Easy Homemade French Bread recipe made with flour, water, yeast, and salt in a stand mixer or by hand with step by step instructions. It's crispy right out of the oven. As it cools, it becomes a soft French bread you can use for anything!
What is French bread?
This homemade French bread is a simple yeast bread recipe made with flour, water, yeast, and salt. It can be kneaded by hand or a stand mixer and shaped into a baguette, sandwich loaf, oval, or round. Once it's baked, it actually comes out of the oven crispy and becomes a super soft French bread as it cools. Once you know how to make French bread from scratch, the sky really is the limit for yeast dough recipes.
Why we love this recipe
- great for bread beginners - This soft French bread recipe is simple and inexpensive. It's the perfect recipe to learn how to make bread.
- four ingredients - Flour, water, yeast, and salt (and few drops oil for proofing)
- two yeast options - You can use instant quick-rise yeast or active dry yeast.
- two mixing options - French bread can be kneaded by hand and stand mixer.
- economical - Have you seen the store bought artisan bread prices lately?!
- enjoyment - It's fun and relaxing to make bread at home.
- other recipes - Leftover French bread makes beautiful crostini and croutons.
- pairing - French loaf is delicious served with Minestrone, Lasagna Soup, and Chicken Alfredo.
How to make soft French bread
Here's a brief overview. Visit the printable recipe card below for detailed instructions.
- Combine water and yeast and bloom yeast if needed.
- Add flour and salt.
- Mix and knead the dough with a stand mixer or by hand.
- 1st proofing - This means to allow dough to double in size. I recommend proofing dough in the Instant Pot to accelerate the rising process.
- Deflate and reshape to prep for 2nd proofing.
- 2nd proofing - This is optional but recommended for gluten development.
- Deflate and shape dough into a baguette, oval, round, or loaf.
- Final proofing - This means allow the final form to expand before baking.
- Bake the French loaf.
- Cool and store.
Stand mixer bread vs hand kneaded bread
This soft French bread recipe can be easily kneaded with a stand mixer or by hand. In fact, I bounce between both, depending on the batch size I want to make.
How to knead French bread in the stand mixer
I use my 5 quart Kitchen Aid stand mixer for this bread recipe, which yields about 2 pounds of dough. This size is perfect for my stand mixer with the dough hook attachment because it mixes and kneads without any delay. I've noticed with smaller batches that the stand mixer struggles because the dough hook needs more mass to gather and knead properly.
To mix dough via stand mixer: Secure the dough hook attachment. Use lowest speed to mix and knead ingredients into a cohesive, smooth, elastic dough (about 3-5 minutes). Sprinkle reserved flour into the bowl as needed during the entire mixing / kneading process to prevent the dough sticking to the bowl sides. You may also need to stop the stand mixer and pull the dough back into cohesion.
By the way, if you're shopping stand mixers, I create an article and YouTube video comparing two Kitchen Aid stand mixer models that has helped countless people decide which one to get.
How to knead French bread by hand
Hand-kneading - It's good to know how to knead dough without a stand mixer. In fact, I usually hand knead this French bread recipe when I make a half batch (1 pound dough yield) because my hands can incorporate and knead smaller batches more efficiently than the stand mixer.
To hand knead: Stir ingredients together (using a utensil or your hands) in a large mixing bowl until a shaggy dough forms. Transfer dough to a steady surface and hand-knead until a cohesive, elastic dough forms (about 3-5 minutes). Sprinkle the reserved flour in small amounts as needed to prevent the dough sticking to the table or your hands during the entire process.
Which KitchenAid stand mixer is right for you?
Check out The Kitchen Girl's
feature comparison VIDEO of the Artisan and Pro 600!
Proofing
You can proof homemade French bread using different methods. Proofing dough in the Instant Pot is my favorite! It creates the ideal environment to proof at a constant temperature of 90 degrees Fahrenheit. It's so convenient because your dough doubles in size in only 45 minutes, even in a chilly or drafty environment.
French bread shapes
Shaping French bread is half the fun! You can shape a baguette, sandwich loaf, or oval / round. Baguette pans are not required and I only occasionally use loaf pans. They're handy for maintaining loaf height though, especially if you're a beginner. Here are some 'before and after' examples of my French bread shapes.
