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Easy Homemade French Bread Recipe – Only 4 Ingredients

Published by Melissa on | Updated | 147 Comments

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There is nothing quite like the smell of fresh bread wafting through the house to make a busy weeknight feel a little more cozy. Whether you’re trying to elevate a simple spaghetti dinner or looking for a comforting side with your bowl of soup, this Homemade French Bread Recipe is the perfect solution.

As a busy home cook, I know you don’t have time to make recipes that might fail. That is why this is my go-to homemade bread recipe. It’s straightforward, reliable, and uses basic pantry staples that you already have on hand.

A basket containing three crusty baguettes, reminiscent of a classic French bread recipe, is lined with a blue and white checkered cloth. A wooden cutting board and a bread knife are in the background on a wooden table.

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A woven basket filled with classic French bread, both sliced and whole loaves, rests on a wooden table. A blue and white checkered cloth lines the basket, complementing the rustic setting.

What is Homemade French Bread?

Homemade French bread is a classic, crusty loaf characterized by its light, airy interior and golden, crispy crust. People love it because it only requires four simple ingredients: flour, water, yeast, and salt. This is a budget-friendly and delicious alternative to store-bought loaves.

While many home bakers feel intimidated by making French bread, this recipe breaks it down into manageable steps that even beginners can master. I’ve found the magic happens when you give the dough a little extra time to rest and rise. I’m going to show you exactly how to use slow fermentation and proper proofing to get that perfect flavor at home.

Key Takeaways

  • Simplified Process: This adaptation uses a stand mixer, making the kneading process more accessible for home bakers. It saves time and energy while still producing dough with the perfect texture.
  • Authentic Flavor: The recipe follows Julia Child’s classic method, ensuring a traditional French bread taste. The result is a crusty exterior and soft, airy interior reminiscent of bakery-quality bread.
  • Steam Magic: You’ll learn the professional bakery trick of creating steam in your home oven using just ice cubes and a preheated pan, resulting in that coveted crackling crust.
  • Family Approved: The kids will love the soft, fluffy center and be even more excited for dinnertime.
  • Budget-Friendly: This recipe uses what is already in your pantry; no extra ingredients are required.
  • Perfect for Meal Prep: Make extra loaves at once and freeze the extras to use at a later time.
  • Achievable for All: The recipe is designed to be approachable, even for those new to bread baking. With patience and attention, anyone can create a loaf that looks and tastes like it came from a French boulangerie.

🥖 Feeling adventurous? Every time I bring my Russian braided bread to the neighborhood potluck, it disappears in minutes!

Ingredient Notes

  • Instant or active dry yeast – This is the rising agent that is necessary to give the bread height and texture.
  • All-purpose flour – A high-quality all-purpose flour is necessary to give the bread its structure.
  • Salt – The salt will enhance the flavor of the wheat; don’t skip it or the bread will taste flat.
  • Water – Warm water will be used to “wake up” the yeast. This should feel like warm bath water, nearing 120 degrees F.
  • Cornmeal – This ingredient is only needed if you use the peel option; cornmeal is sprinkled onto the pizza peel to avoid sticking. It is not needed in the dough itself.

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

A collage of pictures. 3 loaves of French bread on a cutting board with jam, unbaked French bread on a baking sheet, and cut slices of French bread with a crock of butter.

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Three crusty baguettes, made from a classic French bread recipe, rest in a wicker basket lined with a blue and white checked cloth. A wooden cutting board and a bread knife are on the table in the background.
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4.43 from 158 votes

Homemade French Bread Recipe

This French Bread Recipe makes bakery-quality loaves with a crisp crust and soft, airy center. Using just simple ingredients and a bit of patience, you’ll get perfect results every time!
Cook Time25 minutes
Additional Time8 hours
Total Time8 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 3 small loaves
Calories: 560kcal
Author: Melissa Griffiths

Equipment

  • KitchenAid Stand Mixer, 5 Qt
  • Pizza Stone for Oven and Grill, 15 x 12 Inch
  • Bread Lame, Premium Long Handle

Ingredients 

  • 2 ¼ teaspoons 1 packet instant or active dry yeast
  • 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour*
  • 2 ¼ teaspoons salt
  • 1 ½ cups warm water 120ºF – 130ºF
  • Cornmeal for pizza peel optional

