Homemade French Bread Recipe
The BEST homemade french bread recipe made in just 90 minutes! So easy to make and comes out golden and crispy on the outside, while remaining soft and chewy on the inside.
You can top with butter, garlic herb butter, honey, cinnamon butter, jam or apple butter.
RECIPE NOTES:
The key to the perfect consistency is to knead in flour a little at a time, until the dough becomes soft and not sticky.
If using a bread dough hook to knead the dough, knead the last couple of minutes by hand.
Let the dough rest a minute during the mixing process.
Let the dough rise in a warm spot by the window or on top of the stove.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and then press down with your finger tips to remove any air pockets.
Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough and any extra bubbles.
Roll the dough into a loaf and then make sure to tuck the ends under and pinch all the seams together tightly to create a nice seal.
For a crispier/shinier crust, brush 1 egg white with a teaspoon of water before baking.
For a softer and more flavorful crust, brush with melted butter right when it comes out of the oven.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
21/4 cups warm water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon instant or active dry yeast
3/4 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil (canola , vegetable or avocado)
6 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour
DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO BAKE HOMEMADE FRENCH BREAD RECIPE
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. If using instant yeast, proceed with the recipe.)
Add the salt, oil and 3 cups of flour in the yeast mixture 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. Knead for 2-3 minutes until the dough is smooth.
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 more.
Turn the dough onto a lightly greased surface and divide in half.
Pat each section into a thick rectangle, 9X13-inches or thereabouts. 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. You can slash several gashes in the top of the bread now or wait until after it has risen.
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.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and baked through. Remove from the oven and serve with any topping of choice.
TRY OTHER BREAD RECIPES
MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE,BUT BY EVERY WORD(JESUS) THAT PROCEEDETH OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.kjv