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Master the art of baking with this classic French bread recipe. Achieve a bakery-quality loaf at home, featuring a crisp, golden-brown crust and a soft, airy crumb. Perfect for tearing and dipping in soup, making sandwiches, or enjoying warm with butter.
Activate the Yeast
Make and Knead the Dough
First Rise (Proofing)
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Master the art of baking with this classic French bread recipe. Achieve a bakery-quality loaf at home, featuring a crisp, golden-brown crust and a soft, airy crumb. Perfect for tearing and dipping in soup, making sandwiches, or enjoying warm with butter.
This french recipe takes 185 minutes to prepare and yields 10 servings. At 212.19 calories per serving with 7.29g of protein, it's a moderately challenging recipe perfect for breakfast or brunch or lunch or snack or side.
Shape Loaves and Second Rise
Prepare for Baking
Bake with Steam
Cool and Serve
Add 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh herbs (like rosemary or thyme) or 2 teaspoons of dried herbs to the dry ingredients in step 2.
After applying the egg wash, sprinkle the tops of the loaves with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or a mix of your favorite seeds before baking.
For a heartier loaf, replace 1 cup of the bread flour with 1 cup of whole wheat flour. You may need to add a little extra water as whole wheat flour is more absorbent.
For a more authentic French baguette, omit the vegetable oil from the dough and skip the egg wash. Instead, spritz the loaves with water before and during the first 10 minutes of baking.
The carbohydrates from the bread flour provide a readily available source of energy to fuel your body's daily activities and brain function.
By baking your own bread, you have complete control over the ingredients, avoiding the artificial preservatives, dough conditioners, and high levels of sodium often found in commercial breads.
The tactile process of kneading, shaping, and baking bread can be a relaxing and rewarding activity, promoting mindfulness and helping to reduce stress.
Each serving of two slices contains approximately 212 calories. This is an estimate and can vary based on the exact ingredients and final loaf size.
Homemade bread can be a healthier choice than store-bought versions as it contains no preservatives or artificial additives. However, it is made with refined white flour, so it should be enjoyed in moderation as part of a balanced diet. For a healthier version, you can substitute some of the bread flour with whole wheat flour to increase fiber content.
Yes, you can use all-purpose flour. The bread will have a slightly softer crust and a less chewy texture compared to bread made with high-protein bread flour, but it will still be delicious.
The most common reason is expired or inactive yeast. Always check the expiration date and ensure your water is warm (not hot, which can kill the yeast) to properly activate it. Another reason could be that the rising environment was too cold.
The key is steam! Placing a pan of hot water in the oven during the initial baking phase creates a humid environment. This moisture keeps the crust soft at first, allowing the bread to expand fully (oven spring), and then evaporates to create a crisp, golden-brown finish.
Yes. After the first rise, punch the dough down, place it in a lightly oiled bowl or bag, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to bake, let it sit at room temperature for about 30-60 minutes before shaping and proceeding with the second rise.