Description
A step-by-step guide to making homemade French bread with a crisp golden crust and soft, airy interior.
Ingredients
- 5 to 6 cups bread flour
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 2 cups warm water (95°F to 110°F)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or neutral oil
Instructions
- Prepare the yeast mixture by combining warm water, yeast, and sugar in a bowl and letting it sit until frothy.
- Mix the dough with flour, salt, yeast mixture, and oil, kneading until smooth and elastic.
- Let the dough rise in a greased bowl covered with a towel until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Punch down the dough, divide, and shape into loaves.
- Let the shaped loaves rise on a baking sheet for another 30-40 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and prepare for baking by slashing the tops of the loaves.
- Bake loaves for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and hollow-sounding.
- Cool on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
Store bread at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze for longer storage. Refresh stale bread by misting with water and warming in the oven.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 3g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: bread, French bread, homemade bread, baking