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 yeast (quick rise) 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 a must for 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 (bloom yeast if needed).
- Add flour and salt.
- Mix and knead the dough with a stand mixer or by hand.
- 1st proofing (allow dough to double in size). I highly recommend proofing dough in the Instant Pot to accelerate the rising process.
- Deflate and reshape to prep for 2nd proofing.
- 2nd proofing (optional but recommended for gluten development).
- Deflate and shape dough into final form (French baguette, oval, round, or loaf).
- Final proofing (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 qt. Kitchen Aid stand mixer for this bread recipe, which yields about 2 lbs. 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 min). 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 lb. 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 90°F temperature. 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
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 (water temp and baked bread temp)
- stirring utensil or bare hands (to combine ingredients)
- your hands (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 or knife or scissors (to score the dough)
- oven mitts (for safe handling of hot bread and bakeware)
French Bread FAQ
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 storebought 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 2 lbs. dough (850 g)
- 1 ⅓ cup Warm Water (315 g), see instructions for temperature
- 1 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 (530 g), do not pack it down
- Olive Oil, or cooking spray
Equipment
- measuring cup and spoons
- your hands (if not using a stand mixer to knead)
- see 'optional' equipment in recipe footnotes
Instructions
- Combine *WARM WATER and YEAST in mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl fitted with the dough hook attachment.* Active Dry Yeast needs 100°F - 110°F water temperature. Combine and allow 5 minute rest until the yeast surfaces.* Quick Rise Instant Yeast needs 120°F - 130°F 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°F 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” 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°F - 200°F.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 Tips
- 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
Nutrition
Nutrition data provided as courtesy estimates using unbranded ingredients from a nutrition database. Please consult preferred resource for precise data.
Denise says
So good! And the house smells wonderful!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayyy! That is my one of the best parts of making French bread ... any bread 🙂 And the eating part Glad you're enjoying this one and thanks for the feedback
Lyss says
I was looking for a go-to recipe for soft white bread... and this was absolutely what I was looking for! Next time I think I’ll try to do two smaller loaves so I can freeze one, since it’s just me and my husband, but absolutely fantastic. I went with hand kneading because I felt like it (so therapeutic!) and I didn’t measure how much extra flour I added... very much did it by eye, as I know things like the weather and humidity can always impact how much flour you’ll need for breads.
What method do you recommend for storing leftovers?
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Lyss! I'm so glad you found the perfect bread recipe for your needs. I tend to always hand knead this one too bc I love doing it :). As for storage, it should be fine for a day or two. After that, I would store the bread in a plastic bag in the fridge. Then you can slice as needed and very lightly toast it. Hope that helps. Thanks for the feedback!
Zach says
I was surprised how easy this was. I messed up the shaping on part of it, but it was still great tasting for my first time.
The Kitchen Girl says
Nice! So glad you found it easy 🙂 Hang in there with the shaping...it really takes practice. I have videos coming on that soon! 🙂 Thanks so much for the feedback!
Robert says
Hi, can you tell me if doubling this recipe is OK? Would like to make 2 loaves. Thank you!
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Robert, I spent some time editing the yield on this French bread and it now yields (2) 1 lb. loaves. Perfect for kneading by hand or using stand mixer. Enjoy!
Dick says
Really easy and tastes great. Can you double the recipe?
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome! Glad you're enjoying it 🙂 Yes you can double the recipe. What mixer do you have?...or are you mixing by hand?
Andy says
I can't quite believe it! I've just made this, sticking exactly to your recipe, using a mixer, and it's totally fantastic!!! The easiest dough to make ever. Quickly formed into a ball. Proofed perfectly and baked turned into a fantastic smelling and tasting French bread! And I live in France!!!! I reckon I'll be making this most days now!!! Can't thank you enough. Andy
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Andy! So glad to hear the process turned out a perfect loaf for you. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Jane says
Thanks my sweet friend!!
The Kitchen Girl says
You're so welcome, my sweet friend!
Elie Q says
I had just dabbled into bread making about a month ago. Your french bread recipe is my favorite and I make it twice already! When you use the Instant Pot to proof dough, do you set is at yogurt normal or yogurt low? I seem to flip flop between those 2 settings. I proofed it on yogurt normal today and it was already doubled in 15 minutes. Put it on yogurt low the 2nd proof and it was doubled in less than 30.
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Elie, thanks for the review! I'm so glad to hear you are loving this French bread recipe I use the normal yogurt setting, but I like the idea of using the low setting for timing purposes. I'll have to try that sometime
Jordan says
This was so good! It was crispy on the outside but so nice and soft on the inside. Paired it with chicken broccoli and cheese soup! Thank you for this yummy recipe, definitely using it again!
The Kitchen Girl says
Jordan, this makes my day! I'm so glad you enjoyed it...and got the same results I get every time...crispy and soft. Yay! We love it with soup too! I really appreciate your feedback. Thanks! 🙂
Victoria Shanley says
I felt so accomplished after mastering this bread, even my husband thought I had bought a small loaf from the store.
