This Easy French Bread recipe is such a breeze to make, it's the perfect recipe for a beginner bread baker, but experienced bakers will love it too. This bread bakes up golden on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. You'll be surprised at how simple it is, but tastes like it's fresh from the bakery.
Prep time: PT15M
Cook time: PT25M
Total time: PT150M
Rating
4.58 stars (7 reviews)
Keywords
easy french bread, easy yeast bread recipe, french bread, homemade french bread
Ingredients
341 g warm water (110°F) ((1½ cups))
10 g instant yeast ((1 tablespoon) see notes if using active dry yeast)
10 g fine sea salt ((2 teaspoons))
30 g sugar ((2 tablespoons))
30 g olive oil ((2 tablespoons))
510 g bread flour ((4⅓ cups))
28 g melted salted butter (optional (2 tablespoons))
Categories
Bread
Cuisine
French
Steps
Make the dough:Attach the dough hook to your stand mixer. Add the water, yeast, salt, sugar, olive oil and half of the bread flour to the mixer bowl. (see notes if using active dry yeast) Mix until smooth, and then gradually add the remaining flour. You may or may not need to add the entire amount. Let dough rest, uncovered for 15 minutes.
Knead on low speed for 5 minutes. Dough should clean the sides of the bowl and form a soft ball.
First rise:Transfer the dough into a large, greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise until doubled in size, about 60-90 minutes.
Prepare your baking pan: If using a baking sheet, line with parchment paper. If using a French loaf pan, spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Shape the loaves:Punch down the risen dough. Turn it out onto a floured work surface. Take the dough ball, and with your fingers, flatten it out into a rectangle, about 8 inches by 15 inches. Roll the dough up lengthwise, pushing any air bubbles. Pinch the seam to seal the loaf. Put the loaf seam side down on your prepared pan.
Second rise:Cover the loaf with the kitchen towel and let rise again until increased in size by about 50%. The second and final rise should be about half of the first rise time. Once the loaf is shaped, preheat the oven to 375°F so that it is ready when the loaf has risen.
Before baking, use a sharp knife, or bread lame to cut three score marks, diagonally across the top of the loaf. This helps the bread to rise and expand in the oven as it bakes.
Whisk together one egg and 1 Tablespoon of water. Brush it over the surface of the loaf for a golden, shiny crust.
Bake:Place the loaf in the oven on the center rack. (See notes for steam option.) Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden. The interior of the loaf should reach 200°F. When tapping on the bread, it should have a hollow sound.
Allow bread to cool completely on a wire rack. The bread will continue to bake on the inside as it cools. Slice when cooled and enjoy!
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 70 kcal
Carbohydrates: 13 g
Protein: 2 g
Fat: 1 g
Saturated Fat: 0.2 g
Sodium: 122 mg
Sugar: 1 g
Unsaturated Fat: 1.2 g
Reviews
Aimee G on 2026-02-18 (5 stars): My husband just said, "This is the best french bread you've ever made!" And my kids were confused because it tasted like delicious homemade bread but looked as pretty as from the bakery! Thanks for a great and simple recipe I'll make again and again!
Cheri on 2026-01-27 (5 stars): This recipe was so easy to follow with wonderful results. I will make this again and again. Thank you!
Nancy on 2025-12-29 (5 stars): Yummy! I love how wonderful it tastes!
James on 2025-11-21 (3 stars): I regret to say, there is a little in this recipe and photos that resemble authentic French baguettes. In the photo, the crumb is way too tight, as opposed to a proper open crumb. There are no ears on the crust, and in fact, the crust looks soft and not thin crispy as a traditional French baguette would look. One doesn’t use baguette pans in France, a baking steel, or stone is much preferred.
Anna on 2025-09-04 (5 stars): Made this for my family today. Delicious! Thank you for this bread recipe and
the excellent tutorial.
Randy on 2025-03-21 (5 stars): Amazing French Bread! So easy to make, especially for me a beginner! Thank you!
Kate on 2025-02-15 (4 stars): This is an Italian bread because of the olive oil. French bread doesn't use oil. Besides that bread is great.
