t buy store bought bread at all anymore. Super easy to make while doing other things too, it’s not a super attentive recipe that requires hours, just throw everything in and leave it alone. Absolutely obsessed.
Gina Kleinworth says
This just MADE MY DAY! I’m so happy to hear this – thank you for coming over to share!
Patricia L Rose says
I made this today! They were Beautiful! But they were a bit dense and not as moist! Well Guess what? I rechecked the Recipe and I forgot the Oil! I printed out this recipe and with a black magic Marker I wrote across the bottom DON’T FORGET THE OIL! The bread is still good ‘ But it would have been Perfect had I put everything in it! : – )
Nicole McMahan says
Just made this and it came out perfect! I will say that I didn’t mix my yeast with water (I used fast acting yeast). I combined my yeast with my dry ingredients, added the water and melted margarine (I didn’t have vegetable oil), then the final 3 cups of flour. Not too watery at all. Just sprinkled my hands and he dough with a little flour to roll it out.
Joyce Kraemer says
This recipe didn’t work out at all. The bread didn’t rise nor did it bake through. I had to throw it away and I had planned on serving it to guests. Very disappointed.
Gina Kleinworth says
Sounds like an issue wih the yeast. If it isn’t rising I would question if the yeast was fresh and did it proof in the beginning before you proceeded to the rest of the recipe?, what was the temperature of the water?, did it die with water that was too hot or not grow in water that was too cold?, how fresh were the other ingredients?, what was the temperature of the room? All these things play a factor in rising time – the recipe itself doesn’t dictate whether the yeast will proof and rise. Also – if the dough didn’t rise, then it would take much longer to bake through – which explains the other part of your problem.
Billy The Baking Man God says
One star for the bread not rising; sounds like a yeast problem, add more love and more stars!
Diane says
This bread is so good!!!
Thanks so much for the recipe.
Lisa James says
I am on a low sodium diet and just made this, but omitted the salt. It worked perfectly! The bread rose nicely, baked to perfection and was moist and the outside crisp. A definite keeper of a recipe!
Tiffany says
Are you supposed to knead the bread at any point?
Gina Kleinworth says
I have found that the dough gets enough work in the mixer and the shaping process. But you can give it a couple of minutes if it needs more stretch for your liking.
Janell says
This was a really good, really quick French bread recipe. I will be making this again but I think I will make it into 2 loaves i stead of 3.
BILLY THE BAKING MAN GOD SAYS says
This recipe came out perfect; no issues! I did not use a mixer; the kneading was all done by hand.