Instructions

  • In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer using the flat beater, combine the yeast, 2 ½ cups flour and salt. Mix on low for about 30 seconds.
  • With the motor running on low, pour in the warm water. Continue mixing until a shaggy dough forms. Clean off beater and switch to the dough hook.
  • Mix in the remaining cup of flour a little at a time, to make a soft dough, adding more or less flour as needed. 
  • Knead the dough for 5 minutes. The surface should be smooth and the dough will be soft and somewhat sticky.
  • Turn the dough onto a kneading surface and let rest for 2 – 3 minutes while you wash and dry the bowl and oil it or spray it with non-stick spray.
  • Return the dough to the mixing bowl and let it rise, covered, at room temperature (about 75ºF) until 3 ½ times its original volume. This will probably take about 3 hours.
  • Gently deflate the dough and return it to the bowl. Let the dough rise at room temperature until not quite tripled in volume, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.
  • Meanwhile, prepare the rising surface: rub flour into canvas or linen towel placed on a baking sheet. (You can use parchment paper.)
  • Divide the dough into 3 pieces. Fold each piece of dough in two, cover loosely, and let the pieces relax for 5 minutes.
  • Shape the loaves and place them on the prepared towel or parchment. Cover the loaves loosely and let them rise at room temperature until almost triple in volume, about 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours.
  • Preheat oven to 450ºF. Set up a "simulated baker's oven" by placing a baking stone on the center rack, with a metal broiler pan on the rack beneath, at least 4 inches away from the baking stone to prevent the stone from cracking.
  • Transfer the risen loaves onto a peel sprinkled with cornmeal.
  • Slash the loaves with a lame or sharp knife.
  • Spray the loaves with water. Slide the loaves into the oven onto the preheated stone and add a cup of hot water to the broiler tray.
  • Bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown. (If you used parchment paper you will want to remove it after about 10-15 minutes to crisp up the bottom crust. Spray the loaves with water three times at 3-minute intervals.
  • Cool for 2 – 3 hours before cutting.

Notes

Proper Cooling Technique: While your bread is still hot, place it on a cooling rack away from drafts – setting hot bread on a flat surface can trap moisture and make your crust go from crispy to chewy.
Water Wash for Color: For the deepest color and best crust, brush your loaves with cold water just before they go into the oven – this extra step helps achieve that professional-looking golden brown finish.
Flour Flexibility: More flour will be required for dusting and shaping the dough, and you may need more or less flour when mixing the dough as described in step 2.
Baking Stone Benefits: A baking stone and steam setup are highly recommended for authentic results; these tools create the professional bakery environment needed for proper crust development.
Using a Couche: The canvas or linen towel rubbed with flour (couche) helps the loaves maintain their shape during the final rise and absorbs excess moisture for a better crust.

Nutrition

Serving: 1loaf | Calories: 560kcal | Carbohydrates: 115g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1758mg | Potassium: 242mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 7mg

Equipment Needed for Homemade Bread

You don’t need much special equipment to make a perfect loaf of homemade classic French Bread, though there are a few items I find especially useful. For example, I like to use my stand mixer to knead the dough, but you could certainly do it by hand. Of course, that’s how Julia did it. 

Other readers have made this recipe in a bread machine, which is another great way to make this recipe even simpler! Julia calls for rising the loaves on linen, but you can use parchment paper. Plus, the parchment makes the loaves easy to move onto the baking stone.

The Pizza Peel and Cornmeal Trick

A pizza peel (a large, flat paddle used to slide bread into the oven) is an excellent tool to transfer your loaves to the oven. If you use a peel, I recommend a light sprinkle of cornmeal on the surface first. The cornmeal acts like a tiny ball bearing to help the dough slide off easily.

If you do not have a peel, it’s best to do the final rise of the shaped loaves directly on the baking sheet you plan to use. That way, the entire pan goes straight into the oven.

Creating the Perfect Crust

spray bottle on a blue striped napkin.

A spray bottle filled with water is also helpful to moisten the dough before it goes into the oven and again during the first few minutes of baking. This created the steam necessary for that classic “shatter” when you bite into the crust.

Finally, the number one tool I’d recommend for perfect French bread is a pizza stone. You can certainly make homemade bread without one (just use a baking sheet), but a hot stone helps ensure that the crust gets delightfully crisp and golden. It’s fantastic for other recipes too, especially pizza!

How To Make French Bread

Step 1: If you want to have French bread for dinner, you need to start this recipe first thing in the morning. The recipe requires two long rises to develop a flavorful dough.

A collage of four pictures showing the ingredients for French bread and mixing the dough with a stand mixer and dough hook.

Step 2: The dough itself is a simple combination of flour, water, salt and yeast. Start by mixing the dry ingredients together for just a few seconds in the stand mixer. Then, slowly stream in the water with the mixer running. 

