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Learn How to Make French Bread From Scratch
Satisfy your appetite with our fool-proof recipe for homemade French Bread. Discover how to make the perfect French bread with simple ingredients and steps. Follow the recipe now and enjoy the delicious results!
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 Servings 1x
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 C All-Purpose Flour, more for dusting.
- 1–3/4 tsp Salt
- 1–3/4 tsp Dry Active Yeast
- 1–1/4 C Warm Water
- 2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive OIl
Instructions
Making the Dough
- Pre-heat oven to 485°F.
- In a large bowl, combine flour and salt with a whisk.
- Add yeast in the center of the flour.
- Add warm water slowly while stirring with a wooden spoon, until all water is added. Mixture will seem very dry and crumbly.
- Pour the “dry/crumbly” mixture on to a clean counter surface and begin to knead it together with your clean hands.
- Knead the dough for 5 minutes. Keep kneading until it's soft and smooth. If it's too dry, wet your hands and keep kneading. Don't add too much water – it will change the texture of the dough.
- Form the dough into a round ball and pour 2 TBSP of olive oil on the top of the dough. Using your hands spread it to coat the outside of the ball.
- Place it back into the original bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and let it raise for about 30 minutes.
Making the Loafs
- Get a baking tray and put a kitchen cloth on it. Sprinkle some flour evenly on the cloth, set aside.
- After dough is doubled in size, lightly flour the counter surface and press the dough into a rectangle shape about 1/2″ thick.
- Using a dough cutter, cut the dough into 3 even pieces. Roll each piece as if you are making a cinnamon roll and set aside.
- After all three are rolled, take one of the three and flatten it into a rectangle shape.
- Start at the top of the dough. Now, roll it up. As you go, press down the edge of the dough with each roll.
- Using both hands, roll the dough back and forth to smooth out the edges and place it on the floured towel.
- Repeat steps 4-6 with other two dough rolls.
- Cover the 3 loaves with the same plastic wrap you used before. Let them sit for 10 minutes to 'proof', or rise into shape.
Baking the dough
- Remove the dough from the kitchen cloth and put it on the baking sheet.
- Score each loaf three times with a sharp knife.
- Take another baking sheet the same size and put it on top of the first baking sheet. This is like a lid, with the dough in the middle.
- Place it in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, remove the top lid and let the dough bake for another 12-15 minutes. Checking at the 12 minute mark.
- Remove when the dough is golden brown, serve with your favorite meal and ENJOY!
- Author: Kim
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Additional Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Breads
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 165
- Sugar: 0
- Sodium: 2332
- Fat: 1
- Saturated Fat: 0
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 33
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 6
- Cholesterol: 0