This amazing French bread recipe yields 2 soft, chewy loaves. Perfect to serve with dinner or to use for sandwiches!
Serve this delicious bread with copycat Panera broccoli cheese soup, 30-minute clam chowder, or slow-cooker Zuppa Toscana soup!
Make bakery-worthy French bread from home. It's easy, requires minimal ingredients, and is delicious!
Why I Like This Recipe
- Versatile recipe. Make into loaves, rolls, or mini loaves!
- Simple ingredients. You only need a few basic pantry ingredients to make two loaves of homemade French bread.
- Soft and chewy. The exterior is perfectly structured and chewy, and the center is incredibly soft!
What Others Are Saying
Thanks for this wonderful recipe....it came out so well, I add some puppy seeds to mine...looks so pretty and is so delicious.---Meyline
I've recently been adding in wheat flour and reducing white flour. We are loving it. Love the mini loaves.---Stephanie
Just tried this recipe yesterday and it was delicious! Thanks!---Polly
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Tips and Tricks
- Shaping the Dough: You can roll the dough into a loaf shape by hand, or roll it out into a rectangular shape with a rolling pin, then roll it up (like you would for cinnamon rolls), pinching the bottom seam and ends. The second method is how I shape homemade bread, but either method works just fine.
- Pans to Use: I purchased this loaf pan a couple of years ago, and I like using it for baguettes and French bread. It helps the loaves keep their shape. Before I had this pan, I baked my loaves on greased baking sheets. How you bake your loaves is completely up to you. They will be delicious either way.
- Scoring: I'm not that great at scoring my bread, but it helps prevent it from splitting or bursting during baking. It also helps create a more uniform shape. I use an Xacto knife and slash the bread diagonally 4 times across the top. (Watch my video to see how I do this. You can also get a bread lame to score your bread.
- Brushing your loaves with an egg-white wash: This will give them a nice shine. It is also a great way to keep seeds and toppings from falling off the bread. Simply brush the loaves with a mixture of an egg white and 2 T. water. Then sprinkle with sesame seeds, etc., if you'd like. I also add an egg wash to my homemade Parmesan bagels. It keeps the cheese from falling off during baking.
- Steam: Adding steam during the baking process helps create a chewy crust. You can toss a handful of ice cubes into the bottom of your oven when you place the loaves in, or you can do what I do — place a shallow pan of water on the bottom rack. I use an 8x8 brownie pan and fill it about an inch with water. Then I preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake the loaves with the pan of water still in the oven.
Ingredients
- Warm water: The perfect water temperature for making bread is between 105 and 115 degrees.
- Sugar
- Active dry yeast 2 packets: Can also use instant yeast. My favorite is Fleischmann's Instant Dry Yeast.
- Salt: For flavor.
- Vegetable oil: For texture.
- Bread flour or all purpose flour
- Egg white + water: This creates an egg wash to add shine and amazing texture to the crust.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Make French Bread
Step 1: In a large bowl, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let it stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
Step 2: To the yeast mixture, add the oil, salt, and 2 cups of flour. Stir in the remaining flour, ½ cup at a time, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl.
Step 3: Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, 3-5 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat.
Step 4: Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Step 5: Deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 2 pieces.
Step 6: Shape each piece into a loaf. Place on a greased baking sheet or French bread pan. Score 4 times across the top with a sharp knife.
Step 7: Cover the loaves with a towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
Step 8: Place a shallow pan with 1" of water on the bottom rack of the oven (I use an 8x8 brownie pan). This will create steam while the loaves bake. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 9: Beat water and egg white in a small bowl with a fork until mixed. Brush over loaves.
Step 10: Bake loaves for 25 minutes or until golden on top. Brush with melted butter (optional)
French Bread FAQs
This will give them a nice shine. It is also a great way to keep seeds and toppings from falling off the bread. Simply brush the loaves with a mixture of an egg white and 2 T. water. Then sprinkle with sesame seeds, etc., if you'd like. I also add an egg wash to my homemade Parmesan bagels. It keeps the cheese from falling off during baking.
