You'll be baking homemade bread all the time with this easy French Bread recipe. It's amazing that a little bit of flour, yeast & olive oil can make this soft on the inside, crusty on the outside can't-stop-eating-it bread.
When the weather turns cooler I love hanging out in my kitchen. And I just love when the rich fragrant smells emanating from my oven fill the house. I have one of those warm & fuzzy moments and want to hug my whole family!
So today I decided to bake up some French bread to have with my homemade blender tomato soup. I know you are probably thinking "I CAN'T make bread" or "It's TOO HARD!" but this is really one of the simplest bread recipes to make. It only takes about 20 minutes prep time, which you can do in the morning then let it raise during the day and bake it 30 minutes prior to dinner. That's it!
What's the secret to making great bread? I think it's getting the water just the right temperature before adding it to the yeast. I use a thermometer, any one that has a 120-130 degree mark will do, and once that's right everything else falls in place. Of course, an electric mixer with a dough hook, like my wonderful Kitchen Aid (which I am not being paid to say), is a lifesaver and cuts the kneading time down by 50%.
And what comes out of your oven is unbelievably delicious. It was so good that my husband couldn't stop eating it! (which could be a bad thing if I made it all the time!) Oh, and it freezes well too, so go ahead and bake up a storm and you'll have fresh bread at your fingertips whenever you get a craving for it. Great to accompany soup, quiche or delicious pasta dinners.
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There more! Take a look more of my homemade bread recipes with yeast or without for easy-to-make quick breads.
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Homemade French Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups filtered water (you don't want to use chlorinated water as it will inhibit the yeast's rising ability)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 5 -6 cups bread flour (organic, unbleached is the healthiest)
- 1 ½ packets RAPID RISE yeast (1 Tablespoon)
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
- Mix 2 cups filtered water and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 4-cup microwave-safe measuring cup. Place in microwave and heat on high for 1 ½ - 2 minutes. You want the water to reach a temperature between 125-130 degrees. (Use a digital thermometer to make sure it doesn't get too hot.)
- While the water is heating, mix 5 cups flour, 1 Tablespoon yeast, 1 Tablespoon sugar, and 2 teaspoons kosher salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour the warm liquids into the flour mix and stir for 2 minutes to combine. Knead by hand for 10 minutes or with a stand mixer with a dough hook, on speed 2, for about 5-7 minutes. Add ½ - 1 cup flour as needed and knead until it becomes smooth and elastic and looses its' stickiness.
- Prepare 2 cookie sheets by spraying with oil then dusting with cornmeal.
- Let the dough rest in the bowl, covered, for 10 minutes, then cut into 4 equal pieces. Form each into a long loaf by forming a 9x12-inch rectangle then rolling it up starting at the wide side then tucking under the ends. Place 2 on each prepared cookie sheet.
- Cover each cookie sheet with a towel and let the loaves rise until doubled, about 2 hours. Once they are finished rising, cut slits in the top with a sharp knife.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Place cookie sheets on the middle rack and bake for 25-30 minutes. (For a crisper crust, I like to brush them with an egg wash (whisked egg with 1 tablespoon water).
- Makes 4 small loaves. You can also opt to make 2 longer French bread loaves.
Notes
Nutrition
This post has been updated and was first published on September 30, 2014.