Pro Tip: I simplified Julia’s original recipe to use a stand mixer. I rarely knead dough by hand because the mixer makes it so easy, but if you don’t have a mixer, you can mix the dough by hand. 

Step 3: Once a shaggy dough forms, switch to the dough hook attachment. Let the machine knead the dough for about 5 minutes on medium speed. The dough is done kneading when it’s smooth, elastic, and can be stretched easily, but it is still slightly sticky. See below for the telltale signs of a well-kneaded dough. 

A collage of pictures showing French bread dough before rising, after rising, and after kneading on a floured pastry mat.

Step 4: Remove the dough from the mixing bowl, grease the bowl with cooking spray, return the dough to the bowl, cover and let rise for 3 hours. The dough should increase by 3 ½ times.

Step 5: Gently remove the dough from the bowl and fold it over a couple of times to redistribute the gases. It should be light and pillowy soft.

A collage of pictures of the dough after the second rise, and the dough divided into three sections.

Step 6: Let it rise for a second time until it grows 2 to 3 times in size, about 1½ to 2 hours. After the second rise, the dough is ready to be shaped before its final rise, before baking it in the oven. 

How to Shape A French Bread

Start by weighing your dough and dividing the total weight by the number of loaves you want to make. This French Bread recipe will make three small loaves. Or, if you don’t mind loaves that are the exact same size, just use a bench scraper to divide the dough into three pieces.

A collage of three pictures showing how to shape the French bread dough.

Shape the baguette by gently stretching one side of the dough on top and then fold the other side on top.

Make a well down the middle and stretch the sides together. Then use two hands to gently roll the dough back and forward to elongate the bread.  (If you have questions about shaping the loaves, check out this video.)

A collage of three pictures. Two showing the shaped loaves rising covered with plastic wrap and a pizza stone in the oven with broiler pan underneath.

Once your loaves are shaped, transfer them to a proofing cloth or parchment paper for the final rise. Cover them with plastic wrap or a dish towel and let the loaves rise for the final time. They should nearly triple in volume over the course of 1½ to 2½ hours. 

While your loaves are rising, heat your baking stone in a hot oven at 450 degrees F. Place a roasting pan on a rack beneath the baking stone or rack where you’ll bake your loaves.

How to Bake French Bread Loaves

Spritz the dough with water before transferring the shaped loaves to a baking stone with a peel. Alternatively, if you’re not using a baking stone, simply slide the baking sheet with the shaped loaves directly into the oven.

Transferring the dough to the pizza peel can be a delicate operation, so you can also rise your bread on parchment paper and put it on the pizza stone in the oven on the parchment paper. If you bake your bread on parchment paper, remember to remove the paper 10-15 minutes into baking.

Pour 1 cup of water into the roasting pan in the oven and quickly close the door to prevent much steam from escaping. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the dough is nicely browned on top. 

Letting the Bread Cool

And here’s the hardest part: try to let the bread cool for a couple of hours before cutting it, if you can. If you cut the bread before it’s cool, the inside of the bread can be a little gummy instead of light and airy.

A collage of three pictures the risen classic French bread dough on the pizza peel, and the slashed French bread dough with a lame.

Pro Tips for the Best French Bread

  • Perfect Proofing Environment: Maintain a consistent warm temperature for proofing by placing the dough in a turned-off oven with the light on or near a bowl of hot water. This ensures the dough rises evenly, especially in cooler kitchens.
  • Handle the Dough Gently: During shaping, avoid pressing too hard or overworking the dough, as this can knock out the air pockets essential for the bread’s airy crumb.
  • Steam for Crust: Place a pan of hot water on the lower oven rack while baking to create steam. This is critical for achieving the signature golden, crackly crust of French bread.
  • Double-Side Baking: For the last 5 minutes of baking, flip your loaves upside down directly on the oven rack. This unexpected technique ensures your bottom crust gets just as crispy as the top, preventing any soggy bottoms.
  • Let it Cool: I know it’s tempting, but let the bread fully cool for 2-3 hours before slicing into the bread. This ensures the interior sets.

Recipe FAQs

How do I know when my dough has been kneaded enough?

Your dough should pass the “window pane test“ – when you stretch a small piece between your fingers, it should become thin enough to see light through without tearing. The surface should be smooth and slightly tacky but not sticky, typically taking 8-10 minutes of hand kneading.

Why didn’t my crust get crispy?

