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Homemade French Bread
Simple, quick, and easy homemade French bread recipe.
Kids can even make this bread. For real. It’s that easy. Making any bread from scratch can be a daunting task and it’s easy to be intimidated by the whole process. I am going to break it down and hopefully ease any worries. You may even become a master bread maker!
This Homemade Bakery French Bread can be done in a little more than one hour which means you can have hot, fresh bread straight out of the oven when the kids get home from school even if you don’t start baking until afternoon. You won’t need to run to the bakery for your french bread anymore when you can make better bread at home….in no time flat.
I taught a culinary class for kids in both Texas and Arizona and I’ve watched 7-year-olds tackle this homemade French bread recipe. I loved seeing the pictures those kids sent me showing the french bread masterpieces they made for their families.
As a child, I remember riding my bike home from school and opening the back door to the smells of homemade bread baking in the oven. My Mom always said that she could live on bread alone so bread was always essential in our home. There’s nothing more comforting than a hot piece of bread straight from the oven covered in churned butter and homemade strawberry jam.
Let’s get down to the basics so you can start baking.
How to make quick and easy homemade bakery french bread:
- Making sure the yeast proofs is essential. Using fresh yeast is important and mixing with warm water (not too hot, not too cold) will ensure success. Yeast loves sugar so add a pinch of sugar to the mixture. Let it work for about 10 minutes.
- Adding flour one cup at a time is important so you can see when the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. That’s when you know it’s ready. Put flour down on the counter so the dough doesn’t stick. That isn’t fun. I love my Bosch mixer and can find a great deal on one below.
- Using rolling pin, roll out into a 9 x 12 rectangle. Roll up lengthwise and mold into french loaf. I love this marble rolling pin.
- The loaves don’t have to look perfect. I rolled these babies in 7 1/2 minutes flat before I sprinted to my little girl’s performance. Don’t forget to make 3-4 diagonal cuts with a sharp knife before placing on silpat or greased cookie sheet. These silicone baking sheets make it so easy to remove the bread from the baking sheet. Let rise for 30-40 minutes.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 18-22 minutes until lightly golden brown. Watch it carefully to turn a light golden brown color.
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Homemade Bakery French Bread
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Yeast
- 1/2 cup Warm Water
- 2 cups Hot Water
- 3 Tablespoons Sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Salt
- 1/3 cup Oil
- 6 1/2 cups Flour
- 1 Egg for brushing on bread
Instructions
- In a small bowl, dissolve your yeast in ½ cup warm water. Make sure that your water is warm (not too cold, not too hot). Let proof for 10 minutes.
- In a separate mixing bowl, combine hot water, sugar, salt, oil and 3 cups of the flour and mix together. Add the yeast mixture to a bowl.
- Add the remaining 3 1/2 cups of flour, one cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Watch for it to start pulling away from the bowl to know it's ready. Once all of the flour is added, let sit for 10 minutes.
- Separate your dough into 3 pieces. On a floured surface roll each piece into a 9x12 rectangle. Roll it up like a jelly roll. Shape into a french bread loaf and smooth out edges.
- Place the dough on a greased baking pan or a Silpat, seam side down. Using a knife, make 3-4 diagonal cuts about 1/4 inch thick in bread. Brush with your beaten egg.
- Let dough rise uncovered for 30-40 minutes in a warm place.
- Bake at 375 for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown.
Video
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Happy Baking, my friends! I can’t wait to hear what you think about this quick and easy homemade french bread.
Best. Bread. Ever. I have made it twice, myself and shared with neighbors. I have taught my 13 year old grandson how to make it. And now, due to posting pictures of him and the outcome of this beautiful bread, ladies from my Church have asked for me to show them how to make it! This Saturday, I will be teaching them. Melissa, thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe. All the credit goes to you!
Excellent bread. I halved the recipe, since its just the two of us, and it worked perfectly. I used to run a bakery/donut shop and this recipe is great, easy and delicious. Thank you very much.
Hi,
Could you kindly tell me what the cup measurement is that you’d have used in this recipe please? 200 or 250ml?
Thanks in advance! 🙂
Truly as easy and delicious as all have stated! Even though my 2 loaves came out somewhat deflated ( i recognize some mistakes; mix flour more slowly was one) this bread is soft and sooo good!
Thank you for your recipe,
Can you freeze a loaf to have it to bake it fresh at a later date and if so when in the process should I put it in the freezer?
Hi!
I’m very excited to try out this recipe as I really wish to bake breads at home, especially with the way things are going on in the world these days. I needed a clarification though- what is the cup measurement that you’ve mentioned in this recipe? Is it 200ml or 250ml per cup?
I am a bread maker-white, wheat, Italian. This was my first attempt at French Bread. This recipe is wonderful! It took me 1 -1/2 hours but I am slow and a perfectionist. It came out picture perfect, soft, and tasted great! I received so many compliments from friends and family alike. Thank you for sharing this recipe. 🙂
i love baking and cooking in may kicken a lot i love that every much
This bread is so easy to make and so delicious!!!! In addition to just being delicious by itself, it makes the best French toast. It makes 3 quite large loaves so I freeze two for later use. It freezes remarkably well. Thank you so much for sharing it – There is no need to EVER buy french bread from a bakery again.
I JUST MADE THIS BREAD TODAY AND IT IS SO AMAZINGGGGGGGG! IT CAME OUT SO SOFT. WE ALMOST GOBBLED IT ALL UP, I HAD TO GO HIDE SOME. HAHAHAHAHA. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING.
I am a dad raising 4 kids, home schooling three of them, entertaining a 2 year old, and run a woodshop business all the while my wife works full-time as a healthcare provider outside the home. Needless to say, I’M EXTREMELY BUSY and don’t normally have time for such niceties as homemade French bread. This recipe, however, is extremely easy to make and it tastes delicious! My kids love it, my wife loves it, her co-workers love it! Modern Honey recipes are well-received in my home and this one is very easy simple and easy to make!
This just made my day! Thank you for sharing a little bit about you and your background. I LOVE that you are raising 4 kids and balancing so many things. Amazing! Also, thank you for trying my recipe and taking the time to comment. I truly do appreciate it! I am so glad your family loved it!
what flour did you use please