Free-form French Baguettes or long loaves on parchment-lined baking sheet. Great for a meat and cheese board.
French sandwich loaf in a loaf pan
Free-form oval sandwich loaf on a mini baking sheet
Tools and equipment
These are bare minimum bread tools needed for this recipe. Optional tools are listed in the recipe card below.
- mixing bowl - to mix bread dough by hand and/or proof dough
- measuring cup and spoon
- instant read thermometer - used to gauge water temperature and baked bread temperature
- stirring utensil - or bare hands to combine ingredients
- your hands - to knead dough if not using a stand mixer
- stand mixer - if not kneading by hand
- baking sheet
- parchment paper - or oil or cooking spray for bakeware
- razor blade or bread lame - used for scoring dough
- oven mitts - for safe handling of hot bread and bakeware
Frequently asked questions
Allow loaf to cool and store in an airtight bag or container at room temperature up to 2 days. It won't be as moist and chewy as the day it was made, but it's perfect for toasting.
Yes. Allow French bread to cool completely and freeze in an airtight bag or freezer-safe container up to 30 days. To thaw, allow the loaf to rest in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for a few hours.
The biggest difference is in the shape, especially with store-bought bread. Italian bread tends to be shorter and wider, while French bread is usually longer and narrower.
How to use leftover French bread
Don't throw that day old French bread away, even if it's a few days old. Turn leftover French bread into these easy recipes. You'll save money because you're not throwing bread away and the store bought versions of these can be expensive.
What to do with French bread
There's nothing better than dinner served with fresh homemade French bread. Grab any one of these mouthwatering entrees made for Instant Pot or stove!
Also, if you love bread and can't have it, grab this crazy popular, tried and tested gluten-free bread recipe.
Soft French Bread Recipe
INGREDIENTS
Yields about 1 ½ pounds dough (780 g)
- 1 ⅓ cup Warm Water (315 g), see instructions for temperature
- 1 (¼ ounce packet) Quick Rise Instant Yeast, or 2 ¼ tsp Active Dry Yeast
- 1 ½ teaspoon Sea Salt, *see recipe footnote
- 3 ½ cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour (480 g), do not pack it down
- Olive Oil, or cooking spray
Instructions
- Combine *WARM WATER and YEAST in mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl fitted with the dough hook attachment.* Active Dry Yeast needs 100 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit water temperature. Combine and allow 5 minute rest until the yeast surfaces.* Quick Rise Instant Yeast needs 120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit water temperature. Combine and proceed to step 2.
- Add FLOUR and SALT (reserve ½ cup flour to assist mixing). Stir ingredients together with a utensil (or stand mixer on lowest speed) until a shaggy dough forms.
- Mix and knead dough with your hands (or stand mixer on low speed) about 5 minutes until it becomes stretchy and pliable. During mixing, sprinkle tiny amounts of the reserved flour into the bowl to prevent sticking.
- Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and shape into a tight, round form, tucking the sides under to form a seam on the bottom.
- Perform 1st proof/rise by placing dough in an oil-coated mixing bowl (or Instant Pot), seam side down. Cover with a towel or draped plastic wrap and allow to double in size.
- Deflate the dough (aka punch it down) to remove air bubbles. You can move on to the next step, or...Perform 2nd proof/rise by shaping the dough into a tight round and repeat step 5. (The 2nd proof/rise is optional, but recommended to further develop texture and flavor)
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and let's shape these loaves...Transfer the dough onto lightly floured surface. Press to deflate air pockets and divide dough into 2 or 3 equal sections.Press each piece into a loose rectangle shape.Fold and press dough into itself until it becomes tight while forming it into the final shape (baguette, loaf, or round).Transfer to a prepared baking sheet or loaf pan. Brush surface with olive oil and cover to prevent air exposure.
- Perform final proof/rise by resting forms in a warm spot until nearly doubled in size.Score the dough by making ¼-inch slits across each loaf with a sharp tool.
- Bake 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through, as needed for even browning.Fully baked French bread will be crisp and golden brown. If tested with a quick-read thermometer, it should be between 190 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.Note: The crisp surface will completely soften once it cools.
- Transfer loaves onto a cooling rack and rest 5 minutes.Remove loaves from pans and rest on the cooling rack until completely cooled (to retain moisture).Store cooled bread in a plastic bag or airtight container up to 2 days at room temperature or 5 days in the refrigerator.