A crispy crust depends on steam during the first 10 minutes of baking. Make sure you’re preheating your baking pan in the bottom of the oven and adding ice cubes to create steam. Also, resist the urge to open the oven door during the first 15 minutes of baking.

How do I develop a nice brown crust on my homemade bread?

Using the pizza stone and a tray of water underneath helps to simulate a baker’s oven and will give you a beautiful crisp crust. The addition of moisture in the oven helps develop a golden crisp crust. If you skipped spraying the loaf before or during the oven, or you didn’t add water to a pan, you won’t get the crust you’re looking for. As the water evaporates in the oven, it crisps up the outer layer of dough. 

Why does my bread always end up flat instead of tall?

Flat French bread usually means the dough was either under-proofed or over-proofed during the second rise. The dough should increase by about 50% in size and slowly spring back when gently poked – if it bounces back immediately, it needs more time; if it doesn’t bounce back at all, it’s over-proofed.

How do I score French Bread?

Before baking, score your loaves. You can use a lame, which is a fancy term for the blade that bread bakers use to score bread. A sharp knife or a straight razor will also work.

Can I freeze this recipe?

Once cooled completely, wrap the loaf tightly in plastic wrap and foil. This will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months. I suggest slicing the bread before freezing, so that you can pull out individual slices if preferred instead of the entire loaf.

A basket containing three freshly baked baguettes, resting on a blue and white checkered cloth. The crusts are golden brown and slightly cracked, suggesting a crisp texture. The setting is a wooden table.

Variations and Substitutions

  • Garlic Herb Twist – Add 1 tablespoon of dried Italian seasoning and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder to the flour for a savory garlic bread.
  • Cheesy Crust – Sprinkle shredded parmesan or cheddar over the loaves during the last 5 minutes of baking.
Homemade French bread on a cutting board with a serrated knife and a wicker basket with two more loaves of French bread.

What to Serve with Homemade French Bread

A woven basket filled with classic French bread, both sliced and whole loaves, rests on a wooden table. A blue and white checkered cloth lines the basket, complementing the rustic setting.

This homemade bread recipe pairs well with many comfort meals such as:

Hearty Homemade Steak Stew

Easy Classic Lasagna

Homemade Minestrone Soup

Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Pasta

Storage and Reheating

Room Temperature

Do not store homemade French bread in the refrigerator; it will dry out and go stale quickly.

Wrap the bread loosely in foil, a paper bag, or in a bread box for up to 2 days at room temperature. It’s best to avoid plastic bags if you want to keep the exterior crispy.

Freezer

To store in the freezer, let the bread cool completely. Then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. For individual slices, slice the bread before storing.

Reheating

When ready to reheat, from frozen, bake the bread at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. To restore the crispy texture, spritz lightly with water before baking.

More Homemade Bread Recipes

Below are other fantastic bread recipes you should try:

  • Croissants are the flaky, buttery pastry that I probably don’t need to convince you are divine. This is a wonderful project recipe to make with friends or kids. 
  • If you love sweet and flaky pastries, you’ll adore the Danish Braid with Apple Filling, a beautiful dessert filled with spiced apple goodness and perfect for special occasions.
  • Overnight English Muffins are the buttery, doughy breakfast guaranteed to have you springing out of bed in the morning!
A loaf of crusty French bread rests on a wooden cutting board, a serrated knife beside it. Text reads Julia Childs classic French bread recipe. A woven basket with a cloth liner peeks from the background.

More Yeast Bread Recipes to Consider

Baking bread at home does not have to be a daunting task reserved for the weekends. This Homemade French Bread Recipe is designed for real life. It’s quick enough for a weeknight but simple enough that the kids can help knead the dough.

Give it a try, and you’ll see that nothing compares to the pride of putting a fresh, warm loaf of bread on the dinner table.

Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ rating below and share it on Instagram.

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About Melissa & Barbara

As of June 2022 Melissa Griffiths now is the one adding recipes. So think of it as Barbara Bakes, and Melissa too! Melissa and Barbara have been blogging friends for over 10 years and when Barbara was ready to retire and spend more time with her family, Melissa took over the site. Read more...

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Comments

    4.43 from 158 votes (153 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. S Reed

    TEN HOURS from start to slice? I don’t know.

    Reply

    • Barbara Schieving

      The dough really does get a better flavor with the long rises. Give it a try 🙂

      Reply

  2. Sarah

    I found this recipe using a Google search, and it worked beautifully. I’ve made french bread recipes before that didn’t turn out nearly this good. It was soft and chewy on the inside and crusty on the outside. My loaves flattened rather than rose, but they still turned out wonderful. Thanks Julia and Barbara! This will be my go-to recipe.

