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    Home » In the kitchen » Easy French Bread Recipe

    Easy French Bread Recipe

    Published: Mar 19, 2020 · Modified: Apr 3, 2020 by Laura · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Loaf of French bread
    Loaf of French bread
    Loaf of French bread

    This easy recipe for homemade French bread will be a staple at your house. Soft and fluffy bread with a crispy crust, perfect for garlic bread, sandwiches or French bread pizzas!

    Loaf of French bread wrapped in a bag

    Time for another bread recipe! This French bread recipe is one of my favourite. I love making it just to snack on, it's the perfect addition to a cheese board or platter and makes the best ever garlic bread!

    Step 1: Make the dough

    Add water, yeast and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and combine using the dough hook or add to a large bowl and whisk together if making by hand. Allow to sit for 5 minutes for the yeast to activate.

    Add the salt and 2 cups of the flour and mix until combined either using the dough hook on the lowest speed or using a wooden spoon in a bowl. Slowly add the remaining flour until all combined and then knead for 7 minutes on the lowest speed of the mixer or for 10 minutes by hand or until the dough is soft and smooth, and when you make an indent in the dough with your finger, it springs back.

    A wee note about the amount of flour to use - in the recipe I say 5-5 ½ cups. That's because there are so many variables when baking bread so keep adding flour until the dough comes together but is still slightly sticky. It should be sticking to the bottom of the bowl but not the sides. If you add too much flour, just add a little water to make it stickier again!

    Step 2: First rise

    Lightly oil a large bowl and once the dough is kneaded, transfer it to the oiled bowl, Cover with a clean tea towel and put in a warm place to rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour)

    Collage of bread dough rising in a mixing bowl

    Step 3: Shape and second rise

    Once risen, gently punch the dough down and split it into 2 portions. Roll out each piece of dough into a rectangle approximately 30cm by 20cm and use your fingertips to make indents all over the dough to remove any air bubbles. Tightly roll the dough into a loaf shape, pressing together the seam - you may also want to tuck in the ends of the loaf. Repeat with the second loaf.

    Carefully transfer the shaped loaf on to a baking tray lined with a silicone liner or baking paper and using a sharp knife, make diagonal slashes the whole way along the top of the loaf (about 10 slashes) Cover with a tea towel and put it back in the warm place to rise again until almost doubled in size - approximately 30 minutes.

    During the second rise, heat the oven to 200°C/392°F

    Collage of rolling a loaf of French bread
    Collage of French bread rising

    Step 4: Bake

    Once the bread has risen for the second time, carefully place in the oven and throw a few ice cubes in the bottom before you shut the door. This helps to make the crust crispy. I bake one loaf at a time, but if your oven has a convection setting, bake them both together. Bake the loaf for 25 minutes or until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Once done, remove from the oven and bake the second loaf, adding more ice cubes to the oven.

    Loaf of French bread

    That's it! Now the hardest part is letting the bread cool slightly before getting into it!

    I love serving this French bread buttered with soup, as a sandwich bread or slicing it in half lengthways to make pizzas. It also makes the best garlic bread - either slice lengthways or in 2cm thick slices, spread with garlic butter and sprinkle with parsley and bake immediately, or freeze ready to use down the track!

    French bread garlic bread

    Bread making FAQ's

    What type of yeast should I use?

    I always use active dried yeast - this yeast needs to be activated before using it in the dough. The reason I like using this yeast is that it's a safeguard to bread rising failure. You can actually see that the yeast is activated which is essential for the bread making process!

    To activate active dry yeast, add it to a small amount of warm water (somewhere between 37-43°C/98-110°F) and sugar (the amount called for in the recipe) and whisk it around and leave it sitting for about 5-10 minutes. It will start to bubble and foam when it is ready. If this doesn’t happen your yeast may either be too old or the water may have been too hot or too cold. Throw it away and start again. When the yeast is activated using warm water it produces carbon dioxide gas, which causes the bread to rise. You can also use Surebake yeast, or instant yeast, which is a mixture of active dry yeast and bread improvers. This is typically used in breadmakers when all ingredients are added at the same time as it doesn’t need to be activated first.

    What if my bread doesn't rise?

    Your yeast may be old - see above for how to activate the yeast. If your yeast doesn't activate, it's no good. Throw it out and start again.

    It may simply be too cold where you are trying to rise your bread! If it's cooler where you live, try putting the bread in the hot water cupboard or preheat the oven to 50°C and then turn off before placing the bread in there to rise.

    How do I know when my bread is ready?

    When the bread is golden brown and you tap the bottom of the loaf and it sounds hollow, it's done.

    If you have an instant read thermometer you want the internal temperature of the bread to be 88°C/190°F - this post explains it and tested a few different types of breads - it's a really interesting read if you are keen to learn more about bread baking!

    Why do you put ice into the oven before baking?

    Ice cubes in a hot oven create steam which helps give the bread a crusty exterior - exactly what we want in a loaf of French bread!

    Other bread recipes to try:

    • Homemade hamburger buns
    • Homemade Bagels
    • Homemade English Muffins
    • Homemade Soft Pretzels
    • 4 ingredient No-Knead Bread
    • Pizza Dough
    Loaf of French bread wrapped in a bag

    SHOP THE RECIPE

    Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting The Kiwi Country Girl.

