The Easiest Homemade French Bread

The Easiest Homemade French Bread

bread in a Dutch Oven!

Recipe by
Reviewed by Arturs Arnicans
Prep Time: 2h 52m
Cook Time: 40m
Total Time: 3h 30m
Temp.: 450 °F
Servings: 10
Difficulty: Easy
5.0 (20 Reviews)
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Ingredients

Adjust servings:

Nutritional Information

118
Calories
0.4g
Fat
24.6g
Carbohydrates
3.6g
Protein
0mg
Cholesterol
351mg
Sodium
The Easiest Homemade French Bread

Recipe Description

The Easiest Homemade French Bread – made with just five ingredients! And it’s likely you already have them in your kitchen. Besides, this bread looks like it came from a fancy French bakery, but it takes a little effort to whip up your own. So, if the mood strikes to make a loaf of delicious homemade bread this recipe is for you!

I love using my Dutch oven for baking purposes, and it bakes so well. The Dutch oven distributes heat all around and allows the bread to bake evenly. Even if you are a brand-new bread baker, this recipe is a great place to start. The crusty bread with fluffy holes is so good slathered with butter or dipped in olive oil. Undoubtedly, this full-flavored loaf is the perfect companion to any meal or topping!

And if you are looking for even more ways to use your Dutch oven, try out our recipes for No-Knead Pecan Pumpkin Bread or Crusty Cranberry Nut No-Knead Bread.

To make The Easiest Homemade French Bread, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients for The Easiest Homemade French Bread

Steps to make

  1. 1

    Dissolve yeast

    10 min
    Step 1 - The Easiest Homemade French Bread

    In a bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1¼ cups warm water, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 2¼ teaspoon dry yeast. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes.

  2. 2

    Add flour and salt

    1 min
    Step 2 - The Easiest Homemade French Bread

    Add 2½ cups all-purpose flour and 1½ teaspoon salt.

  3. 3

    Knead

    10 min
    Step 3 - The Easiest Homemade French Bread

    Using the dough hook on the lowest speed, mix the ingredients for 10 minutes. Alternatively, knead the dough on a lightly floured surface by hand.

  4. 4

    Leave to rise

    1h
    Step 4 - The Easiest Homemade French BreadStep 4 - The Easiest Homemade French Bread

    Cover and set aside to rise for 1 hour in a warm place.

  5. 5

    Shape loaf

    1 min
    Step 5 - The Easiest Homemade French Bread

    After an hour, gently transfer the dough to a floured surface. Don’t knead! Fold the edges of the dough towards the middle and pinch them together.

  6. 6

    Leave to rise

    30 min
    Step 6 - The Easiest Homemade French Bread

    Transfer the dough into a generously floured proofing basket or wide bowl seam-side down. Cover and leave to rise for 30 minutes.

  7. 7

    Preheat oven

    15 min
    Step 7 - The Easiest Homemade French Bread

    Place a large Dutch oven with a lid on in the cold oven. Preheat the oven to 450 °F.

  8. 8

    Place dough into Dutch oven

    1 min
    Step 8 - The Easiest Homemade French BreadStep 8 - The Easiest Homemade French Bread

    Cover the dough with a piece of parchment paper and flip it upside down. Once the Dutch oven is hot, carefully remove it from the oven and place the parchment paper with the dough inside the hot pot. Cover with the lid and return to the oven.

  9. 9

    Bake

    40 min
    Step 9 - The Easiest Homemade French Bread

    Bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for another 10 minutes.

  10. 10

    Serve

    Step 10 - The Easiest Homemade French Bread

    Cool before slicing, serve and enjoy!

Give The Easiest Homemade French Bread recipe a try on a slow day at home! It tastes like it came from a French bakery, but it is so easy to make. Did you enjoy this recipe? Let us know in the comments below.

About the author

Nina Cole

Nina dreams of gender equality and for women all over the world to feel empowered and enjoy the same freedom she has. She’s a careful consumer, believing that by being more conscious about the way we live we can make the world a better place! Already a vegetarian, she uses animal products sparingly and tries to produce as little waste as possible. Most of her recipes are vegan as a result!

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