This super easy recipe for Homemade French Bread is soft & chewy, slightly sweet. and freezer friendly! It’s perfect in my French toast recipe!
I think we can all agree that few things beat a homemade loaf of bread fresh from the oven, whether it’s artisan bread or sourdough bread or even buttery biscuits.
Maybe that’s why those loaves of French bread at the garlic store are so hard to pass up!
Turns out, homemade bread isn’t that hard, and this homemade French bread recipe is one of the EASIEST homemade breads you’ll ever make.
The next time you’re tempted to buy a loaf of French bread at the store, remember that you can easily make it yourself with healthier ingredients you already have at home!
Easy Homemade French Bread Recipe
My man bread recipe is a tough recipe to beat, but I have to admit that this easy homemade French bread comes really close.
- Soft & chewy
- Slightly sweet
- Perfect for French toast or French bread pizza
- Makes the best garlic bread
- Freezes easily
- Great for a novice baker
Easy to make double or triple batches
While this French bread recipe takes about 2 ½ hours from start to finish, almost all of that time is for the dough to rise. This hands-off time means you’re not tied to the kitchen, so feel free to make this French bread recipe on a rainy day, or anytime you’re already home working on something else!
Ingredient to Make French Bread with Einkorn Flour
Like most bread recipes, you only need a few pantry ingredients to make French bread:
- Water
- Sugar (I use coconut sugar, but you can use white granulated sugar)
- Yeast (both active dry yeast and quick rising yeast work)
- Salt
- Oil (olive oil or fractionated coconut oil)
- Flour**
** My daughter is highly sensitive to gluten and she can only tolerate einkorn. I use all-purpose einkorn flour in this recipe, but you can use regular all-purpose flour or even whole grain flour if you’d like.
This article on einkorn flour can explain the difference between einkorn and modern flour in more detail.
I haven’t tested this recipe with any gluten-free flours or nut flours. Given my experience with these types of flours, I wouldn’t recommend them for this recipe.
Where can I buy einkorn flour?
I usually buy my einkorn flour from Amazon, from JovialFoods.com, or from Einkorn.com. These three sites have the best prices (as of this writing) and I always compare the prices before placing my order because sometimes one site may be running a sale.
Also, I recommend buying in bulk (20+ lbs) at one time to save on shipping!
If you shop at Jovial, you can save 10% off all items in the store with exclusions on special promotional items such as cookbooks and new harvest oil when you use coupon code DWCRUMBS. Also, there’s free shipping over $99.
How to Make the Best French Bread (step-by-step)
- Combine the water, sugar, and yeast in a bowl and let the yeast bloom (it will look like beer foam).
- Add the salt, oil and flour and knead until it’s smooth.
- Let the dough rise, then shape, then rise again.
- Bake and let cool completely before slicing for dinner!
It’s important to let the yeast bloom before you add the other ingredients.
This ensures your yeast isn’t old, and prevents wasting time and ingredients on the off-chance that it is old.
Nothing is worse than getting to the end of a recipe, only for your bread to not rise and bake into a brick of flour!
Can I freeze French bread?
Yes! Follow the recipe to bake the bread as written and when it’s cooled completely, wrap well and freeze in a freezer-safe container.
I prefer to slice the bread before freezing, but if you’re unsure how you’ll use the bread later, it’s okay to freeze it whole.
Can I use French bread to make French toast?
Absolutely! Cut into slices and let it sit out overnight to dry. Then make French toast in the morning using your favorite recipe! (This overnight pumpkin French toast is one of my favorites!).
What to Serve With French Bread:
For a quick and easy meal, try this French bread with:
- Weeknight Creamy Mushroom Pasta
- Instant Pot Chicken Detox Soup
- Easy Gourmet Mediterranean Grilled Cheese Recipe
- Tomato Basil Soup Recipe
Similar Easy Bread Recipes
Homemade French Bread
This super easy recipe for Homemade French Bread is soft & chewy, slightly sweet, and freezer friendly! It’s perfect in my French toast recipe!
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 8+ slices 1x
- Category: Sides
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups warm water (105-110F)
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp yeast (either active dry yeast or quick rising yeast)
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 2 Tbsp oil (olive oil or coconut oil)
- 5–6 cups all-purpose einkorn flour (see notes below to substitute regular all-purpose flour)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl), combine the water, sugar and yeast. Whisk together and let it sit for 5-10 minutes for the yeast to bloom. If the yeast starts to bubble and look like beer foam, you’re good to go. If the yeast doesn’t bubble after 10 minutes, your yeast is bad.
- Add the salt, oil and 5 cups of flour and turn the mixer on low to combine (or mix by hand). When the ingredients are combined, turn the mixer on medium and knead the dough until it’s a cohesive ball that pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl, about 5-10 minutes. If you need to add additional flour during this time, add it in ¼ cup increments.
- Cover the bowl and set it in a warm place to rise for one hour.
- Flour your work surface or use a silplat mat and dump the dough onto the counter or map. Lightly dust with flour and use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle that’s roughly 9”x13” in size.
- Starting with a long edge of the rectangle, roll up tightly into a log. Carefully put the shaped dough onto a baking sheet and cover with a towel and set it in a warm place to rise for one hour.
- When an hour has nearly gone, preheat the oven to 375.
- When the dough is done rising, place it in the oven on a rack. Toss 4 ice cubes into the bottom of the oven and quickly close the door. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Remove the bread from the oven to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Notes on Flour: You can easily substitute regular all-purpose flour for this recipe. Increase the warm water to 2 ¼ cups and all other ingredients and steps remain the same.
Does doubling this recipe change it at all? I know sometimes it does and I was wondering if I could double it or if I should make 2 separate batches…
Hello Kris,
Doubling this recipe should be fine, but you also want to double the loaves so they bake properly (instead of the same quantity, but bigger). Hope this helps! 🙂
Makes the best French bread we have ever had! The loaf is huge and tastes so good! We are a family of four, which includes 3 very hungry boys, and we usually split it in half and use it for two dinners! Thank you for another great recipe!
I baked this & it tasted great! Will make again. My dough spread a little so was a little wide & flatter. Thanks for the recipe! Do you think I could split dough & make smaller ones?