Adding steam during the baking process helps create a chewy crust. You can toss a handful of ice cubes into the bottom of your oven when you place the loaves in, or you can do what I do — place a shallow pan of water on the bottom rack. I use an 8x8 brownie pan and fill it about an inch with water. Then I preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake the loaves with the pan of water still in the oven.
Divide the French bread dough into 16 rolls. Place on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise 40 minutes. Brush with egg wash and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Brush with melted butter.
More Bread Recipes To Make
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Amazing Homemade French Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups warm water
- 1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
- 2 Tbsp. white sugar
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups flour all purpose or bread flour
- melted butter for brushing
Egg Wash
- 1 egg white
- 2 Tbsp. water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
- To the yeast mixture, add the oil, salt, and 2 cups flour. Stir in the remaining flour, ½ cup at a time, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, 3-5 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat.
- Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
- Deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 2 pieces.
- Shape each piece into a loaf. Place on greased baking sheet or French bread pan. Score 4 times across the top with a sharp knife.
- Cover the loaves with a towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
- Place a shallow pan with 1" of water on bottom rack of oven (I use an 8x8 brownie pan). This will create steam while the loaves bake. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Beat water and egg white in a small bowl with a fork until mixed. Brush over loaves.
- Bake loaves for 25 minutes or until golden on top.
- Brush with melted butter.
Notes
Nutrition
Paul Osborn says
I could not find the video for the French bread nor the hamburger Buns
Brandy says
Hi! The videos play right underneath the first image in the post. I’m seeing them so make sure you don’t have a pop up/ad blocker on your browser. 🙂
doris says
can you use 2 8x4 or 9x5 loaf pan since thats all I have cuz it looks so good
Brandy says
I don't see why not! Let me know how it turns out!
Katrina says
Do you think the mini loaves would freeze well? How long would these loaves last in the fridge? Thanks!
Brandy says
Hi Katrina! I haven't tried freezing or refrigerating them, but I would imagine they'd freeze like any other homemade bread and be just fine!
carol jonovic says
looks so good, can I kneed this with my mixer and dough hook?
Brandy says
Absolutely!
Polly @ Helping Little Hands says
Just tried this recipe yesterday and it was delicious! Thanks!
Erica says
mmmm...french bread rolls, what a good idea!
thanks for sharing!
Jess says
Found you on Hodge Podge Friday. This sounds yummy. I have been looking for a good recipe to make homemade bread bowls for soups. I will have to try this one.
Jess
littlecountrycorner.blogspot.com
Jessica @ O. Alouette says
That looks so good!! I can't wait to try the recipe out. Thanks for sharing!
Robin says
Oh my goodness! Those loaves look scrumptious...I can almost smell them cooking...sigh.
xo
Robin
All Things Heart and Home
Cristan says
This looks amazing! I can't wait to make some! Thanks for sharing! I'm your newest follower. Would love for you to check out my blog at http://coffeecupsandcrafts.blogspot.com/
Stephanie says
That's the same recipe I use. 🙂 I've recently been adding in wheat flour and reducing white flour. We are loving it. Love the mini loaves.
Crystal Hendrix says
Thanks for the recipe! IT looks sooo yummy!!
What I like was how you split it up into mini loaves and used them for sandwiches!! That is such a good idea! I would never have thought to do that! 😀 Can't wait to try it!
Katertot says
I can smell it baking already! 🙂
meyline says
Thanks for this wonderful recipe....it came out so well,,,I add some puppy seeds to mine...looks so pretty and is so delicious.
Brandy says
I'm so glad! I need to try that with the poppy seeds too!
Bianca @ Walnut Avenue says
I want to eat this loaf right off my screen. My husband is a freak about bread (see latest blog post) and will love this! I am hopping over from Hope Studios Linky ParTay!
Donna H. says
I LOVE to make homemade bread and love this idea of using the mini loaf pan. I'm going to look to purchase one. Great for sharing little loaves with friends and neighbors. 🙂