Traci's Recipe Notes
- digital scale - weigh ingredients and bread dough
- Instant Pot - for proofing dough
- plate or lid that covers the Instant Pot during dough proofing
- dough whisk - combines dough ingredients before kneading
- bowl scraper - helps remove sticky dough from mixing bowl
- sandwich loaf pan or baguette pan - helps shape and add height to loaves
- bread knife - serrated edges will cut straight lines
Equipment
- mixing bowl for hand mixing and proofing
- stirring utensil to combine ingredients
- stand mixer for electric mixing
- baker's lame or razor blade (to score the dough)
- see 'optional' equipment in recipe footnotes
NUTRITION
Nutrition data provided as courtesy estimates using unbranded ingredients from a nutrition database. Please consult preferred resource for precise data.
Marissa Vilchis says
As I have never made bread before snd got a stand mixer for Christmas I was looking for easy recipies. This recipe was relatively easy but wasn't sure on the final proofing time as it seemed like it didn't double in size. Also, when i baked it at 450, the bottom of the loaves burnt.. I guess practice makes perfect?
Traci says
Hiya, the final proofing time depends on the proofing environment. If your dough didn't double in size, then the environment was either too cold or the yeast didn't do its job (which can happen for various reasons). Also, baking at 450 shouldn't have had that effect. Did you by chance bake the bread on a stone or cast iron? Or did you happen to bake it longer than the instructions indicated?
Mia says
Hi. Would it be okay to use bleached all purpose flour? Thank you
The Kitchen Girl says
Hiya, yes you can use bleached flour in equal amounts. I prefer unbleached because it's more dense and has more structure, which makes shaping French bread easier. Let me know how it goes for you and feel free to send more questions my way 🙂 Enjoy!
Pat says
Do you turn your instant pot on or just put it in the pot and cover it??
The Kitchen Girl says
Hiya Pat, yes the yogurt setting and pot gets covered with a regular lid (or even a pizza pan). Here's the link to a detailed post about proofing dough in the IP 🙂 Let me know if you have other questions! Enjoy!
Leisel says
So good! I’m new to making bread and I didn’t go into this optimistically. This bread was soft yet chewy. A slight crisp on the crust. The flavor was amazing. I followed the directions as written. I kneaded in mixer about one minute then by hand the rest of the time. Magnifique!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay, I'm so glad to hear it. Yes, this French bread comes out of the oven super crispy and gets soft as it cools. I often do the same as you with 1-2 minute mixing and then by hand because I love to knead dough. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback. Cheers to homemade bread!!
Jennifer Locke says
I tried this today. I messed it up in the 3rd proof....it dried out too much, I didn't oil it enough, so it was denser than I liked...but the taste is perfect. I can't wait to try it again... tomorrow! Great recipe and great directions on your part. Thanks!
The Kitchen Girl says
Ok I'm glad you found the directions helpful. I'm not sure I quite understand what went wrong there but it sounds like you have a handle on it. Let me know if you have any questions and enjoy!! 🙂
Jeffrey says
I swear this smells like Subway French bread, which is awesome, but it tastes a million times better! This is how French bread should be made. Another winner!
Jennifer Rodriguez says
I used this "new and improved" french bread recipe !! Good job Traci. My bread came out looking so GOOD, hard to wait for it to cool down though.
The Kitchen Girl says
Awww thank you so much, Jennifer...glad you enjoyed it. I totally agree about the waiting to cool down lol. Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback
Kathleen says
This was really tasty, much better than my old recipe. I did have a problem with it being sticky and loose, even though I added more flour. It rose beautifully the first 2 times but on the 3rd rise in the pan it expanded rather than rise. I will be making it again, I put a note on my printed recipe to use less water, do you think that might help?
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Kathleen, yep...I recently tried to include metric conversion for this recipe and it threw off my numbers. I found the mistake and corrected it. Can you compare my current online version to your printed version? I think you'll find it easier to manage 🙂
Mary says
What setting do you use if you don’t have yogurt button?
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Mary, people say they have used their sous vide function. I have not tested this bc I don't have that setting. This is the only method I've heard of that can work without overcooking the dough.