Fabulous French Bread
Fabulous French Bread is a delicious homemade bread that is soft and fluffy on the inside with a golden crust on the outside. In just an hour and a half, you can have 3 fresh loaves of bread ready to be devoured!
To me, one of life’s greatest pleasures is being able to bake loaves of delicious bread from the comfort of your own home. There’s just something so incredible about the aroma of homemade bread wafting through your house, and it always reminds me of why I love baking.
This recipe requires under an hour of prep time and a 20 minute bake time. In just over an hour you can have 3 warm loaves of French bread freshly baked and cooling on your counter!
Once you try this Fabulous French bread recipe it’ll forever become your go-to. It is so easy to make and the only kneading required is what the mixer does for you.
You also don’t have to wait and let the dough rise for a long period of time. The only waiting necessary is two 5 minute rests after mixing the dough, then another 15 minutes once it’s placed into the oven. This bread seriously is the best, promise! 🙂
FREEZING FABULOUS FRENCH BREAD
This amazing bread freezes very well. Once the loaves have cooled down to room temperature, wrap them up in plastic wrap then place them into a ziplock freezer-safe bag. Store for up to 2 months in the freezer. When you’re ready to use them, set them out at room temperature until thawed.
STORING
If left out at room temperature, it can last up to 3 to 4 days. Just be sure to keep it covered in plastic wrap, or in a ziplock bag if you leave it out.
HOW TO SERVE FABULOUS FRENCH BREAD
Here are a few ways I like to enjoy this Fabulous French Bread:
- Butter: there’s nothing better than slathering on some creamy butter on your bread slices. You don’t just have to do plain butter though, cinnamon butter, garlic herb butter, strawberry butter, or apple butter would all be delicious options.
- Honey or Jam: this is perfect for when you’re craving something a little sweet. Drizzle on some honey or slather on some jam or jelly (any flavors will do) and you’ll be in heaven!
- As a side: a tasty side dish for any soups! A few delicious options would be chicken gnocchi soup, broccoli cheese soup, or creamy chicken noodle soup! Another classic option would be to serve with your spaghetti dinners!
- For a sandwich: this bread is amazing for sandwiches! You could try making it into a chicken Caesar sandwich, club sandwich, or even use it for your beef brisket sandwiches!
- For pizza: yes, that’s right! You can use it for some tasty French bread pizza! This taco French bread pizza is a family favorite!
HELPFUL TIPS
A few tips to help make your bread-making even easier!
- Make sure you don’t over knead your bread! How I have it in the recipe card is all the kneading you need, which is what the mixer does for you. Over kneading will result in tough and chewy bread.
- For an even crispier crust, place a pan of water into the oven with the bread when you bake it!
- For a softer crust, brush on some melted butter right when it comes out of the oven.
ALTERNATIVES
A couple different options:
- Yeast: you can use either instant or traditional yeast in this recipe, either one will work fine.
- Butter: if you don’t have shortening, you are more than welcome to use butter. It works just as well.
CAN YOU USE BREAD FLOUR?
I would recommend against it. Bread flour has too much protein meaning it will suck up all of the water and leave you with a dry bread that is pretty tough.
If you like this recipe you’re bound to love these similar ones:
- French Bread Rolls: soft and delicious rolls that are perfect for any occasion!
- Easy Artisan Bread: a must-make bread that is soft and delicious on the inside and golden and crusty on the outside!
- Stuffed French Bread: a cheesy and flavorful ground beef mixture stuffed between flaky and crispy French bread.
- Chicken Stuffed French Bread: a creamy shredded chicken mixture filled with ranch dressing, loads of cheese, and green onion placed in the middle of crispy French bread.
Fabulous French Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1/3 cup warm water (105 degrees F.)
- 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable shortening (I use butter-flavor Crisco)
- 1 cup cold water
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170 degrees F. Fill a glass measuring cup with 1 cup of water. Place in microwave and heat for 3 minutes, or until water is boiling.
- In another glass measuring cup, fill it with 1/3 cup warm water. Sprinkle the 1 Tablespoon of yeast over the water. With a fork, stir yeast into the water until yeast is completely dissolved.
- Pour the sugar, salt and shortening into the bowl of your stand mixer. Using a fork, mash these ingredients together. Pour the 1 cup of boiling water over the shortening mixture in the stand mixer. Add the 1 cup of cold water, then pour in the yeast/water mixture.
- Add 3 cups of flour into the mixer. Using the dough hook, turn mixer on low speed. With the mixer still on, gradually add the remaining 3 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time. Once all 6 cups are in, turn speed to medium and allow the dough to mix for 6 to 8 minutes. The dough should be nice and elastic. (Be careful not to over-flour. I used all 6 cups, but would not use any more than that.)
- Once the dough is mixed, allow it to rest in the bowl for 5 minutes.
- Spray a large cookie sheet with non-stick spray. After the dough has rested in the bowl, dump it onto the greased cookie sheet.
- Take a sharp knife, spray it with non-stick spray, and cut dough into 3 equal pieces. Then let it rest again for 5 minutes. (These resting periods for the dough is needed, so please do it and be patient! It’s worth the wait.)
- To shape the dough before baking: Take one section of dough and spread it out into a rectangle. Just use your fingers, you don’t need a rolling pin. Fold one long end up over half of dough, then fold the other half over that one. Then fold each side up over each other, then turn the loaf over so it is seam side down.
- Use your fingers to tuck seams down underneath the loaf and shape it. Repeat with the other 2 pieces of dough. Once all 3 sections of dough are shaped cut 3 angled 1/2 inch slits onto the tops of dough.
- Crack the egg into a bowl and whisk with a fork until frothy. Spread the egg over the tops of each loaf, making sure to get inside the slits.
- Place the loaves into the oven and let them rise for about 15 minutes (while the oven is on 170 degrees F.) Then turn oven up to 400 degrees F (while the loaves are still inside) and bake for 16 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and crisp. Turn the oven down to 350 degrees F. and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- Remove the loaves from the baking sheet and allow them to cool a bit before slicing them. Enjoy!
Notes
Below are step-by-step pictures on how to shape the dough:
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So perfectly baked bread!!! Thumbs up for this recipe as well as clicks.. 🙂
I couldn’t find where to post a comment, so I’m using a reply feature instead. This bread is wonderful and I thought I messed up big time, but the final result was fantastic! I did everything by your instructions, but my hand mixer could not take it, so as soon I added the last cup of flour, I had to skip the mixing step. I finished mixing it up by hand and not more than a couple of minutes. I didn’t have the needed amount of all purpose flour, but I had plenty of unbleached bread flour and that was what I used. No damage to the recipe at all. I was surprised it didn’t need to raise for about an hour like other bread recipes. I am very happy with this recipe. I wanted to share so people kow that bread flour can be used instead of all purpose flour and if you don’t have a stand mixer, you can still mix/knead by hand instead. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I couldn’t find where to post a comment either, but leaving a reply worked for me too. I found this recipe on Pinterest and am happy to have found your blog too!
This bread has been absolutely fantastic! I usually make homemade pizza once a week and found that dough hard on my KitchenAid as well.
I like to try new recipes once in my mixer and if I like the dough, having one “test bake” baseline, I started using the dough cycle on my bread machine. I know many think it’s cheating in some way but with 4 kids, I like to make homemade as much as possible. Working 4 days per week means I’m always out for any time savers possible and I have to say following your recipe exactly (using the full 6 cups of flour) in the bread machine turned out fabulous!!! I have the 3 pound machine with the double paddles. Even my father in law, who has an outdoor, wood burning brick oven and makes a lot of homemade bread was impressed!!
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe!
I couldnt find where to comment either, but this bread is amazing!! I made it and used it to dip in olive oil with seasoning and ate half the loaf on my own before my husband even came home!! I have a loaf in my freezer now, hoping it thaws out and tastes just as good as it did today! Ive tried many bread recipes that have been a total flop, but followed this one to a T and it worked beautifully
Just finished making some! It really is fabulous. 🙂 It did take me closer to 90 minutes from start to finish, but well worth it. I now must go spread a slice with some homemade strawberry jam to have with my coffee. Thanks for the recipe!
French bread is a favorite at my house! Love how easy this recipe is!
They look great! I used bread flour to msje French bread one day & wow! Now I always use bread flour!
What is the difference between AP flour and bread flour?
I believe bread flour has more gluten in it, for bread making.
what can we use if we dnt have shorteining?
You could use any fat really. Butter, olive oil, margarine.
These look so good! I love french bread! Beautiful pictures, btw 🙂
I am now craving on this mouth watering french bread you had posted! I can’t wait for the next weekend and I’ll bake some for myself and my family! 🙂
Loved it 🙂 Is it possible to use butter instead of shortening? Thanls
lama, yes you could use butter instead of shortening
Is there a substitute I can use for the shortening?
sheofthemist, you could use butter instead
Can I use oil or butter instead of shortening?
April, yes you can use butter instead 🙂
Hi! Just made the bread. Never buying store bought again. Have you tried storing them for later use? If yes, what worked?
Thanks
Tina, so glad you loved the bread! These freeze really well. Once loaves have cooled down to room temperature, wrap them in plastic wrap and then place in a ziplock freezer bag. Store up to 3 months in the freezer. When you’re ready to use them, let them sit out to room temperature. 🙂
I used 4 cups of bread flour and 2 cups all purpose. I think I must have added too much flour, because after I folded the loaves they didn’t melt down into one big loaf…they stayed folded. They are in the oven now, so I guess we will see what happens!
Nicole, I’ve only used all-purpose flour with this recipe so not sure how the bread flour would affect it… and I also used all 6 cups and it turns out awesome! Hope yours turns out, too! 🙂
Bread flour is way too high protein for this recipe, it sucks up the water and leaves you with the bread that turns out like a rock. There are plenty of French bread recipes that use bread flour but this is not one of them. The opposite would happen if you made sandwich bread with all purpose flour, there wouldn’t be enough protein and everything would turn into a gloopy mess. I was honestly shocked with this bread since I always bloom my yeast and use bread flour, but I trusted the recipe and it’s perfect. Only difference was I used about 1/2 cup less flour since I live in very high altitudes.
Awesome bread recipe….
First, love your blog! My husband and I are loving trying out your recipes. Secondly, in my recent move I seem to have lost my dough hook for my mixer 🙁 can I make this without it, by just folding in the flour old fashion style?
Jane, yes you could definitely knead the flour in old-fashioned style 🙂
thank you for sharing. I can’t wait to try this today!!
This bread is amazing. Unbelievably simple and so delicious. I got home from work at 3:30, had soup in the crockpot and at 4:00 decided to make this bread again. It’s rising in the oven now and will be ready for dinner in 30 minutes.
This sounds so great and not terribly difficult! Thanks for sharing!
Made 3 batches of this today. We ate a whole loaf for lunch and I’m taking the other 8 loaves for a school luncheon tomorrow. My family is mad, lol. I may have to make up another batch tomorrow! Thanks for the recipe!
Deb, Im so happy you love this bread as much as we do! I’m making more this week. I can’t get enough of this easy and delicious bread! 🙂
I just made this today and I think I’ve found my new go-to bread recipe! It is so good! I made meatballs today, too, and I think we’re going to use one of these loaves for open-face style subs. I love how soft the bread it, but with a nice chew to it. Thank you for the recipe!
All I have is a Cuisinart Hand mixer with dough hooks and a food processor… would either of those appliances work ok? This recipe looks so good and easy too! I get very intimidate by yeast bread.. I think it’s the kneading part of most recipes lol
I loved the flavor, but it was incredibly chewy even after I sliced it and baked it for about another 10 minutes to make garlic toast. Maybe I did something wrong, I don’t know, but for all the great reviews and beautiful loaves it was sort of ho-hum for me.
There is a chance that it was kneaded too much, which can result in elastic bread. Not really a problem with a good pizza crust but for this, over kneading can make it tough. There is also a chance your water wasn’t cold enough, which means the hot water geletainised some of the starches in the bread and made it chewy.
This recipe is absolutely awesome – made it today using 4 cups all purpose flour (all I had on hand) plus 2 cups bread flour and it turned out beautiful. Thanks you so much for this recipe – I’ll be making this really often!!
Have you ever tried to successfully freeze the dough for this recipe? If so, at what stage do you freeze it? Thanks!
Jen, I have never froze this dough, BUT I would imagine you could freeze it after you’ve shaped the loaves. I would wrap them in saran wrap and then in freezer bags. Let dough thaw and rise to room temp before baking 🙂
Holly Hi, i have a bunch in the oven!! They are turning so beautiful!!
have u ever tried to put some tarragon or oregano or something else???
Thanks so much!!
Rocio
Lima Peru
Rocio, No, I’ve never tried adding any herbs, but I would imagine it would be delicious! 🙂
I tried this bread recipe with the only change, substituting butter for shortening. My yeast was fresh but this bread didn’t rise and was very dense and tough. Since I followed the recipe as written, how did this happen?
I think measuring the flour is key with any bread recipe. Maybe you over floured it? I’m not sure, so sorry. I’ve made this bread several times, just as written, and haven’t had that problem.
For the person whose bread did’t rise- test gets old- proof it first to make sure it is still active!
If the water was still hot when you added the yeast (not adding the cold water first) you could have killed off a lot of the yeast accidentally. I’ve done the same before, just treat your yeast like a baby. You wouldn’t put it in frigid temperatures nor would you try to scald it.
Hi I made this french loaf useing 4c all purpose flour and 2c bread flour I didnt have shortning so I used butter. I also added 1Tbl of italian season omg my kitchen smells so good. I am hopeing it turns out I don’t have much luck when it comes to making breads. Something always goes wrong.