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Homemade French Bread
Simple, quick, and easy homemade French bread recipe.
Kids can even make this bread. For real. It’s that easy. Making any bread from scratch can be a daunting task and it’s easy to be intimidated by the whole process. I am going to break it down and hopefully ease any worries. You may even become a master bread maker!
This Homemade Bakery French Bread can be done in a little more than one hour which means you can have hot, fresh bread straight out of the oven when the kids get home from school even if you don’t start baking until afternoon. You won’t need to run to the bakery for your french bread anymore when you can make better bread at home….in no time flat.
I taught a culinary class for kids in both Texas and Arizona and I’ve watched 7-year-olds tackle this homemade French bread recipe. I loved seeing the pictures those kids sent me showing the french bread masterpieces they made for their families.
As a child, I remember riding my bike home from school and opening the back door to the smells of homemade bread baking in the oven. My Mom always said that she could live on bread alone so bread was always essential in our home. There’s nothing more comforting than a hot piece of bread straight from the oven covered in churned butter and homemade strawberry jam.
Let’s get down to the basics so you can start baking.
How to make quick and easy homemade bakery french bread:
- Making sure the yeast proofs is essential. Using fresh yeast is important and mixing with warm water (not too hot, not too cold) will ensure success. Yeast loves sugar so add a pinch of sugar to the mixture. Let it work for about 10 minutes.
- Adding flour one cup at a time is important so you can see when the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. That’s when you know it’s ready. Put flour down on the counter so the dough doesn’t stick. That isn’t fun. I love my Bosch mixer and can find a great deal on one below.
- Using rolling pin, roll out into a 9 x 12 rectangle. Roll up lengthwise and mold into french loaf. I love this marble rolling pin.
- The loaves don’t have to look perfect. I rolled these babies in 7 1/2 minutes flat before I sprinted to my little girl’s performance. Don’t forget to make 3-4 diagonal cuts with a sharp knife before placing on silpat or greased cookie sheet. These silicone baking sheets make it so easy to remove the bread from the baking sheet. Let rise for 30-40 minutes.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 18-22 minutes until lightly golden brown. Watch it carefully to turn a light golden brown color.
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Homemade Bakery French Bread
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Yeast
- 1/2 cup Warm Water
- 2 cups Hot Water
- 3 Tablespoons Sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Salt
- 1/3 cup Oil
- 6 1/2 cups Flour
- 1 Egg for brushing on bread
Instructions
- In a small bowl, dissolve your yeast in ½ cup warm water. Make sure that your water is warm (not too cold, not too hot). Let proof for 10 minutes.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine hot water, sugar, salt, oil and 3 cups of the flour and mix together. Add the yeast mixture to a bowl.
- Add the remaining 3 1/2 cups of flour, one cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Watch for it to start pulling away from the bowl to know it's ready. Once all of the flour is added, let sit for 10 minutes.
- Separate your dough into 3 pieces. On a floured surface roll each piece into a 9x12 rectangle. Roll it up like a jelly roll. Shape into a french bread loaf and smooth out edges.
- Place the dough on a greased baking pan or a Silpat, seam side down. Using a knife, make 3-4 diagonal cuts about 1/4 inch thick in bread. Brush with your beaten egg.
- Let dough rise uncovered for 30-40 minutes in a warm place.
- Bake at 375 for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown.
Video
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Happy Baking, my friends! I can’t wait to hear what you think about this quick and easy homemade french bread.
I’ve made this recipe 5 or 6 times in the last few months. I’ve served it to company as well as family. It is one of the quickest bread recipes and it turns out great every time! I highly recommend this recipe!!!
I love to hear this! Thank you so much for using my recipe and for loving it!
I don’t have a stand mixer and would love to make this bread by hand. How long should I manually knead the dough for?
I make it by hand all the time. A kneading time of 6-8 min should work but…bread dough can be fickle if you are not an experienced bread maker, the rule is you knead until the dough is no longer sticky to the touch. Your hand should not come away from it with dough stuck on. It might take 10 min or maybe a bit less. Over time you will recognize the feel of well kneaded bread dough. Take off your rings, roll up your sleeves wash your hands and dive in!
At least 15 minutes
Hi, I’ve made this numerous times and I love it! However, I was wondering if I could make the dough today and refrigerate it and bring it to a friends house tomorrow to bake there so it’s fresh out of the oven?
Hi Donna! I am so sorry for the late response, I haven’t been on this post in a while. I haven’t recipe tested it exactly, but I believe that if you cover the bowl you should be able to leave it in the refrigerator overnight. I would suggest letting it rise at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to an hour before placing it in the refrigerator though! Hope this helps!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It’s my first time making bread and it turned out perfect. Baked for 20 mins and it was a pretty golden brown color. I used olive oil and the bread had a strong taste of olive oil. I will try this recipe again with vegetable oil.
This bread is easy to make and turns out wonderful. Soft and fluffy and tastes great. Can it be frozen?
Hi Linda! Yes, it can be frozen. Let it cool to room temperature then put it in a freezer safe ziplock bag. It freezes really well, which is why I love this recipe so much!
I’ve made this French bread several times. I make large pots of soups to share with friends. I always send a loaf of this bread. I’ve gotten many compliments on both the soup and delicious bread.
It’s so easy and takes little effort for homemade bread.
Can I cut this in half?
Do you sift your flour?
No, I don’t sift my flour. I do stir my flour in my container just to fluff it up and loosen it a little.
Just made this bread! WOW! Delish!
This bread is just perfect!!! So soft and just enough density.
and it is very quick to make.
Ive made this so many times and it turns out great everytime. I love when it just comes out warm with butter or a bowl of soup Yum!! Great easy recipe