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesommmme, Victoria! I created this recipe in the very strong hopes that this would happen 🙂 Thanks so much for letting me know
Dannii says
we have been baking a lot of bread recently, but i need to try this. It looks so light and fluffy.
The Kitchen Girl says
Omgosh Dannii yes! It really IS so light and fluffy! 🙂
Jeff says
Already commented before, but I just had this French bread fresh out of the oven with your White Bean Kale Soup and had to come back and say WOW!! I'm super spoiled and want it like this always!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayyyyy! I'm soooooo glad you love both!! They are heavenly together
Billy Rogers says
I have baked pies, cakes, best ever muffins, sweet bread (banana/ginger my new favorite, pumpkin), biscuits, cornbread, but never any yeast breads. T0 day is my inaugural yeast baking day. Wish me luck!!!! Will post my results! I'm blessed to have eating your college day breads. My favorite treat to this day were the honey whole wheat chocolate puffs.
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome, Billy!! I wish I could be in your kitchen with you when you do it. Bread videos coming soon! And yes, will love to know how this goes for you today 🙂
Kim says
Loved this recipe when I made it last week attempting again today. Last time it didn't rise much but I think I worked with it too much after second rise. Hoping for fluffier today. A few questions...
1) how much of the reserve flour do you usually use? My dough was very sticky I used it all.
2) How do you know when your kneading is complete and dough is ready to rise?
3) if you want a larger loaf can you do 1.5x or 2x this recipe?
Thanks for the simple yet delicious recipe!
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Kim! Here ya go...
1) The reserve flour amount needed will vary with the brand/type flour used and you really have to always go by feel; i.e., add more if it feels too "loose" when handling it. Undesired stickiness can also happen when there's not enough flour sprinkled on the surface as it's being worked, so stickiness doesn't always mean there's not enough flour in the dough itself.
2) The "pull" test will tell you when the kneading is complete...I wrote about this in the blogpost above the recipe so give that a glance.
3) You can absolutely scale this recipe to your heart's content. I kept it small b/c I know a lot of people are first-time bread bakers and I don't want them to feel like they're wasting resources if things go south LOL.
Also, if your dough isn't rising, consider that A) The yeast might be expired or compromised B) The dough didn't rise long enough C) The proofing environment was compromised D) The dough could be overproofed, as you mentioned
Hope this helps...let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
Kim says
I'm thinking it's my yeast. I used the instant pot to proof and it never doubles in size. Maybe 20% growth. My yeast as bought from a bulk store. Only place I could find it so possibly comprised. Will try again if I can get better yeast (hard thing to get right now lol)
The Kitchen Girl says
Yeah, if it's not rising in the Instant Pot on the yogurt setting; i.e., the 'perfect' environment, sounds like the yeast might be no bueno. Tell me, is it "activating" properly in warm water before you add the flour and mix? You def don't want to skip that step.
JB says
Awesome French Bread recipe and ready in just a few hours. Good thing b/c I can't stop eating it...I'm hooked! Way to go, KG!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yussssss! I'm glad you love it...we're having identical feelings about this one 🙂 Thanks JB!
Geri says
Made this bread today...dough was easy to work with and bread was delicious! My daughter spent December in Paris and she said the bread tasted just like the baguettes she had there. How’s that for a compliment! Only one issue...finding yeast in the store! LOL
The Kitchen Girl says
Geri, this is quite the compliment to both of us as that is no small feat ❤️ Thank you for taking the time to let me know about this lovely experience. This truly makes my day!
Edlyn says
Any ideas on making GF white bread?
The Kitchen Girl says
Hi Edlyn, I have zero experience with gluten-free bread baking. My friend Jane from The Heritage Cook has a Gluten-Free Bread Cookbook you might like to check out.
Angie says
Let me start by saying, this is the first edible yeast bread I’ve ever made! Lol my husband and I have a running joke that I’m just not a ‘bread person’. I can cook wonderfully, but if it involves bread, I fail miserably.
This turned out very crusty outside (which I love, but maybe I piled it too much) and the inside is soft and fluffy (big win for me!) but it didn’t rise much at all. Wondering what i did wrong there.
I’m determined to be a bread person! Thank you!
The Kitchen Girl says
Angie...first edible homemade bread for you? That truly makes my dayyyyy! Yes, this recipe does make a crusty bread b/c of the high oven temperature and will naturally soften, especially if stored in a plastic bag.
Issues of not rising can be 1) expired yeast 2) not enough time rising before sending it to the oven 3) rising environment not warm enough. Are any of these possible for you? Let's figure it out so you can nail this forevahhhh
Kim says
Trying this now, proofing in instant pot. Great instructions, first time bread maker and not at all intimidated. Hope it looks as great as yours!
The Kitchen Girl says
Omgosh this make me SOOO happy! If you have questions, please let me know 🙂 You can pose a question here if you like or message me directly 🙂
Carol says
Now that is a beautiful loaf of bread! I'm not much of a baker but with all the tips and information you provide, I feel like I'm really set for success! Excited to try this!
The Kitchen Girl says
Awww, thank you, Carol ❤️ Now you got me all excited too! Stay tuned...I'll be adding more photos and video to this! I really want people to be successful with bread baking