Homemade French Bread Recipe

Name: Homemade French Bread Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 160 min
Ingredients: 1 cup warm water; 1 ½ Tablespoons granulated sugar; 2 teaspoons active dry yeast; 2 Tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon sea salt; 2 ½ to 3 cups all-purpose flour; 1 egg (beaten (optional egg wash)); 5 ice cubes

By Laura

Posted Apr 16, 2021, Updated Aug 16, 2024

5 from 12 votes

13 Comments

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This homemade French bread recipe is easy to make with only 6 ingredients and is so much better than store-bought. Watch the video and follow our step-by-step instructions to learn how to make French bread!

overhead view of a loaf of Homemade French Bread Recipe with 4 slices cut

I’m a sucker for homemade bread. No knead bread, pretzel bread, dinner rolls, you name it I prefer to make it fresh in my kitchen. This Homemade French Bread is no exception, and it’s the best French bread recipe you’ll ever make!

It’s easy to make with only 6 ingredients! Once you try this French bread you will never be tempted to buy those $2 loves of bread at your local grocery store again. Use it to make homemade croutons or this french toast casserole.

a loaf of french bread with 4 slices cut out of it

French Bread Recipe: Ingredients & Substituions

Here are a few notes on the ingredients in this french bread recipe, as well as some possible substitutions.

overhead photo of the labeled ingredients in this Homemade French Bread Recipe

Warm water. Make sure the water does not exceed 105 degrees F, or it will kill the yeast.
Granulated sugar. honey can be used in place of granulated sugar, if desired.
Active dry yeast. If using instant yeast, decrease the amount to 1 ½ tsp.
Olive oil. Any neutral oil works well in this french bread recipe, if you don’t have olive oil my top two recommendations are canola oil and avocado oil.
All-purpose flour. Use unbleached, all-purpose flour or bread flour for the best results. You can substitute up to 1 cup with whole wheat flour, if desired.
Egg (for egg wash). This is optional, so you can skip the egg wash if you have an egg allergy in your family. Note that if you choose to omit the egg wash the bread will be just as tasty, but not shiny or as golden-brown.
Ice Cubes. The steam from the ice cubes helps crisp up the outside of the french bread! A special trick for perfect homemade french bread.

a slice of french bread on a plate with butter

How to Make French Bread

Like I said earlier, this recipe is easy to make, but as always we’ll walk through how to make french bread step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video!

The first step in this french bread recipe is to proof the yeast. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine water, sugar and yeast. Let stand until foamy, which takes about 10 minutes. If mixing and kneading by hand, proof the yeast in a large bowl.

How to Make French Bread - proofing yeast

Once the yeast is proofed, add olive oil, sea salt and 1 cup flour to the mixture and stir with the dough hook. Then, add more flour, ½ cup at a time until the dough is smooth and forms a ball on the dough hook.

If mixing by hand, stir with a spatula or wooden spoon as you add the flour until a ball forms.

Knead for 2-3 minutes either with the dough hook or by hand, until the french bread dough is smooth and elastic. It will be slightly tacky, but will form a ball easily. Then, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and shape it into a ball.

How to Make French Bread - hands holding dough over a bowl

Next, lightly oil a large bowl, place the french bread dough in the bowl, and cover with a damp tea towel. Let the dough rise for 30-60 minutes until doubled in size.

How to Make French Bread - dough before rising

How to Make French Bread - dough after rising

Form the French Bread Loaf

Once the dough has risen, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet or line it with parchment paper. Remove the air from the dough and roll it out into a 12”x 9” rectangle.

How to Make French Bread - dough formed into a rectangle before rolling

How to Make French Bread - dough formed into a rectangle after rolling

Then, roll the dough like a jelly roll, tucking in the ends and pinching the seams and place it on the prepared baking sheet.

Use a sharp knife to cut 4-5 shallow diagonal lines down the loaf.

Next, let the dough rise for about 30-60 minutes until it has about doubled in size.

Bake

If desired, brush egg wash over loaf, then bake the french bread on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Put ice cubes on the bottom of the oven as soon as you put the pan in there and close the door. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

french bread on a baking sheet before baking

a loaf of french bread on a baking sheet after baking

Slice & Serve

Let cool slightly, slice and serve. Here are some of our favorite ways to enjoy this homemade french bread:

Serve this french bread recipe alongside your favorite soup – like this vegetable soup, tortellini soup, butternut squash soup or this chicken and rice soup!
Use it to make french bread pizza.
Dip it in this baked goat cheese dip!
Use it to make the best bruschetta recipe!
Slather some homemade cinnamon honey butter on this french bread for a special treat!
I love dipping this french bread in some high-quality olive oil and parmesan cheese or balsamic vinegar!
Serve it alongside your favorite main dish like this roast turkey and this balsamic slow cooker pot roast.
This french bread is a great companion to your favorite pasta dishes like this pesto pasta and this cheesy sausage gnocchi!
Use any leftovers to make the best homemade croutons ever!

overhead photo of Homemade French Bread on a baking pan with 4 slices cut

Store

Store any leftover french bread in an airtight container (or plastic bag) at room temperature for up to 3 days for maximum freshness. You can use any leftovers to make these homemade croutons too – so good!

Freeze

Wrap cooled French bread in plastic wrap and put in an airtight container or plastic bag in the freezer. Thaw at room temperature or wrap in foil and thaw in the oven set to warm (about 200 degrees F).

a loaf of French Bread with 3 slices cut out of it

French Bread Recipe FAQs

How do you make French bread crispy?

Putting ice in the bottom of the oven when you put the loaf of french bread in helps create a crispy outer crust. The egg wash also helps.

How do you reheat bread without it getting hard?

To reheat, wrap the bread in foil and put it in an oven preheated to 300 degrees F for about 5 minutes, or until it’s warmed through. Wrapping it in foil will help lock in the moisture and prevent it from drying out.

What can I do with hard French bread?

I suggest making this french toast casserole – yum!

a loaf of french bread with 4 slices cut out of it, one on a plate with butter

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