I’m addicted…to bread. I can’t help myself. Give me a fresh loaf of homemade yumminess and I am in heaven!
I LOVE this French Bread recipe. It’s super easy , quick, and cheap to make! I bake it at least once a week when the weather is cool. For this recipe I used half whole wheat and half white flour. The wheat gives it a hearty flavor and the white flour gives it a great texture.
This bread is one of my favorite things to serve with soup. The crust is golden crisp and the inside is soft and melts in your mouth! My kind of comfort food!! 🙂
So, here’s how you make it.
In your stand mixer, combine 3 cups whole wheat flour and the dry yeast.
I like to use instant yeast. It’s a little more potent than active dry yeast and you can mix it directly with your dry ingredients. (Active dry yeast works just fine, but it needs to be activated in a little bit of warm water before being added to the rest of the ingredients. If you don’t properly activate it, it will result in your loaf not rising as well)
After you have mixed the flour and yeast together, add the hot water, oil, sugar, and salt. Your water needs to be between 120-130 degrees. I use my candy thermometer to make sure my water is the right temp.
Turn on your mixer and mix for one minute.
Quickly add the remaining flour…one cup at a time, until the mixture cleans the sides of the bowl and forms a ball. Be careful not to add too much flour. This will result in tough dry bread.
It should look like this:
Continue mixing for 3-4 minutes. Ahhh stand mixers…whoever invented them…I love you! I love it when my mixer does all the kneading for me!!
Lightly oil hands and divide dough into two equal portions.
One at a time, roll the dough onto an oiled surface. Roll each into a 12 x 15 rectangle.
Beginning at the long side, roll it up tightly.
Seam side down, lightly pinch and tuck ends under to taper the loaf.
Place the loaves on a gently greased baking sheet…seams down. Use a knife to diagonally slash loaf tops 1/4″ deep.
Beat egg white and water with a fork until foamy. Brush the tops and sides of the loaves. Let the loaves rise until they double in size.
Place in preheated oven (heat oven to 375 and bake it for 2o minutes) and enjoy the smell of bread baking in your kitchen. When the loaves are golden brown, tap them on the top, if it sounds hollow…they are done!
Slice it up and spread on some butter. Mmmm…
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 Tablespoons instant dry yeast
- 2 cups hot water (120-130 degrees)
- 2 Tablespoons oil
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2-3 cups unbleached flour
- 1 egg white
- 1 Tablespoon water
Instructions
- In your stand mixer, combine 3 cups whole wheat flour and the dry yeast.
- After you have mixed the flour and yeast together, add the hot water, oil, sugar, and salt. Your water needs to be between 120-130 degrees. I use my candy thermometer to make sure my water is the right temp.
- Turn on your mixer and mix for one minute.
- Quickly add the remaining flour…one cup at a time, until the mixture cleans the sides of the bowl and forms a ball. Be careful not to add too much flour. This will result in tough dry bread.
- Continue mixing for 3-4 minutes.
- Lightly oil hands and divide dough into two equal portions.
- One at a time, roll the dough onto an oiled surface. Roll each into a 12 x 15 rectangle.
- Beginning at the long side, roll it up tightly.
- Seam side down, lightly pinch and tuck ends under to taper the loaf.
- Place the loaves on a gently greased baking sheet…seams down. Use a knife to diagonally slash loaf tops 1/4″ deep.
- Beat egg white and water with a fork until foamy. Brush the tops and sides of the loaves. Let the loaves rise until they double in size.
- Place in preheated oven and enjoy the smell of bread baking in your kitchen. When the loaves are golden brown, tap them on the top, if it sounds hollow…they are done!
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[email protected] says
Yum. I love this stuff! This is my fav. french bread. This is a awesome recipe.
Kendra says
I’ve always been so intimidated by baking bread. Your tutorial makes it look easy. I’m gonna have to give it a try! Thanks 🙂
Dawn says
Thanks Alison!
Bridget says
That looks amazing! I’ve been looking for a French bread recipe that might actually work at home. I’ll be giving this a try this week.
my honest answer says
I make french bread a lot too, but I’ve never seen this way of shaping it! I always just made it into a long sausage shape, but I’m definitely going to try starting with a rectangle and then rolling it. Thanks!
Peggy says
Oh I love good french bread! And I see you have a bosch!! Another love of mine!! Have you tried making a double batch? It works great! My eldest loves it when I throw in cubes of asiago cheese and a few dried herbs and form it into a long taper! We also like to add a layer of thinly sliced pepperoni before I roll it up so its a meal to be eaten out of hand! (can you tell i have teenage boys who sometimes eat on the run? haha!)
Dawn says
I will have to try that Peggy! Thanks for the tips!
Cynthia says
Could this be done without a stand mixer? The kitchenaid of my dreams is still in my dreams :
Dawn says
Yes Cynthia! I actually used to make my bread by hand before I bought my bosch. Just double your kneading time. Good luck! I hope you get your Kitchenaid soon!! 🙂
Cynthia says
Trying it today! Thank You 🙂
Amber says
I really need to try this! I love bread and this looks yummy!
