Homemade French Bread || How To Make Bread || Easy!

all-purpose flour

🥗Healthier: whole wheat flour

💰Cheaper: bread flour

Whole wheat flour adds fiber and nutrients while bread flour enhances texture.

butter

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Olive oil adds healthy fats and flavor, while margarine is often cheaper.

Pour 2.5 cups of lukewarm water into a large bowl.

Add 4.5 teaspoons of active dry yeast or instant yeast to the water.

Add 1/4 cup of granulated sugar or brown sugar to the mixture.

Add 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the bowl.

Add 6 cups of bread flour or all-purpose flour to the mixture.

Use a wooden spoon to mix everything together until combined.

If the mixture feels dry, sprinkle on a little bit of lukewarm water.

Transfer the mixture onto a clean working surface and knead the dough for about 5 minutes until smooth.

Form the dough into a ball and oil a large bowl or spray it with oil.

Place the dough in the bowl, ensuring the oil coats all of it.

Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen cloth or plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 to 2 hours or until doubled in size.

Prepare two large baking sheets by lining them with parchment or baking paper.

Once the dough has risen, punch it to deflate and transfer it onto a floured surface.

Cut the dough into four equal pieces, using a kitchen scale if desired.

Take each piece and form it into a log by spreading it with hands, rolling it out with a small rolling pin, and then rolling it up with hands.

Place each log on the prepared baking sheets and repeat the process with the other pieces.

Make 4 to 6 diagonal cuts on each log.

Let the logs rise again for about 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Bake the loaves for about 25 minutes.

Once out of the oven, brush the loaves with 1 tablespoon of melted butter.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens