Homemade French Bread

I recently traveled to France and was amazed with the flavors of the many breads served at Parisian restaurants. Many French bread recipes are quite complex, so I was happy to discover this simple French bread recipe, which includes very simple ingredients and has rich flavors and a nice crunch texture. Bon Appétit!

Ingredients

2 ½ Cups of warm water
1 Tbsp. of rapid rising yeast
½ Cup of sugar
2 tsp. of salt
5-6 Cups of all purpose flour

Preparation Process

In a large bowl, mix the warm water, yeast, and sugar together until almost dissolved.

Add the salt and 5 cups of flour. (If the dough is still sticky, add a cup or so until you have the correct consistency.)

Flour a cutting board, knead the dough into a smooth ball

Lightly flour the large mixing bowl and gently drop the dough back inside.

Cover the bowl with a light cloth or a plastic wrap

Let the dough set in the bowl until it doubles in size. This will take 1-2 hours, depending on temperature and humidity

Cut the dough in half with a sharp knife and roll each half into a ball

Coat a baking sheet with non-stick spray or parchment paper.

With a rolling pin, roll each dough ball into a rectangle, to fit the length of the baking sheet., then

Then starting at a long edge, shape each rectangle by folding over into a cylindrical shape.

Place both loaves on the baking sheet, with space between them Place them seam-side down, ensuring the ends are tucked underneath.

Cover the loaves with a cloth and let them rise to your preferred size. This will take roughly 1-2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake the bread for 20 minutes, or until it begins to become golden

Immediately rub the top of the hot bread with butter. Let cool and serve.

Want to make this and need the written instructions? Just click here to download the full recipe.