Joy McMillan says
This looks delish! Just want to make sure I’m not missing anything…there’s only one rise time? I’m so used to our bread needing two rise periods…this seems to good to be true. Please tell me I’m wrong! 🙂
Dawn says
Yes, you only let it rise once! Thats why I love it…so quick to make!
Debbie P says
Thanks for the recipe- made this today, however would like to stress the rising on your stone or whatever you are cooking it on- I left mine to rise on the counter and it deflated when I moved it onto the stone. Already ate half the first loaf…(oops) 🙂 So tasty! Thanks a ton! (Found this recipe on Pinterest)
The Real Person!
This looks so GOOD, I can almost smell it! I was making soup tonight anyway, may have to give this a whirl!
Kristy says
Can you freeze the dough?
Dawn says
I haven’t ever tried freezing the dough. It does freeze well after its baked though…I usually serve one loaf for dinner and then freeze the other for another night.
Patti says
If you freeze the second loaf, how do you suggest warming it back up?
Dawn says
I cut it in half (so there is a top and a bottom) before I freeze it. When I pull it out of the freezer I separate the two pieces and either let it thaw for a while or spread butter/garlic spread on it and toast it in the oven.
Eileen says
Beautiful. I bake my french style bread on a baguette pan and love the crust it gives. Your bread is wonderful. Loved my bosch. Now have a kitchenaid and like it but loved the old bosch!
Jany@SuperCuteCookies says
It looks amazing, thank you so much for the recipe!
Kelly Simmonds says
Can you use a regular mixer (i.e. kitchen aid) to knead it?
Can wait to try!!
Dawn says
a hand mixer?? I don’t think I would recommend this. The dough is pretty thick, it might burn up your motor.
jONI says
Approximately how long is the rise time??
I can’t wait to try this.. I’m such a sucker for a good loaf of bread… 🙂
Dawn says
It depends, the warmer your kitchen is the faster your dough will rise. I put my loaves right by my oven while it is preheating. It usually takes 20-30 minutes…or just until they double in size. I’ve been in a pinch a time or two and have put the bread in the oven before it doubled in size. It turned out fine…just a little smaller than normal and the bread is more dense.
Michelle says
Oh YUM!
Do you have a print version?
pretty please?
alys says
Thanks! I made this for dinner tonight. It was super simple, and I don’t even have a stand mixer. Definitely going to try it again.
Vieve says
Thank you, this looks delicious. We love making a giant sub sandwich on French bread for dinner (makes about 4-6 servings). I bet it will be even better on homemade bread!
lin says
I believe American cups are a different weight to English cups can you please give me the flour in weight instead, thanks
BarbaraD says
I can tell you how great this bread is, I have had it. Great job Dawn! Yummy, yummy!
Maria says
This bread looks delicious! I like that you used wheat flour too, I’m trying to use it as much as I can too! Nothing like freshly baked bread with some butter… mmmm!
Rose :: FineCraftGuild.com says
Looks like some SERIOUS French bread there… Which could be authentic as the French are serious about their food… ;0-)
Diem says
Hi…looks so good. I love French bread too. By the way, how can I print this recipe out? I don’t see a print option anywhere for this recipe. Thanks
Kimberly says
I made this today. It was SOO easy! Thank you….
I made 1 loaf of bread & 4 rather large buns for hamburgers.
Don’t think I’ll be buying french bread ever again!
Brandi says
I was just wondering what temperature do you preheat the oven at?
Dawn says
375 and bake it for 20 minutes or so. 🙂
Tracey says
Could you put this in the recipe please. That way I won’t have to guess…thanks
Tharon says
Could I used white flour? Wheat flour and I do not get along?
Staci C says
Where did the recipe go? 🙁 I was looking to make this today, and it is gone!
Skylar says
I really want to make this bread but I feel like I’m not seeing the oven temperature or the oven time
Dawn says
375 and bake it for 20 minutes or so. 🙂
Sara says
At what temperature is the oven supposed to be set? I just made the bread and it’s raising and I can’t find it on here!
Dawn says
375 and bake it for 20 minutes or so. 🙂
Jan says
Anxious to try this recipe. The loaves are rising right now! I wanted to point out that the heat of the oven and duration of cooking are omitted from the 12-step explanation. (375 for 20 minutes) I panicked when I reached that point of the recipe. I thought “Oh no! All that deliciousness and no idea on how to cook it up!” I found it up among the pictures.
Veronica Vaughan says
It is missing the temp to bake the bread.
Katie says
Hi! Sorry, it’s hidden a bit in between the pictures. It’s 375 degrees for 20 mins. Hope that helps!
Mary says
Does anyone know whether you would need to make adjustments if using all white flour?
January says
I just found this recipe, and I can’t make it fast enough for my family of 8. I have made this already twice this week, and the hungry crowd is begging for more! Thank you, thank you, thank you for helping me be my family’s kitchen hero.
Elizabeth says
I bought a Bosch several months ago, but haven’t used it much. Your recipe (and several others) says to mIx dough, but it doesn’t say which number to mix it on. What is your preferred speed? Thanks!