Simple and delicious French bread, fresh from your own oven.
This recipe for French bread can’t get much easier. It only takes 4 ingredients plus some oil to brush on for baking.
To Make this Recipe You will Need:
- unbleached bread flour
- salt
- warm water
- instant yeast (If using active dry yeast, be sure to watch the video below for tips on how to use it. It is not the same as instant yeast.)
- extra virgin olive oil
- pastry brush
- French loaf pan or baking sheet
- bakers cooling rack
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Watch me make this recipe in the video below:
In the video I used active dry yeast instead of instant yeast. I also hand kneaded the dough instead of using a mixer. This video is one of my Home Ec with Constance series.
To begin, in the bowl of your stand mixer, combine bread flour, instant yeast and salt and give them a quick stir.
Pour in warm water, and mix with a dough hook. Let it run for 10-14 minutes, or until the dough springs back when pressed and stretches when pulled.
Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let the dough rise for 20 minutes.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and form two long loaves. Place them on a greased stone, baking sheet or french loaf pan.
Now, I can’t say enough about this French loaf pan. If you have a kitchen supply nearby, and you have any intention of regularly baking long breads like this, it is a must have. I ordered mine online for a very good price. They are not expensive, but are priceless for making French bread. They sell a “triple” pan for baguettes too.
Cover the pan with a light cloth and allow to rise until double in size, about an hour.
Preheat oven to 450° (F).
Just before baking, lightly brush bread with extra virgin olive oil.
Bake 16-18 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool the loaves on a rack.
Enjoy!
Did you Make this Recipe? I’d love for you to give me a 5 star rating in the recipe card below. If you share it on Instagram, please tag me!
Simple Homemade French Bread
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups bread flour, unbleached
- 1 teaspoon salt, I use sea salt or kosher
- 2 1/2 teaspoon yeast
- 1 1/4 c warm water
- 1 Tb extra virgin olive oil for brushing
Instructions
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the dry ingredients and give them a quick stir. Pour in the warm water, and mix with a dough hook.
- Let it run for 10-14 minutes, or until the dough springs back when pressed and stretches when pulled.
- Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let the dough rise for 20 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and form two long loaves.
- Place them on a greased stone, baking sheet or French loaf pan. Cover with a light cloth and allow to rise until double, about an hour.
- Preheat oven to 450° (F).
- Just before baking, lightly brush bread with the oil.
- Bake 16-18 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool the loaves on a rack.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is auto-generated and the accuracy is not guaranteed.
This recipe was originally shared in 2014, and updated in 2023.
do you grease the french loaf pan ,i have a problem with my bread sticking to it