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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 made this today. Followed the recipe exactly. Turned out fantastic! Couldn’t believe how easy it was (and I’ve been making bread for years). Perfect loaves and tasted delicious. Thank you!
Missing something like needs more salt. Good crunchy texture nice soft dough
Hello, I have Italian 00 flour, can use it in stead of regular flour.
Thank you
Can I bake one loaf at a time and freeze the other two separately? How long before baking should I remove from freezer?
I’ve never baked bread before in my life and decided to give this a try. I can’t believe it came out looking exactly like your photos! Excellent recipe. Quick question – if I wanted to make/shape these into round sandwich rolls instead, how long would you suggest I bake them for?
If I only bake one loaf, Can I freeze the other two unbaked loaves?
Can you make it just into a regular loaf bread.
Yes of course! Make sure you have good size loaf tins as you will most likely get 3 good sized loaves!
Great recipe! Thanks! Used two portions for bread and as you suggested one for cinnamon rolls. Will definitely be keeping this in my lineup!
I have used this recipe many times, it has never failed and tastes amazing! I also use it for cinnamon rolls, as it makes 3 loaves so I use one of them for the rolls. I am about to try making doughnuts with one this time. thank you so much for this recipe. I have also shared this recipe with everyone that I know who wants to try their hand at making bread because it is straightforward and I believe failproof.
I’ve always been a bit hesitant to make bread from scratch. However, this is one of the first recipes I tried, and dang! What a good choice! It turns out amazing every single time, and my family gobbles it up faster than I’d like. I have a gluten sensitivity, but I have found that if I use King Arthur’s organic bread flour, I can eat a few slices and my stomach does really well. I’m so glad I found your recipe! I’ve shared it with many family and friends! Thank you💛
Can you make this bread in a bread machine? Will the recipe be the same ?