Description
This Easy Homemade French Bread recipe is practically foolproof and rivals bread you may get from the bakery. This bread is golden, crisp and chewy on the outside, and light and fluffy on the inside. The best part? It can be made in roughly 90 minutes. If you are a beginner at making bread, try this one!
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (1 0.25 ounce packet)
- 1 1/3 cups water, warmed to 110F (316 grams)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups bread flour
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (247 grams)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (9 grams)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (22 grams)
Instructions
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the dough hook attachment, or a large bowl, add yeast, water, honey, bread and all-purpose flour, salt and olive oil. Knead for 3 minutes in stand mixer (6 minutes if you are doing this by hand). Allow dough to rest for 10 minutes, then knead an additional 2 minutes (or 4 minutes if doing this by hand).
2. Transfer dough to greased bowl. Spray the top of dough with nonstick cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes. Alternatively, you can turn your oven on and preheat until the oven reaches 100F. Once the oven has reached 100F, turn the oven off. Place the covered dough in the warm oven and allow to rise for 30 minutes.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased surface. Pat the dough into a rectangle that’s approximately 9×13 inches. Starting from the long edge, roll the dough up into a cylinder. Pinch the edges together to seal. Pinch the edges at the tips together and pinch together with the seam down the center of the bread (so that the ends will be tucked under). Place the bread onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet, seam side down.
4. Using a bread lame, razor blade or very sharp knife, cut 6 slits in bread at an angle. Cover bread with plastic wrap.
5. Allow bread to rise for 30 minutes at room temperature, or 20 minutes in a warm oven (using the same method as above).
6. Preheat oven to 375F. (Make sure bread is out of oven, if you used a warm oven to proof the bread).
7. Brush the top and sides of the bread with egg wash. Place bread in oven. Add a few ice cubes to a small baking pan and place in the oven rack directly below the bread. Close the oven door (the ice helps create a crispy crust). Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown in color.
Notes
- To make the roasted garlic butter:
Ingredients:
1 head garlic, cut in half
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 cup heavy creamDirections: Cut garlic head in half. Drizzle the exposed garlic with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap in aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 40-60 minutes at 400F. The cloves should be golden brown and soft to the touch when done. You can also air fry for 20 minutes at 400F.
Make the butter. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whip attachment, add heavy cream and beat on medium-high speed until the butter separates from the buttermilk. This could take 10-15 minutes. Remove the butter from the bowl and squeeze out the excess buttermilk. Place in a shallow bowl with cold ice water. This will help the butter firm up.
To make the garlic butter, add the freshly made butter along with the Italian seasoning, and parsley. Squeeze out the roasted garlic heads into the bowl. Mix to combine. You may need to use a handheld mixer or stand mixer to fully get the butter to combine.
Shape into desired butter log shape, then wrap in parchment paper. Store in refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Prep Time: 70
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Bread
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American