This soft and fluffy french bread is better than store-bought and so easy to make!
Years passed, and I bought myself a stand mixer and learned how to make amazing bread, but french bread still eluded me. And then I stumbled across the recipe below, and reached french bread nirvana. It's everything I could ever want in a french bread. The flavor and texture are spot on, and it's the perfect bread side for soup night. It also makes delicious sandwiches, french toast, and even french bread pizza! I've made this recipe dozens of times, and it always comes out of the oven golden brown and perfect. It's one of my favorites to bring when we have dinner with friends, and everyone is always surprised I made it myself, because it's so perfect! (I'm a little surprised myself, to tell the truth.) You definitely need this recipe in your arsenal!
The Best Soft French Bread
2 1/4 cups warm water
1 tablespoon yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
5-6 cups flour
1 teaspoon cornmeal
1 egg
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Let sit until foamy and bubbly. Add the salt, oil, and 3 cups of flour, and mix until smooth. Add additional flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and doesn't stick to your finger when tapped lightly. Let the dough rest ten minutes, then stir it down (I just turn my mixer on for a few seconds). Repeat four more times, stirring the dough down in between the rise intervals.
Prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment or silicone and sprinkling with cornmeal. Divide the dough in half, then roll each half out into a rectangle that is approximately 9 inches by 13 inches. Starting at the long side, roll the dough up into a long cylinder. Place seam side down on the prepared baking sheet, and repeat with remaining dough. Cut 3-4 slashes in the top of each loaf with a sharp knife. Cover lightly and let rise 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg with a splash of water to make an egg wash. Brush the egg wash over the surface of both loaves. Bake 30 minutes, or until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped.
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
This looks so delicious. Making soup this weekend and THIS bread!
ReplyDeleteIs the cornmeal necessary if you are baking on parchment? Also, do you think it would make a difference if baked on a baking stone?
ReplyDeleteIt's not strictly necessary, but I like the little bit of crunch it adds to the bottom of the bread. If you don't have it, you can totally leave it out!
DeleteOh, and I think it would turn out great on a baking stone. My best friend Cort (whom I referenced in the post) always makes hers that way.
DeleteThank you! I was just thinking about how my mom would bring home soft French bread from the grocery store when we were kids and sit there and eat it while watching All My Children haha. Can't wait to try my hand at making it. Now if only I had a soap to watch...
DeleteAre you using Dry Active Yeast or quick rise yeast?
ReplyDeleteActive dry yeast.
DeleteDo you knead the dough?
ReplyDeleteIs this recipe good for a submarine sandwich? I want to make a Italian hero.
ReplyDeleteYes, we have made sandwiches with it before!
DeleteI tried tried the recipe but the bread was inedible I used bread flour and maybe 6 cups is too much it wouldn't stretch much What did I do wrong?
DeleteDavey, without seeing your bread, I couldn't say for sure, but usually with bread the culprit is either bad yeast or too much flour. Did your yeast foam a lot in the first step? If it's not a yeast issue, you may have added too much flour. I add three cups at first, then add the additional flour a little at a time, being careful not to add too much. You want the dough to feel soft and smooth and only a little sticky, but it shouldn't be firm or inflexible.
DeleteI had the same problem, (very dense bread) I been baking for a long time now and I just wasn't happy with the way this turned out.
DeleteWhen dissolving the yeast and sugar in water, is it being mixed to do so or just sitting in the water?
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of flour did you use,all purpose or bread flour?
ReplyDeleteI always use all purpose, but you could definitely add some bread flour. I would probably use half and half, so you can get the chewiness of the bread flour but keep the softness of the all purpose flour.
DeleteCan I keep the shaped dough in the refrigerator overnight & bake next day or I have to bake it the same day. Thank you
ReplyDeletegood
ReplyDeleteIf I use a baking stone, would I put parchment paper under the bread or place the bread directly on the stone?
ReplyDeleteOh so good No lie ! Easy as can be bread and a lot of fun to put together. Loved watching it bake on my stone with no paper. I did this bread all the while my grand daughter was taking her 1 & 1/2 hour nap believe it or not ! Baking time not included. Oh buy the way, my sweet grand daughters name is Willah
ReplyDeleteAfter rolling the dough out in a rectangle, I sprinkled an 8oz bag of mozzerella cheese all over it and then rolled it up in a log.
ReplyDeleteI’ve baked a lot of bread recipes and this by far was one of the best! SOOOO GOOD.
That sounds delicious! Great idea!
DeleteWHAT CAN YOU SUBSTITUTE EGGS
ReplyDeletemilk!
DeleteI love this french bread recipe! I've made it five or six times already & it's turned out perfect every time! Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI am a 100% bread novice. I made this recipe today (first time I have ever tried to make homemade bread, ever!) and might I say, it turned out surprisingly well! I was not doubting the recipe but rather my ability to actually do it. I think I used the wrong yeast and the bread is a little more dense than I thought because of it but it is mighty delicious, thanks so much for sharing it with this bread noob!