    Reply

  3. Elizabeth

    I’m right with you putting shaped bread on parchment paper. It makes it way easier to get them on the peel and off again onto the stone, doesn’t it? Your bread looks wonderful – especially the crust. The slashes look great.

    (When I made Julia Child’s French bread, I forgot about being fearless and was afraid to slash. Next time I’ll follow her lead and go for broke. After all, what can happen? Fail or success, I can feed it to my husband.)

    Reply

  4. Lauren

    Thank you so much for this recipe! I am eating some of this lovely bread right now! I did have a question though. How do you transfer your loaf to the peel? When I did, mine deflated a little so I think that I was a little too rough with it. (It could also be the fact that I don’t have a peel and am making do. Do you have any suggestions for that?) Mine tastes wonderful and turned out with some lovely little holes but I am thinking that perhaps if it hadn’t deflated a little, it would have more holes. Any suggestions? Thanks again!

    P.S. I also loved the clip with Letterman! Hilarious!

    Reply

    • Barbara

      Hi Lauren – so glad you tried and enjoyed the bread. In the video of Julia making the bread http://gozie.com/video/UMMK48DYGNB7/julia-child-French-Bread-Cooking-Show she shows how to transfer the bread. I usually just let the laoves rise on parchment paper (I cut the paper between the loaves in the picture above) and use the paper to easily slide the loaf on to the peel. That way my loaves never deflate in the transfer.

      Great question – thanks!

      Reply

  5. Jamie

    Great bread! I’ve been seeing all the Babes and Buddies make it and I really should…

    Reply

  6. Kitchen Belleicious

    oh julia would have been proud! This bread looks amazing

    Reply

  7. Cooking on a Dime

    What a marvelous tribute! 🙂

    Reply

  8. Valerie @ From Valerie's Kitchen

    Your photos are phenomenal! I think I could just about live on French bread and I absolutely adore Julia.

    Reply

  9. Nutmeg Nanny

    Julie Child was the best. I’m so glad you joined in on the blogger birthday celebration. This bread looks amazing!

    Reply

  10. Susan/Wild Yeast

    Your loaves look wonderful! Thank you for baking with Babes to celebrate Julia!

    Reply

  11. cindy

    Julia is a wonderful cook and teacher. So much to learn–so many pounds to gain!!
    Great post, the bread looks delicious.

    Reply

  12. teresa

    oh my goodness, i love bread like this, especially fresh out of the oven!

    Reply

  13. Sandy @Southwestgirl

    Love this post! I still have images of watching Julia with my mother. I don’t remember her show, much, just the smell of Julia’s french bread, warm from the oven, that greeted us as we walked in the door from school.

    Thanks for your updates and for bringing her recipe into today.

    Reply

  14. Don Howes

    Question;
    many of the recipes I have tried the bread on the final rising spreads out instead of up. I usually make individual rolls instead of loaves as we love the crust. How does this recipe behave on the final rising?
    Don

    Reply

    • Barbara

      Hi Don – I didn’t have a problem with the bread spreading out instead of up with this recipe. I have had problems in the past with bread recipes spreading out instead of up if I’ve over risen the shaped loaf. If you live in the Salt Lake area we often need to adjust recipes for high altitude baking. With breads your may need to reduce the amount of yeast used or reduce rising times. Hope that helps.

      Reply

  15. Michelle@Faith, Trust & Pixie Dust

    Hey Barbara, I’m also a Utah blogger & I saw you today on KSL. You did a great job & I’m enjoying my visit to your beautiful blog. Looking forward to trying some of your recipes! Great to “meet” you.

    Warmly, Michelle

    Reply

  16. sandie

    Your bread is gorgeous Barbara! I actually remember seeing that David Letterman episode when it aired- it just goes to show that nothing is ever perfect but we must go with the flow!! Best, Sandie

    Reply

  17. Deb

    Your French bread is scrumptious! Slathered with a pad of butter and I’m charmed! Julia Child is such an inspiration, she taught us all to just start cooking!

    Reply

  18. Angie@Angie's Recipes

    The bread looks perfect!

    Reply

  19. Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella

    Hehe I just saw that video of Julia on another blog. It’s hilarious isn’t it? 😀 xxx

    Reply

  20. Maureen | Orgasmic Chef

    That bread is a wonderful tribute to an amazing woman. I loved that video!

    What do you do when things don’t turn out right? “I give it to my husband.”

    What a legend!

    Reply