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Three small loaves of French bread in a basket with a blue and white napkin
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4.44 from 157 votes

Julia Child’s French Bread

Cook Time25 minutes
Additional Time8 hours
Total Time8 hours 25 minutes
Course: Yeast Breads
Keyword: baking, food, recipe
Servings: 3 small loaves
Calories: 134kcal
Author: Barbara Schieving

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 120º - 130º
  • 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 spray it with non-stick spray.
  • Return the dough to the mixing bowl and let it rise, covered, at room temperature (about 75º) 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 - 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 - 2 ½ hours.
  • Preheat oven to 450º. 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.
  • 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

Here's a video of Julia making French Bread, including shaping baguettes.
Note: *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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 134kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 4g | Sodium: 399mg | Fiber: 1g