Easy French Bread recipe that you can make for dinner even when you are short on time! I am known for my homemade french bread and give it out every year as Christmas gifts to friends and neighbors. I’ve had so many people over the years ask for a tutorial on how to make french bread so I hope this post helps everyone out!
When I became a Jones 26 years ago, it quickly became clear that I needed to learn to bake french bread like my mother-in-law. Her bread is the star of her kitchen and coveted by all who taste it. During a visit about a year after being married, I absorbed as much of her technique as I could while she instructed me. She sent me home with her recipe in my pocket and I was very anxious to make it for my husband. Over the years, I feel I’ve mastered this bread and that recipe card is very worn and stained.
So imagine my surprise when a few years ago, in my kitchen in Minnesota, my mother-in-law looks at that same card and asks, “Where did you get this recipe? This isn’t my french bread recipe.” I would never accuse my wonderful mother-in-law of anything sinister but can anyone say…. sabotage?
This easy french bread recipe is just dang amazing and it is what I deliver to all our friends every year for Christmas. I have made a few slight changes to the original recipe over the years I’ve been baking it because I wanted a chewier interior and a better crust.
The main question I get asked all the time about making homemade French bread is if the bread flour is important. Um….YOU BETCHA! That higher gluten content is what gives you a better crust as well as a chewier texture so just grab that bread flour next time instead and enjoy the end results.
Anyone who has a history of bread-making knows that experience is what will give you the perfect loaf of bread. After making many batches, you learn what your dough should feel like and how to work with it, so keep at it and you will get better with each batch! If you don’t have french bread pans, you can form them on cookie sheets, but the result isn’t quite the same. Your loaves turn out a bit flat and without the air holes on the bottom, they don’t get as good of a crust. There are many pans on the market that make a wider loaf that remind me more of an Italian loaf, so I suggest the thinner baguette size for a true french bread.
Easy French Bread Recipe Video
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Easy French Bread Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 baguettes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Description
Homemade french bread is the best! Each baguette is crunchy on the outside with a soft, chewy texture on the inside.
Ingredients
Instructions
6. Divide into four equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a general triangular shape.
7. Roll: Starting on the small point, roll and seal your way across the triangle until you have a small log. Roll the log on the counter to stretch your baguette to the proper length, keeping the thickness uniform across the loaf. Place dough into greased french bread pan, slit the top with a sharp knife and brush with an egg wash if desired. Allow to rise about 15-20 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 baguette
- Calories: 218
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 437 mg
- Fat: 3 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: homemade bread
Step by Step Homemade French Bread
The bread looks absolutely perfect! Did you ever get the “real” recipe from your mother in-law? Great post!
I honestly don’t know how her recipe differs from what is written down on my card. I can’t complain though because that “wrong” recipe was the beginning of the road to the bread I make now!
Carole- one time I was talking with Jana and Heidi and we all found out that we all have different recipes from mom :-). All are very similar, but just not the same! We thought it was funny that we all had different recipes. Jeff has decided that the recipe changes every Christmas when she makes tons of loafs! They all taste delicious (when everyone but me makes them) so I can’t complain!!!!
Carole,
I left your house last night after the swim team pot luck with a work of art….your French Bread! Thank you for sharing your blog and your wonderful recipes.
Best wishes for a successful run to the school board. Your sign is in my front yard.
Betsy Roesler
Hii, just wondering if I can half this recipe ?
Hi Jade! Absolutely you can. Works just as well 🙂 Would love to see how it turns out for you!
What if you don’t have a bread pan?
Hey Alli! If you don’t have a french bread pan, you can still make them on a baking sheet but you will need to add a bit more flour to the dough so it will be able to hold it’s shape better. The pans are a great price so if you think you will be making this recipe, I suggest getting a set. I use mine ALL the time!
Hi Carole!
Can this be down by hand without a stand mixer?
Hello Marissa! You bet….just be ready to work those arm muscles a bit 🙂 Once the dough is mixed, it is really important to the texture of the bread that it gets kneaded well enough so the gluten strands can properly develop.
What type of yeast do you use? Instant? Rapid Rise?
Hi Tia! I use instant yeast. I hope you love it!
Hi! Sorry if I missed this anywhere above – but what’s the right length for the dough before you cook it? Should it be the length of your baguette pan or smaller? Definitely trying this recipe soon – thanks for sharing!!!
Yes, the loaves should be the length of your baguette pan, or at least close 🙂 Good luck and would love to hear how they turn out
How long is that, for those without a baguette pan?
About 15 inches
I’m making these, again…they are absolutely amazing. i followed the recipe exactly and they came out perfectly. The dough is rising as we speak!!! Thank you so much for posting it,
★★★★★
I’m so glad you loved them! I made a batch this week as well 🙂
I wasn’t able to put all 6 of the remaining cups in before it got very stiff. I used King Arthur’s bread flour. Anything you can think of? I think it will still be fine, rising as we speak, but didn’t look as soft as in the video snippet.
Hi Meghann! If I had to guess, it is the way you measured your flour. Did you scoop your measuring cup into the bag/container? If so, you could have easily ended up with 3/4 to 1 cup too much flour. When you measure flour, be sure to use a spoon, fluff the flour a bit to get some air into it, and then use that spoon to scoop it into your measuring cup. Level it off with a knife. This is a common mistake made by many bakers, which is why professionals like to use weight measurements instead of volume. I hope you try it again and let me know how it turns out!
Hi,
Can the dough be frozen to use for another time?
Hi Lori! Absolutely. If you are going to do that, I would like it proof for the first time and then freeze it.
Hey! Will bread flour be lots better than cake flour?
Yes! Cake flour is made to make baked goods light and fluffy. Bread flour has extra protein and gluten in to make your bread chewy and have a great crust. Please don’t substitute cake flour for bread flour 🙂
I just made four loaves last night and the bread is amazing! I have the flexible french loaf pans that I found on Amazon and they worked perfectly! I am a culinary student and have learned to always sift your flour to create the perfect texture. I also added sesame seeds after the egg wash on two loaves and TJ’s everything but the bagel seasoning on the other two. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!
★★★★★
I”m so glad you loved it Chris! And I am totally going to try the everything bagel seasoning on top 🙂
Looks great! Have you ever used a bread machine for the dough?? Since I don’t have a standing mixer and I’be made pizza and ciabatta dough in the machine with very good results, I wonder if it will work. Thanks for sharing!
Hello Angela! I have not used a bread machine for this recipe before but it should work but I doubt this whole recipe will fit in a bread machine. Good luck and let me know how it goes!