Foolproof French Bread For Beginners

I started making bread as an adult and I immediately loved it. French bread is one of the first recipes I tried.

This French bread is quick, easy and delicious! If you’ve never made bread before, this is a great recipe to start with. From start to finish this bread only takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Related: Chock-Full Of Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups warm water-Not hot

1 tablespoon yeast- active dry yeast

2 tablespoons sugar- granulated

1 tablespoon salt- kosher or table salt works well

2 tablespoons oil- olive or vegetable is best

5-6 cups flour- all purpose white flour, start with 5 and add more if the dough seems to stick too much

1 tsp cornmeal- Not cornstarch!

1 egg- this will give the bread a crisp crust, it can be omitted, but the crust won’t be as crispy

Instructions

Prove the yeast (mix the water, sugar, and yeast together and wait for it to bubble to prove it is active yeast)

Mix all ingredients except egg and knead or use a dough hook until well combined- about 5 minutes

Add more flour as needed if the dough seems to stick to the bowl

Let the dough rest 10 minutes then stir

Split dough in 2 or more for smaller loafs

Roll each piece in to a rectangle and then roll with the seam down place on a baking sheet

Cut 3 slits across the top

Cover and let it rise for 30 minutes

Preheat the oven to 375

Mix the egg into a wash and brush onto the bread 

Bake 30 minutes

How To Enjoy

Eat your bread by itself or enjoy it as a side to one of the following recipes!

• Tantalizing 5 Ingredient Tortellini Soup
• Whole30 Beef Stew
• Whole30 Chicken Soup
• 50 + Ways To Upgrade Mac & Cheese

Let me know how your bread turned out!