A warm loaf of soft on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside French Bread is easier to make than you think! We’ll use 4 ingredients plus water and a beginner-friendly technique that will have tantalizing loaves of always perfect French bread coming fresh from your oven in no time!
The Always Perfect French Bread Recipe
The Inspiration
Where I live in Texas we have a grocery store chain called H-E-B that sells big, soft loaves of baked-in-store French bread that I love. Just walking through the bakery section as they emerge fragrant and steaming from the oven is a heavenly experience! But driving almost an hour round trip just to grab a loaf to go with dinner was out of the question so I set about finding a recipe that mimicked those big, delicious loaves.
Secret Ingredients
The final recipe turned out incredible when I used two secret ingredients: Bread Flour and Pink Himalayan Salt. Bread Flour is not much more expensive than all purpose flour but it makes all of your baked goods turn out phenomenal. Do not skip this ingredient! The pink Himalayan sea salt is real, earthy and adds trace minerals I swear your tongue can detect in a delicious loaf of homemade bread. It is not as vital to the loaf as bread flour (seriously, do not skip the bread flour) so feel free to experiment with the salt you use.
A Word About Humidity
Baking bread in humid climates like Houston is an art all its own. Recipes I find online that turn out beautiful when baked in any other state often fall flat in our soggy, sea-level environment. Sometimes they call for too much liquid or not enough yeast to overcome our moisture-heavy air so the bread can actually rise. I have fiddled with dough recipes for over a decade and finally amassed a mere four no-fail recipes I use regularly. My goal is to have a recipe that anyone in my household could follow to produce a loaf of bread and this recipe performs incredibly well in humid environments!
Easy Farmhouse French Bread Recipe
Ingredients:
1 and ¼ cup warm water (about 100°)
1 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar
Packet of Yeast (or 1 Tablespoon) – I use Fleischmann’s Instant yeast
3 shaken level cups Bread Flour
1 tsp salt
Parchment Paper
Optional: Egg yolk wash for brushing loaf top
Directions:
In a KitchenAid, Bosch or mixing bowl, combine sugar and yeast and add warm water. Let proof for 2 minutes then add salt and bread flour. Mix and use the machine or your hands to knead for 5 minutes. Spray the bowl with a non-stick spray like coconut oil and return the dough ball to it, turning to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour. (You can create a warm spot by setting your oven to 170° and letting it warm for 2 minutes then turning it off and turning on the incandescent oven light to keep it warm.) With floured hands, remove the dough ball and roll into a casual rectangular shape on a floured surface. Starting at one long end on either the right or left hand side, roll the dough up cinnamon roll style to form a long French bread loaf shape. Tuck the ends under neatly and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, cut 3 evenly spaced slits into the surface of the loaf. Return to the warm spot to rise for 30 more minutes. Preheat oven to 375°. If desired, combine 1 egg yolk with 1 Tablespoon water to create an egg wash and gently brush over the surface of the loaf, skipping the area inside the slits. Bake at 375° for 22-25 minutes, checking often after 22 minutes. The loaf will be golden on top and sound somewhat hollow when the bottom is tapped when it is done. Bread can be torn and eaten warm but let cool for 15 minutes before slicing if nice looking slices are desired.
You Did It!
Your house smells amazing and a gorgeous loaf of soft, always perfect French bread is drawing everyone to the kitchen. If there is a crumb left, it stores fairly well if wrapped in the parchment paper it was baked on and left inside the microwave or bread box until the next morning. Enjoy this always perfect French bread recipe and the wonderful memories of friends and family that accompany it!
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