This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
The BEST french bread recipe ever! I walk you through how to make this easy french bread in a way that is beginner friendly without sacrificing taste.
Watch this video to see exactly how easy this French Bread really is!!
EASY French Bread
This is your step-by-step guide for easily making french bread and feeling like a rockstar while doing it! Homemade bread is one of life’s simplest pleasures, but people tend to overcomplicate the process. My recipe for french bread keeps it simple – without sacrificing the delicious taste of the finished product.
If you’ve never made bread before, this is honestly the best place to start! I’ll teach you how to whip up 2 quick french bread loaves that will impress you, your family and anyone else you break bread with. So if you’re looking for a way to avoid running to the grocery store *again* but still want a delightfully crusty bread to serve with dinner, let’s do this.
Why You’ll Love this Quick French Bread Recipe
This is the easiest French bread recipe out there- not only is it quick but honestly it’s the best recipe to start with if you’ve never made bread before. Plus, you get two large loaves from this one recipe so freeze one or gift it to a neighbor. Either way it is a win!
Easy French Bread Ingredients
- Quick Rise Yeast – This will help the dough rise faster, which yields a faster French bread!
- Warm Water – if you have an instant read thermometer, the water should be about 110°, if not, you’ll want it to just feel slightly warm when the water runs on the inside of your wrist.
- Sugar – the sugar will initially help activate the yeast and then more sugar is added to the dough. The final bread is not sweet by any means.
- Oil – the oil helps make the bread tender, without it the bread would be more heavy and tough.
- Salt
- Flour – all we need here is All-purpose flour. Nothing fancy needed!
How to Make French Bread in Instant Pot
- First you will combine warm water, yeast & a little bit of sugar and let it do its thing for 5 or so minutes. You’ll end up with bubbly yeast, this means that you yeast is active and working. If it hasn’t, your yeast is dead and you need to try again.
- Add the yeast, flour, sugar, salt, oil & water into your mixer. Using the dough hook, turn the mixer on low until the flour is incorporated. Turn the speed up just a tad and let the mixer kneed for about 5 minutes.
- When the dough is done kneading you should be able to pull off some dough and roll it into a ball. The dough will stick to the sides of the bowl a bit but it shouldn’t stick to your hands when you try to roll it.
- Add about 1 TBSP of oil to your Instant Pot and turn it on. Push the yogurt button and then adjust until the normal light is on.
- Dump the dough into the instant pot and coat the dough in oil so it will not stick.
- The dough will now rise for 40 minutes. Every 10 minutes you will want to come back and ‘knead’ the dough a few times.
- I found it easiest to use a spoon to push it down and move it around. The ‘kneading’ process should take about 30 seconds is all. Just push it down to release the built in air, cover and let it proof for another 10 minutes. So at 10 minutes, 20 minutes and 30 minutes you will ‘knead’ the dough. At 40 minutes you will dump the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead the dough in the flour a few times to soak up the excess oil.
- Divide the dough into the amount of loaves you’d like to make. Today I was taking dinner to a friend so I made 2 loaves. I’ve made one large loaf before as well as 4 small loaves.
- The best way to shape the loaves is to first roll the dough out into a rectangle.Then starting on the long end of the rectangle, roll & pinch the dough until you’ve rolled it into the desired shape.
- You can put an egg white wash on now if you’d like. It doesn’t change the taste, it just makes the crust shiny when finished. Then take a knife and score the top of the dough.
- Set the oven to 425°. Place the loaves of bread on top of the oven to raise while the oven preheats.
- Once doubled, bake at 425° for 10 minutes and then lower the temp to 375° (without taking the bread out) and bake for an additional 20 minutes. There you have it! Super yummy & quick french bread!
What to do with this Easy French Bread Recipe
I am a purist so I just love the warm french bread with the hard crust slathered in butter but my family loves to eat it with honey or raspberry jam. I also will never say no to dunking a thick slice of French bread into some stew.
Easy Quick French Bread FAQs
French bread is always a longer and narrow loaf of bread with a crusty exterior. The inside should be light and soft.
The combination of the yeast and flour with that thick, hard crust gives French bread it’s classic flavor profile.
It will take about 30 minutes total in the oven to completely bake your loaf of French bread. There is more time involved with making a loaf at home, though. You’ll need to consider how long it takes to prepare the dough and let it rise.
I recommend using unbleached all-purpose flour or bread flour! These two flours have a higher protein content, resulting in the textbook structure and chewiness of french bread without becoming too dense.
Store your french bread in a paper bag at room temperature for up to 2 days! Whatever you do, you do not want to put this bread in the fridge or a ziplock bag as it will rob your loaf of moisture and make the crust unpleasantly chewy.
