Amazing French Bread Recipe Makes 2 Loaves (Video) (2024)

May 9, 2020 By Brandy 21 Comments

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This amazing french bread recipe yields 2 loaves of soft and chewy bread. Perfect to serve with dinner or to use for sandwiches! This post contains an affiliate link.

If you’re looking for a quick bread to serve with dinner, our garlic parmesan breadsticks only take 40 minutes! If you have a bit more time our amazing French bread recipe will definitely hit the spot.

Watch our step by step video!

I LOVE french bread. Any crusty bread, for that matter. This French bread recipe has been a staple in our home for about 10 years. It is easy to make, and easy to customize into rolls, mini loaves, or large loaves.

I originally shared this recipe in 2011 as a French bread roll recipe, but have found that I make loaves more often than rolls. I’ll share directions for both. One recipe will make two loaves of bread, or 16 rolls. You can also make 1 loaf of bread and 8 mini loaves.

Tips for Baking Amazing French Bread

I’m not an expert at French baking, by any means, but I’ll share what I have learned over the years and what has worked for us for making French bread and baguettes.

Shaping the Dough:

You can roll the dough into a loaf shape using your hands, or roll out into a rectangular shape using a rolling pin and roll it up (like you would cinnamon rolls), pinching the bottom seam and ends. The second method is how I shape homemade bread, but either method works just fine.

Pans to Use:

I purchased this loaf pan a couple of years ago, and like using it for baguettes and French bread. It helps the loaves keep their shape. Before I had this pan, I baked my loaves on greased baking sheets. How you bake your loaves is completely up to you. They will be delicious either way.

Scoring

I’m not that great at scoring my bread, but it helps prevent the bread from splitting or bursting during the baking process. It also helps create a more uniform shape. I use an Xacto knife and slash the bread, diagonally, 4 times across the top. (Watch my video to see how I do this). You can also get a bread lame to score your bread.

Egg White Wash:

Brushing your loaves with an egg white wash will give them a nice shine/gloss. It is also a great way to keep seeds and toppings from falling off of the top of the bread. Simply brush the loaves with a mixture of an egg white and 2 T. water. Then sprinkle with sesame seeds, etc. if you’d like. I also add an egg wash to my homemade parmesan bagels. It keeps the cheese from falling off during the baking process.

Steam:

Creating steam during the baking process will help create a chewy crust. You can toss a handful of ice cubes into the bottom of your oven when you place the loaves in the oven, or you can do what I do—place a shallow pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven. I use an 8×8 brownie pan and fill it about an inch with water. Then I preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake the loaves with the pan of water still in the oven.

3 More Favorite Bread Recipes

Amish White Bread

Honey Wheat Bread

Jalapeno Cheese Bread

Amazing French Bread Recipe

Amazing Homemade French Bread Recipe

This amazing french bread recipe yields 2 loaves of soft and chewy bread. Perfect to serve with dinner or to use for sandwiches!

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

rise: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 slices

Calories: 125kcal

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
2 Tbsp. white sugar
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups flour all purpose or bread flour
melted butter for brushing

Egg Wash

1 egg white
2 Tbsp. water

Instructions

In a large bowl, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
To the yeast mixture, add the oil, salt, and 2 cups flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, 3-5 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat.
Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 2 pieces.
Shape each piece into a loaf. Place on greased baking sheet or French bread pan. Score 4 times across the top with a sharp knife.
Cover the loaves with a towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes.
Place a shallow pan with 1" of water on bottom rack of oven (I use an 8x8 brownie pan). This will create steam while the loaves bake. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Beat water and egg white in a small bowl with a fork until mixes. Brush over loaves.
Bake loaves for 25 minutes or until golden on top.
Brush with melted butter.

Notes

French Bread Roll Variation:

Divide into 16 rolls. Place on greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise 40 minutes. Brush with egg wash and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Brush with melted butter.

