This Easy Homemade French Bread is as simple as the title suggests! The only thing you need is patience to wait as the dough rises! There are few things that are as satisfying as baking your own bread – if you haven’t tried it, now is your chance!
To make this delicious bread, start by making a classic dough using water, sugar, yeast, salt, flour, and oil. Leave the dough rise until it doubles in size before shaping into loaves and leaving to rise a second time. Slash with a sharp knife or a baker’s tool called a lame. Leave again to rise before baking in the oven until crisp and golden.
To make the Easy Homemade French Bread, you will need the following ingredients:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine 2 ¼ cups of water, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of yeast. Depending on whether you are using active dry yeast, you may need to let the mixture bubble and foam for 3-5 minutes before proceeding. If using instant yeast, there is no need to let the yeast activate.
Add ¾ tablespoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of oil, and 3 cups of flour. Mix well and add in 2 ½ - 3 more cups of flour gradually. Knead for 2-3 minutes until the dough is smooth. If the dough starts to cling to the sides of the bowl, add ¼ cup of flour at a time until a soft but sturdy dough ball forms.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel or greased plastic wrap. Leave the dough to rise for about an hour or so, until the dough has doubled in size.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Cut in half. Pat each piece of dough into a thick rectangle, approximately 9 by 13 inches. Roll the dough up starting from the long edge. Use the heel of your hand to press out any air bubbles or seams. Pinch the edge to seal.
Place the dough seam side down on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use a sharp razor, lame, or knife to slash the top of each loaf. Cover with greased plastic wrap or a kitchen towel, and leave the loaves to rise for about an hour until they have nearly doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 375 °F. Make sure the oven rack is in the center position in your oven.
Bake until golden brown.
Enjoy warm from the oven with a thick layer of butter!
This Easy Homemade French Bread is a delicious homemade bread recipe. You will definitely want to post photos of your bread online - make sure you use the #cookmerecipes hashtag if you do!
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