More like this Easy French Bread Recipe
Fast French Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tbsp quick rise yeast
- 2 1/2 cup very warm water, divided
- 1 1/2 tbsp sugar, divided
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 1/4 tsp salt
- 6 cups flour
Instructions
- Combine 1/2 cup of warm water, the yeast and 1/2 tsp sugar. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes until nice and bubbly.
- Add the bubbly yeast and all other ingredients (2 cups of water, remaining sugar, oil, salt and flour) to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the dough hook, combine the ingredients. Once ‘dough’ has formed, turn the mixer’s speed up a little and let the mixer knead for 5 minutes.
- The dough will stick to the sides of the bowl a little but you should be able to roll the dough into a small ball in your hands easily without it sticking.
- Pour 1 Tbsp of oil into the instant pot. Place the dough into the Instant Pot and push the yogurt button, adjust it to the normal setting. Roll the dough in oil so it will not stick.
- The dough will now rise for 40 minutes. Every 10 minutes you will want to come back and ‘knead’ the dough a few times. Cover with a lid while you are not ‘kneading’. So at 10 minutes, 20 minutes and 30 minutes you will ‘knead’ the dough. At 40 minutes you will dump the dough out onto a floured surface
- Divide the dough into the amount of loaves you’d like. Use a rolling pin and roll the dough into a large rectangle. Shape the dough by starting at the long rolling and pinching the dough until you have achieved the desired shape. Score the top of the dough with a knife. You may do an egg white wash at this point if desired.
- Set the oven to 425°. Let the dough rise until double while the oven is preheating.
- Bake at 425° for 10 minutes. Without taking the bread out, turn the oven down to 375° and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
- ENJOY!!
Video
Nutrition
I have made this recipe four times. Delicious ! Would like to to make a gluten free version of this recipe so other family members can eat during holidays.
ps: my 15 yr old daughter loves it.
If I don’t have a mixer can I do the mixing with my hands?
Sure- It will be a workout but totally doable!
This is my go to bread recipe! I love it and the in laws love it. Wondering if you need to adjust the baking time if you were to make 4 loaves or even less (maybe individual buns)? I’ve only ever made 2 loaves from the recipe. Thanks!
Yes, you’d want to adjust the time. You can see here I made bread bowls using this recipe and have adjusted the time. https://cookingwithkarli.com/bread-bowl/
Quick questions… do you bake on parchment? And do you use an insulated tray? Or can you use the perforated French baguette tray with the loaf size holders?
And did you use bread flour in the pictures? Or all purpose? Thanks!!
Hi there- I use all purpose flour and have only ever baked on a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Just finished making these, wow I’m so impressed. They are so beautiful and delicious. Couldn’t wait 10 minutes to cool before eating bc the house was smelling like Christmas. Put some garlic butter on and my palettes were dancing. Never thought I could make bread and it was so easy. I put flaxseed on one of them. Can’t wait to very it again. Only thing is I’ll try s different yeast, I can still smell that yeast. I used Fermipan red yeast. My hubby loves the bread also. Thank you for sharing. I’ve subscribed on everything thing including pinterest and youtube.
Blessings 💕
Hi Karli,
I first made your French bread on Easter. Our Easter was just my husband and I so I cut the recipe in half and it turned out wonderful! We loved how it turned out and it tasted better than the French bread we buy.
I tried to make this bread again recently and cut the recipe in half again. Somehow I did not write the ingredient division correctly. My error, I tried it again. It turned out sticky so I added more flour. I made buns instead. It wasn’t the best…not your fault.
So, I’m writing you today to ask for the proper division of half a recipe. Could you do that for me? We love your bread!
Thanks so much,
Darlene
Hi Darlene! If you go to print the recipe, there will be an option at the top to select how many servings you’d like and it will automatically change the ingredient amounts for you. 🙂
What a nice feature! Thank you sooooo much🥖. By the way I made two loaves just the other day. Wonderful💕💕💕💕
So I tried to make this and the dough never formed into a ball after kneading in the stand mixer for 7 minutes. It stayed a blob so I just threw it away. What did I do wrong?
It sounds like you needed more flour. Sometimes different climates can effect how much flour you’ll need to add. Next time, make sure you’ve added in the amount called for and add extra flour 1/4 cup at a time until the dough is the right texture.
Easiest recipe I have yet to try when making bread (I have only made sourdough before). Loved this recipe & served it with friends.
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Samantha!!
This was great! First time making bread and I would call it a success. I think next time, I’ll try to make three smaller loaves. Any tips on how to divide the dough? My dough was much sticker than your video which made it hard to shape. Thank you!
Hi Dina! When you turn it onto the counter, feel free to gently knead in a little extra flour if your dough is really sticky, just so it is easier to handle and shape. I am glad to hear that the first time was a success!
Hi Karli, I tried your ciabatta bread few weeks ago, it was so good! My family loved it. Now I want to try your french bread! Just a quick question, what kind of flour you use? All-purpose? Thanks!!
I use all purpose flour! 🙂