Nutrition

Calories: 125kcal

Brandy

Website | + posts

Welcome! I'm Brandy, mother to 5 darling kiddos and a cute black lab named Toby. My husband is in the Coast Guard so we've lived all over the place, turning each house into a home. I love baking, sewing, making cute things with my kids, and sharing what I've learned with all of you!

Reader Interactions

Comments

Donna H. says
March 22, 2011 at 2:13 pm
I LOVE to make homemade bread and love this idea of using the mini loaf pan. I’m going to look to purchase one. Great for sharing little loaves with friends and neighbors. 🙂
Reply
Bianca @ Walnut Avenue says
March 22, 2011 at 2:26 pm
I want to eat this loaf right off my screen. My husband is a freak about bread (see latest blog post) and will love this! I am hopping over from Hope Studios Linky ParTay!
Reply
See Also
Cherry Turnovers With Homemade Puff Pastry Recipe
Katertot says
March 22, 2011 at 7:03 pm
I can smell it baking already! 🙂
Reply
- meyline says
  October 1, 2015 at 5:41 pm
  Thanks for this wonderful recipe….it came out so well,,,I add some puppy seeds to mine…looks so pretty and is so delicious.
  Reply
  - Brandy says
    October 1, 2015 at 10:34 pm
    I’m so glad! I need to try that with the poppy seeds too!
    Reply
Crystal Hendrix says
March 22, 2011 at 8:54 pm
Thanks for the recipe! IT looks sooo yummy!!
What I like was how you split it up into mini loaves and used them for sandwiches!! That is such a good idea! I would never have thought to do that! 😀 Can’t wait to try it!
Reply
Stephanie says
March 22, 2011 at 8:59 pm
That’s the same recipe I use. 🙂 I’ve recently been adding in wheat flour and reducing white flour. We are loving it. Love the mini loaves.
Reply
Cristan says
March 23, 2011 at 4:15 am
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to make some! Thanks for sharing! I’m your newest follower. Would love for you to check out my blog at http://coffeecupsandcrafts.blogspot.com/
Reply
Robin says
March 23, 2011 at 11:51 am
Oh my goodness! Those loaves look scrumptious…I can almost smell them cooking…sigh.
xo
Robin
All Things Heart and Home
Reply
Jessica @ O. Alouette says
March 25, 2011 at 1:16 am
That looks so good!! I can’t wait to try the recipe out. Thanks for sharing!
Reply
Jess says
March 25, 2011 at 2:58 pm
Found you on Hodge Podge Friday. This sounds yummy. I have been looking for a good recipe to make homemade bread bowls for soups. I will have to try this one.
Jess
littlecountrycorner.blogspot.com
Reply
Erica says
March 26, 2011 at 3:46 am
mmmm…french bread rolls, what a good idea!
thanks for sharing!
Reply
Polly @ Helping Little Hands says
January 23, 2012 at 4:45 am
Just tried this recipe yesterday and it was delicious! Thanks!
Reply
carol jonovic says
November 27, 2018 at 2:28 pm
looks so good, can I kneed this with my mixer and dough hook?
Reply
- Brandy says
  November 27, 2018 at 5:07 pm
  Absolutely!
  Reply
Katrina says
December 21, 2018 at 10:19 pm
Do you think the mini loaves would freeze well? How long would these loaves last in the fridge? Thanks!
Reply
- Brandy says
  December 22, 2018 at 9:30 am
  Hi Katrina! I haven’t tried freezing or refrigerating them, but I would imagine they’d freeze like any other homemade bread and be just fine!
  Reply
doris says
July 18, 2022 at 12:32 pm
can you use 2 8×4 or 9×5 loaf pan since thats all I have cuz it looks so good
Reply
- Brandy says
  July 20, 2022 at 9:39 am
  I don’t see why not! Let me know how it turns out!
  Reply
Paul Osborn says
March 27, 2023 at 1:24 pm
I could not find the video for the French bread nor the hamburger Buns
Reply
- Brandy says
  March 27, 2023 at 10:36 pm
  Hi! The videos play right underneath the first image in the post. I’m seeing them so make sure you don’t have a pop up/ad blocker on your browser. 🙂
  Reply