    Here are some items I used to make this recipe:

    Measuring cups & spoons| Mixing Bowls

    Loaf of French bread wrapped in a bag

    Easy French Bread Recipe

    This easy recipe for homemade French bread will be a staple at your house. Soft and fluffy bread with a crispy crust, perfect for garlic bread, sandwiches or French bread pizzas!
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Rising time: 1 hour 30 minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
    Servings: 2 loaves
    Author: Laura

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups warm water
    • 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
    • 1 Tablespoon sugar
    • 5-5 ½ cups flour (see notes)
    • 2 teaspoons salt

    Instructions

    • Make the dough - Add water, yeast and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and combine using the dough hook or add to a large bowl and whisk together. Allow to sit for 5 minutes for the yeast to activate.
    • Add 2 cups of the flour, the salt and mix until combined either using the dough hook on the lowest speed or using a wooden spoon in a bowl. Slowly add the remaining flour until all combined and then knead for 7 minutes on the lowest speed of the mixer or for 10 minutes by hand or until the dough is soft and smooth, and when you make an indent in the dough with your finger, it springs back.
    • First rise - Lightly oil a large bowl and once the dough is kneaded, transfer it to the oiled bowl, Cover with a clean tea towel and put in a warm place to rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour)
    • Shape and second rise - Once risen, gently punch the dough down and split it into 2 portions. Roll out each piece of dough into a rectangle approximately 30cm by 20cm and use your fingertips to make indents all over the dough to remove any air bubbles. Tightly roll the dough into a loaf shape, pressing together the seam - you may also want to tuck in the ends of the loaf. Repeat with the second loaf.
    • Carefully transfer the shaped loaf on to a baking tray lined with a silicone liner or baking paper and using a sharp knife, make diagonal slashes the whole way along the top of the loaf (about 10 slashes) Cover with a tea towel and put it back in the warm place to rise again until almost doubled in size - approximately 30 minutes.
    • During the second rise, heat the oven to 200°C/392°F
    • Bake - Once the bread has risen for the second time, carefully place in the oven and throw a few ice cubes in the bottom before you shut the door. This helps to make the crust crispy. I bake one loaf at a time, but if your oven has a convection setting, bake them both together.
    • Bake for 25 minutes or until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped underneath. Bake the second loaf.
    • Allow to cool slightly on the bench before slicing and serving. Store bread in a bread bag or container on the bench for a day or two but it's best eaten on the day of baking.

    Notes

    The amount of flour will vary slightly - it always does with bread! You want the dough to be slightly sticky - it should stick to the bottom of the bowl when kneading, but pull away from the sides. Add extra flour or water to get it to this point. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 670kcal | Carbohydrates: 123g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 786mg | Potassium: 192mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 7.3mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Tag @thekiwicountrygirl or tag #thekiwicountrygirl!
    If you tried and loved this recipe, please leave a comment and a rating below!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Joanne says

      March 19, 2022 at 10:04 am

      5 stars
      Made this yesterday, was easy to make and was so good, everyone wanted some as soon as it came out the oven. Definitely making again 😊

      Reply
    2. Rebecca Bell says

      April 04, 2021 at 8:45 pm

      5 stars
      This is an amazing recipe, super easy and the teenager couldn't get enough of it. Yum Yum cant wait to try your other recipes 🙂

      Reply
    3. Kyra says

      October 26, 2020 at 10:04 am

      Hey Laura.. what do you mean by adding ice cubes to the bottom? bottom of what exactly? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Laura says

        October 27, 2020 at 6:58 am

        Hi Kyra,
        Sorry, the bottom of the oven! When you open it up to put the bread in, throw a couple of ice cubes on the bottom of the oven to create steam which helps to make the crust crispy. Laura

        Reply
        • Kyra says

          October 27, 2020 at 9:12 pm

          Thank you so much.. ❤️❤️

    4. Leanne says

      May 18, 2020 at 12:54 pm

      5 stars
      Easy recipe that works so well and tastes so yum. Will definitely be baking it again, it was a real crowd pleaser. Thanks for sharing it

      Reply
    5. Jade Komene says

      May 13, 2020 at 1:49 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing easy bread .. Didn't wait till it cooled down.. So the butter was just dripping from the bread...

      Reply
    6. Deborah says

      April 04, 2020 at 2:14 pm

      Just a question, if I'm using NZ high grade flour, do I need to use an improver as well as dried yeast? I've noticed that some people use Surebake yeast (with improvers added) when baking bread as they claim NZ flour is low in gluten. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Laura says

        April 06, 2020 at 7:24 am

        Hi Deborah! No, I don't bother using an improver if I'm using dried yeast. Sometimes I use it if I'm making cinnamon rolls or something I want to be super fluffy but this bread doesn't need it 🙂

        Reply
        • David says

          October 22, 2020 at 9:45 am

          5 stars
          Hi Laura, Where Can I buy improver for bread in Auckland ? Thanks.

        • Laura says

          November 10, 2020 at 11:10 am

          Hi David, I buy mine from Bin Inn so any bulk food store should have it. Laura

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    Hi, I'm Laura!

    I live on a farm in rural New Zealand with my husband Josh, our kids Sadie, Macey & Finlay and our black lab Sage. We're all about simple & delicious, family friendly recipes that are made from scratch as well as tasty treats! Read More…

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