ReplyDeleteI just sprinkle the yeast in first over the water, and then sprinkle the sugar on top. Some drops down, just walk away and wait 10 minutes! Also, an easy way to get the right temperature is to see what it feels like on your wrist. Kind of like baby bath water. If it's too hot for your skin, it's too hot for yeast.
ReplyDeleteI had no parchment paper and I had to just use the cookie sheet.
ReplyDeleteAnd my yeast is old because it did bubble but swish it with the spoon ,so now I'm waiting for it to cook and it came out really sticky and use a lot of four I hope my French bread turn out right.
If not make it again.
Ok
ReplyDeleteI’ve been looking for a recipe similar to the one in the Mormon Cookbook! This is it! I lost my cookbook in a love 10 years ago and have been searching ever since!
ReplyDeleteThis is a fantastic recipe! I was skeptical to try it because I had not previously tried a recipe that requires you to rest the dough and blend for repeated cycles, and I had my doubts that it would rise after forming the loaves. My family and I were very pleasantly surprised at how good it was. I added 3 tablespoons of fresh chopped rosemary and a slight bit more olive oil. It was a hit. This is my new go-to French bread recipe. 5 stars!
ReplyDeleteThis bread was fabulous!! Perfecto!
ReplyDeleteI just made this bread for dinner tonight and it was Amazing!!! I like a crispy bread so I put a pan of hot water in the oven with it and it was perfect!, Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteI made this bread several times but this time it didn’t rise like it did before, and yes the yeast foamed. Very disappointed.
ReplyDeleteTried this recipe. It was super real French bread. Thanks a million for this recipe. I had to add extra flour. And it was so good! Added some chopped garlic too!
ReplyDeleteBaked double the quantity of this French bread for the second time and turned out absolutely wonderful!! I had to add more flor and added some chopped garlic too!
ReplyDeleteSo, tell me what is the difference between French bread & Italian bread? Other than the direction of the slits, (3 diagonal for French & 1 long down the center for Italian) most recipes look the same.
ReplyDeleteThis is my go to recipe. I use instant yeast and it works perfectly without having to proof it first
ReplyDeleteYou added instant yeast to the flour? Do you still add the sugar to the warm water or add sugar to flour? Thanks
DeleteI'm a professional cook BUT a terrible Baker...I tried this and its awesome. To be fair it's not the hard and crusty from back home...but is better than what you get in a grocery store. I found if you cut and form into 7 inch baguettes they make perfect phillys...thanks for the recipe and I pass this site to the regulars that ask about our buns....but most of all thanks for the amazing reviews of our phillys...the bread is mentioned as much as our in house smoked cheese.
ReplyDeleteWhat if we forgot to add the egg wash on top? Should I take them back out and add it?
ReplyDeleteThey just wont have the golden brown glossy finish. It doesnt really change the taste of the bread...it just makes it golden brown and beautiful!
ReplyDeleteDelicious!! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I didn’t do the egg wash but brushed garlic butter on when hot! So good! Have you ever used this recipe for bread sticks? Any advice? Think I might try breadsticks tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteI saw this on another recipe and it works great with this recipe. When you roll it out, add about 4 oz mozzarella cheese, per loaf, and roll up. My family always ask for this bread.
ReplyDeleteTyia when you let the dough rest for 10 minutes and stir and repeat every time is 10 minutes or less for the 4 times?
ReplyDeleteI have rapidrise instant yeast. Will it be ok just to add it to the flour?
ReplyDeletegot to make this pronto!!!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat recipe mine turned out perfect Kiddo Gret job.!!!! And Thank You...!!!
ReplyDeleteThe family loves this French bread! BThanks for a delicious and simple bread recipe!
ReplyDeleteThis is the first french bread recipe I tried and it is the last too. The bread is soft with a crusty outside. PERFECT! It is a lot of kneading but the results are amazing. The huge loaf stays soft and moist longer that store bought loaves (it stays fresh all week if it lasts that long.) Everybody who has tried it has claimed it to be the best ever!
ReplyDeleteI use my KitchenAid for the first part but hand knead on the 10 minute punch downs. Also I cover mine with damp towel for the rise (it seems to make it better as I live in a dry climate.)
Thank you for the recipe.
Can this be made in a bread machine?
ReplyDeleteI don't own a bread machine, so I've never tried it. If you do try it and it works, please come back and share!
DeleteTruly the BEST Soft French bread recipe! I wanted a soft, fluffy inside and this is the one! I also like a soft crust, so I brush the entire loaves with melted butter before rise. For my area, Baltimore, Maryland, I have to add an additional cup of flour for that amount for water. I use 3 cups all purpose and 4 cups of bread flour. I make one large French bread and a sandwich loaf...yes, it makes great sandwich loaves! Since it's just me and my husband, once the bread cools, I cut both in half and freeze 3 halves, or else we will eat a whole loaf in a day. Thanks for the great recipe!
ReplyDelete