Scratch This with Sandy

Baking, Cooking, Recipes and Ideas to inspire you and your family.

Easy French Bread

So this is just a super simple lil recipe… it makes one loaf… I pull this one together any time I know we’ll be eating Italian!  Its full of flavor and sure beats paying $3-$5 for a loave at the grocery store!  I think this loaf cost me about 5-10 cents to make!   (I have a couple more French bread recipes I like as well… I’m sure I’ll have them up here soon enough)

From the Kitchen

Easy French Bread

  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients:

  • 1 Cup warm water 110-120
  • 2 TBLS sugar
  • 2 1/2 tsp yeast (one packet)
  • 2 TBLS oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3 Cups flour

Optional:

  • 1 egg white
  • 1 tsp cold water

Steps:

  1. Add sugar and water to bowl and sprinkle with yeast.  Let set 5-10 mins or until foamy.
  2. Add oil, salt and flour and use dough hook to mix together.
  3. Pull out and knead into ball.
  4. Place in greased bowl flipping to cover both sides.  Cover and let rise for 1 hour.
  5. Punch it down and let it rise one more time about 30 minutes.
  6. Pull it out and flatted it out to a rectangle.
  7. Jelly roll it up and tuck ends under.
  8. Place on greased baking sheet (optional… spread cornmeal out)
  9. Cover and let rise 30-60 mins
  10. Pre Heat oven to 375 degree.
  11. Optional brush with egg wash… For a harder crust.
  12. Give it a couple quick swipes with a serrated knife.
  13. Bake for 25 minutes… If you didn’t do the egg wash brush with butter after it comes out.

Put your sugar in the bowl, pour your water in and give it a quick lil stir to dissolve all the sugar! Now SPRINKLE your yeast over the top give the whisk a once around the bowl and let rest till foamy... about 5 to 15 mins... I like to go fold a load of laundry or unload the dishwasher while I'm waiting... you know multi- tasking
Put your sugar in the bowl, pour your water in and give it a quick lil stir to dissolve all the sugar! Now SPRINKLE your yeast over the top give the whisk a once around the bowl and let rest till foamy… about 5 to 15 mins… I like to go fold a load of laundry or unload the dishwasher while I’m waiting… you know multi- tasking
Now add the remaining ingredients and switch out to your dough hook... if you don't have a dough hook no biggy just pull out the old wooden spoon and use those muscles of yours!
Now add the remaining ingredients and switch out to your dough hook… if you don’t have a dough hook no biggy just pull out the old wooden spoon and use those muscles of yours!
Its should be forming into a ball and pulling away from the sides of the bowl
Its should be forming into a ball and pulling away from the sides of the bowl
pull it out of the bowl and knead it the ole fashion way into a nice round ball...place it in a prepared "greased" bowl flipping it over so both sides are greased. Cover with saran wrap.
pull it out of the bowl and knead it the ole fashion way into a nice round ball…place it in a prepared “greased” bowl flipping it over so both sides are greased. Cover with saran wrap.
Heres a lil trick of mine... I turned the stove top on for about 5-10 seconds just to warm it up a lil.... Some people tell you not to use metal bowls because it will mess with the breads temp.... but all you need to do is keep its environment nice and happy and you won't have that problem! Let it rise for about an hour... or till its doubled in size!
Heres a lil trick of mine… I turned the stove top on for about 5-10 seconds just to warm it up a lil…. Some people tell you not to use metal bowls because it will mess with the breads temp…. but all you need to do is keep its environment nice and happy and you won’t have that problem!
Let it rise for about an hour… or till its doubled in size!
Punch it down and let it rise again!
Punch it down and let it rise again!
pull it out and flatted it out to a rectangle...
pull it out and flatted it out to a rectangle…
"Jelly Roll" it up!
“Jelly Roll” it up!
Tuck up the sides and pinch the seams together
Tuck up the sides and pinch the seams together
place it on a prepared pan... when I'm making my French breads I like to put a lil cornmeal on the pan... I also like to use the same saran wrap I used on the bowl... because why get out a new strip when I already have one there! Cover it and let it rise anywhere from 30 mins to an hour... you'll know... its growing and a good speed at this point
place it on a prepared pan… when I’m making my French breads I like to put a lil cornmeal on the pan… I also like to use the same saran wrap I used on the bowl… because why get out a new strip when I already have one there! Cover it and let it rise anywhere from 30 mins to an hour… you’ll know… its growing and a good speed at this point
Here is were the egg wash comes in... totally optional but if you are gonna do it, it makes it nice and shiny and gives its a "crisp" crust (with a super soft inside) Carefully swipe the wash on (I buy painters brushes from Lowes all the time they are super cheap... then buying them in the kitchen departments) and then give it a couple quick swipes with a serrated knife! And put it in the preheated 375 oven and bake for about 25 mins
Here is were the egg wash comes in… totally optional but if you are gonna do it, it makes it nice and shiny and gives its a “crisp” crust (with a super soft inside) Carefully swipe the wash on (I buy painters brushes from Lowes all the time they are super cheap… then buying them in the kitchen departments) and then give it a couple quick swipes with a serrated knife!
And put it in the preheated 375 oven and bake for about 25 mins
Pull it out and if your feeling it you can bless it with a quick swipe of butter! MMM
Pull it out and if your feeling it you can bless it with a quick swipe of butter! MMM

 

Try making them as sandwich rolls too… just cut the bake time back a bit… Or try this recipe:  Easy French Bread Rolls

Do you like quick and easy recipes?  Try these 20 Minute Homemade Biscuits and 30 Minute Dinner Rolls

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17 responses to “Easy French Bread”

  10. During the ‘jelly rolling’ stage of the French bread have you ever tried putting thinly sliced deli meats and/or finely chopped jalapenos on? And then rolling it up? Would this work? Some stores here sell bread with these ingredients in them but they are PRICEY.

    Reply

  12. Made this yesterday with the lasagna ! Couldn’t get any better from an Italian restaurant !! Excellent

    Reply

  15. So yummy and easy to make, I only ended up using 2 and 1/2 cups of flour, bread flour, and let me tell you, tastes just like the French bread loaf I’d get at Great Harvest before the owners retired and they closed and I had to learn to make my own. (Gasp) 😂 Thank you for sharing such a delicious easy recipe!

    Reply

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