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.
This was SOOO good, I loved it.
So happy to hear that! :)
omg…then slice it up and put it in toaster and smear it with peanut butter…yummy in my tummy
The best!
I’ve made this like 5 times now. It’s perfect and easy. Thank you so much. Also, leftovers make incredible French toast.
I’m so happy to hear that! And YUM, love using leftovers to make French toast too!
Super recipe! I cut back on the salt a little, but it didn’t affect the flavor. So easy! Thanks, so much!
You are so welcome, Heather! Glad to hear you loved it :)
Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe and tips. I made this using a sponge technique with about 1/2 of the flour, water and yeast. Wonderful depth of flavor.
This is a long term keeper!
Yay! So happy to hear you loved it, Quen :)
Made this brEad this morning, absolutely delicious. I froze a couple loaves unsure how they will taste when taken out of the freezer. If you have the time I definitely recommend making some homemade french bread, very easy to make also.😊
So glad you like the recipe! I’ve frozen the bread many times and it always works wonderfully!
In your measuring ingredients you say 4 to 5 cups of flour, however, in your instructions how to prepare the dough you say add 2 cups of flour and then the remaining flour of 1/2 cup……I’m confused!
You end up using 5-6 cups total. At the beginning you start with 2 cups, then add in 1/2 cup flour at a time (until you’ve used about 5-6 cups) until the dough is smooth and not sticky.
Made this bread two weeks ago and it was spectacular! Clear directions and the simplicity of ingredients helped make this an absolute hit! Thank you so much for this recipe-I will be making it over and over.
So happy to hear this! Thanks for your nice comment and review, Dianah :)
Why does it say 5 to 6 cups of all purpose flour and yet you only use 2 cups in the recipe plus a half cup later why is that
You end up using 5-6 cups total. At the beginning you start with 2 cups, then add in 1/2 cup flour at a time (until you’ve used about 5-6 cups) until the dough is smooth and not sticky.
easy peasy…great…just used a wooden spoon at first the get the flour and yeast mixed…not to much kneading needed….but next time I think I need to make the slashes deeper…buttered at the end because seems blah…and put it back in oven for a couple minutes. Maybe I should not have put the ice (2) cubes on the rack under the bread pan because I hate to waste food just to use the egg white…but thanks and I will do this again instead of using my so much out dated bread machine
Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Hi Jamielyn, happy to report I made this recipe, it turned out fantastic! I shared a pic on FB and some of my friends asked me for “my recipe”, I shared your recipe with them. I also shared 1/2 loaf of a baguette with 2 of my favorite neighbors; they thought it was fantastic also. Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes!
Hi Carmen, thanks so much for sharing the recipe with your friends :) I am so happy to hear you loved the bread!
So amazing, love having one loaf for the freezer! So convenient.
Do you think this would work with gluten free flour?
Hi Molly! I haven’t tried this bread with gluten free flour. I’m sorry! Please let us know how it goes if you decide to give it a try! :)
Ya Gotta read the recipe!!! LOL
I made this, followed the recipe but baked for 26 minutes because tops would not brown. Any suggestions? Bread tasted great, just looked a bit anemic.
For a more golden crust, you can brush an egg wash on the tops before baking. This helps make it crispier/shinier. Simply brush 1 egg white (whisked) with a teaspoon of water before baking. You can also add a few ice cubes into the oven to help trap the steam and add a few minutes onto the cooking time.
Hello,
The recipe sounds good. However I think there is a measurement error. I tried and ended up using only half flour.
The ingredients say 5/6 cups of flour and the process says 2.5 cups of flour… This caused confusion and my dough didn’t take shape. I made a flat bread. If possible please update the correct quantity.
You end up using 5-6 cups total. At the beginning you start with 2 cups, then add in 1/2 cup flour at a time (until you’ve used about 5-6 cups) until the dough is smooth and not sticky.
! Is it possible to double the recipe? .
This bread is beyond wonderful!!!!!!!!
My family devoured it and. Are begging me to make more.
Yes, you can double the recipe. It will be harder to mix, so I usually only double if I’m using a Bosch.
You end up using 5-6 cups total. At the beginning you start with 2 cups, then add in 1/2 cup flour at a time until the dough is smooth and not sticky.
This was amazing! I cut the recipe in half for one loaf, and made it as instructed. Perfect! I will never buy another loaf from the store, this is so much better! My BF loves bread with every meal 🙄and was blown away! Next time I’ll make the full recipe though, because he ate half of the one I made with dinner 😂
This comment just made my day! I’m so happy to hear the bread was such a hit with you and your boyfriend! Thanks for your comment and review, Angela :)