Easy French Bread

Some French bread recipes can be intimating and complicated. This recipe is neither. Mix together the ingredients, let rise, shape, let rise again and bake. 

You can bake up two big loaves to feed a crowd or let half the dough chill in the fridge for another day (which I actually prefer the taste if I have time to let it sit). Once you've made it a few times you can play around with the shape a bit. Sometimes I split it into 4 baguettes and shape into long thin loaves. 

It's good for everything from a fancy charcuterie tray, to a PB and J. Enough talk, here's the recipe

For the video on how to make the bread click here.

Ingredients:

Makes 2 loaves

2 1/2 C Warm Water

2 Tbs Yeast

3 Tbs Sugar

1 Tbs Salt

5 1/2 to 6 cups of flour 

5 Tbs Olive Oil

In a large mixing bowl or a stand mixer with a dough hook combine ingredients in order listed above. Start with 5 cups of flour working up to 6 if necessary. We want the dough to be sticky. Knead dough in mixer for 5-7 minutes or by hand for 10. 

If baking dough on the same day, place dough in oiled bowl covered with a towel or oiled plastic wrap to rise for about an hour or until doubled in bulk. 

***If you are saving some or all the dough to bake another day, place in an oiled gallon bag or sealed bowl to chill out in the fridge. Do not let it rise first on the counter. It will perform it's first rise in the fridge.

While dough is rising either prepare your pan or make a pan by taking a piece of parchment paper that's twice the size of your baking sheet. Roll up three pieces of foil into paper towel roll sized pieces (don't use paper towel rolls they will burn). Place one foil roll on each side of the pan and one in the middle. Place parchment over top. You can place shaped dough in between the foil supports. It works well enough but a French Bread or baguette pan is worth the small investment if you plan on making this recipe more often. Affiliate link to the pan I use Non-Stick Perforated French Bread Pan -

When dough has risen, either in the fridge or on the counter, gently shape half the dough into a loaf shape around 14 inches long. (If you opted to save half the dough for another day, keep it chilling until the day you are ready to bake). 

Let shaped dough rise in the pan for about 45 minutes or longer if dough is coming from the fridge until almost doubled before preheating oven to 375. 

When oven is preheated and dough is doubled bake bread for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. 

Let cool before slicing or tear off a chunk of warm bread and serve with soft butter.