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.
Homemade bread is one of my favorite things to make. It can seem a bit intimidating at first, but this easy french bread recipe is a great place to start. It has a quick rising time and takes only 90 minutes from start to finish. If you’re a beginner to bread baking, make sure to check out my 3 ingredient artisan bread and my 45-minute breadsticks. Both are so simple along with my favorite dinner rolls and french bread rolls!
Easiest French Bread Recipe
If you’re looking for an easy french bread recipe, this is it! You’ll have 2 beautiful loaves in 90 minutes. The actual time you’ll be working will only be about 15 minutes, the rest of the time will be patiently waiting for the dough to rest/rise. This homemade french bread is golden and crispy on the outside, while remaining soft and slightly chewy on the inside. We love to serve it with a bowl of warm soup and the first time I made it, my husband said “this bread is SO good, where did you get it?” He thought I picked it up from our local bakery. It is just that good and really so easy to make. You’ll never want to buy store bought french bread again.
I absolutely love making bread and rolls of all kinds. There’s something so satisfying about making them in your own kitchen. The smell is unbelievable. We love to serve this homemade french bread with softened butter, honey and/or strawberry jam. So so good. Trust me when I say, this is the best french bread recipe!
How To Make Homemade French Bread
- Proof the yeast. In a small bowl, combine the warm water, yeast and sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes, or until it has begin to foam.
- Mix and let rest. Place 2 cups of flour into a large mixing bowl with the salt. Stir in the yeast mixture and begin to knead by hand or using a dough hook and stand mixer. Add 1/2 cup of the remaining flour at a time until the dough is smooth but not sticky. Rub the olive oil around the dough ball and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Shape and let rise again. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and divide it in half. Roll one half into a rectangle. Starting from the long side, roll the dough into a cylinder. Turn both ends in and pinch the seams closed. Round the edges and place onto a baking sheet. Repeat with the second dough ball. Let rise for 30-45 minutes. Make three diagonal cuts across the top of each loaf.
- Bake in oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Brush the top of the homemade french bread with melted butter if desired. Slice and enjoy! :)
Baking Tips
- 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 (this allows the gluten to relax).
- 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 on egg wash (1 egg white (whisked) 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.
Favorite Ways To Enjoy
- Top with butter, garlic herb butter, honey, cinnamon butter, jam or apple butter
- Dip in olive oil bread dip as an appetizer
- Use it to make classic bruschetta or bruschetta caprese
- Serve with all types of soup, like lasagna soup, corn chowder and hearty vegetable soup
- My family loves to make french bread pizza, stuffed french bread or garlic bread
- We also like to make spaghetti boats using leftovers of my easy spaghetti recipe.
- Make a french dip sandwich
- Once it’s a few days old, make french bread french toast, bread pudding or croutons
- Cut into cubes and serve with this cold Knorr spinach dip.
Freezer Instructions
Since this recipe makes two loaves, sometimes we freeze one of them for later. To freeze, wrap the bread tightly in foil or saran wrap (make sure it has cooled completely). Then place in a zip top bag and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
More Homemade Bread Recipes To Try:
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Homemade French Bread Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups warm water , about 105°F
- 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
- 2 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
- 5 cups (650 g) all-purpose flour , or bread flour (add more as needed)
- 2 ½ teaspoons table salt or fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Melted salted butter , optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let sit 5 minutes, or until it begins to foam.
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl, stir together 2 cups flour and salt. Stir in the yeast mixture on medium-low speed or by hand. Knead in 1/2 cup of the remaining flour in increments until the dough is smooth but not sticky (depending on climate you could use more or less than 5 cups). Add more flour as needed.
- Rub the olive oil around the dough ball, cover the bowl with a towel and let rest 15 to 30 minutes. If you have more time, let rise up to 1 hour.
- Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and divide it in half. Set one half aside. Roll the other half into a rectangle (about 15 inches). Starting from the long side, roll the dough into a cylinder.
- Turn both ends in and pinch the seams closed. Round the edges and place onto a baking sheet. Repeat with the second dough ball. Make three diagonal cuts across the top of each loaf. Cover loaves lightly with a towel. Let rise 30 to 60 minutes (the longer the better, if you have the time).
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Bake 17 to 23 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. When you knock on it, it should sound hollow. If it's browning too fast, lightly cover with foil and lower the temperature to 375°F.
- Brush the top with melted butter, if desired. Slice and serve while warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: Bread, Dairy-Free, Reader Favorites, Vegetarian, Yeast Bread
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
How many loaves does it make please?
It makes 2 loaves :)
I usually make non knead overnight bread but wanted to give French bread a go. My family LOVED it! The rollout directions were so spot on and professional that when my husband came home and saw the loaves on their last rise he asked if they were store bought. I was flattered and insulted at the same time as he’s never given me such a compliment before LOL. The only tweak was I let the mixer knead on low for 5 minutes, and only added flour after 4 1/2 cups little by little to combat any stickiness in during the kneading. Perfect recipe<3
Thanks so much for your nice comment, Nicole! This made my day :) So happy to hear the recipe with a hit with your family!
My bread is rising right now. I am wondering if I missed in the instructions somewhere how long and wide the dough should be when rolling it out to form the dough (for the French bread)? Thank you
Delicious!
I kneaded entirely in my kitchen-aid and then let rise for 1 hr each time. Will definitely be making this again.
So glad you enjoyed it, Karly :)
Love this recipe I add cracked black pepper and Kalamata olives. Delicious
Sounds delicious!
Hello! I was wondering if you can sub bread flour instead of the all-purpose flour, or if it is better to just use all-purpose. Thanks!
Bread flour has a higher protein content so it can typically be a little more dense. If using bread flour I would use a little less flour and cook a 3-5 minutes longer.
My husband and I had a blast making it together and our house smelled amazing while doing so! We chose to coat the outside with egg and I smothered my piece with lots of warm garlicky butter. So fab! ! Yum! Thanku !
Love that you and your hubby are having fun in the kitchen together! That garlic butter on top sounds amazing :)
Hi! If I were to add a seasoning, like everything but the bagel, to the top of this, when would I do that? Once the loaves are shaped and ready to go in the oven? Thanks!
I have not tried with this seasoning, but I would probably add right after you shape the dough and right before the last rise. You could also add right before and brush with an egg white so it sticks.
This is the best bread recipe I’ve ever used!
Yay, so happy to hear that Melissa! Thanks for your comment and review :)
Super easy to make and very good. Definitely will be making again. Thanks so much.
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it, Laverne :)
Outstanding French Bread! I made it following the exact directions on this recipe then I added a few things I learned when I was going to Culinary School at the Culinary Institute of America. First there is this common practice called Autolyse which is after you add the yeast and water into the flour until it just come together you cover and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes. This allow the flour to absorb all of the water which gives you better control of how much more flour you are going to need. Then there is the over night proofing in the refrigerator which gives you a really tasty bread. The dough should be slightly sticky kind of like the stickiness of a post it note. Bottom line this bread recipe is one of the best I’ve tried.
Great tips John! I will have to try refrigerating it overnight! Thanks for the review :)
Im just wondering do I have to do step 1 the same if I have instant yeast? We just got a lot of instant yeast on hand since I’m too lazy for active
If using instant yeast, no need to proof with water first. Just add the same amount in with the other ingredients.
This recipe is excellent! It comes out perfect every time, and it’s picky eater approved. :) I’m making it again today to pair with some broccoli and cheese soup!
This makes me so happy to hear, Emily! Thank you for your comment :)
So delicious! Proofed yeast in the 2 cups of warm water with the 1 tablespoon of yeast and the 2 1/2 teaspoons of white sugar. Kneaded the dough for 10 minutes until soft (took 5 1/2 cups of flour). Let rise for 1 hour under damp towel. Divided into two, rolled them into rectangles and rolled them up again making 4 slits on top. Let them rise again for 1 hour. Brushed with butter. Baked on 400 for 18 minutes. Perfect! Husband dug into them as I brought them out of the oven. They are very good. Thank you for this recipe.
I’m so happy to hear you and your husband loved it! :) Thanks for your comment, Deanne!
Excellent bread recipe and easy to do the only thing I did different was for the first 30 min rest I did proof the dough to give it a good 1st rise. Other then that I followed it as directed and the loaves came out beautiful.
I’m so happy to hear that the recipe worked great for you! Thanks for your comment and review, Mia :)
Made it today for 1st time! Love this recipe, easy but very yummy! It’s a keeper!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Margaret! :)
First time making this bread. I followed the directions and added my own take.
I added chopped Kalamata Olives and cracked black pepper and an additional packet of yeast. I also baked it 10 minutes longer because it wasn’t brown enough on top. I added melted butter to the top and sprinkled everything bagel seasoning to the top. It was delicious and my husband couldn’t get enough of it.
This sounds so, so delicious! I’m glad you were able to make the recipe your own :)
Do you think this would work in a bread maker? I love to bake bread by hand, but sometimes am short on time
I haven’t tried, but others have used one and have had success with it!