How to Bake French Bread! With an easy recipe and a couple of tries, you will be well on your way to becoming a baker!  Baking Bread is an art. Practice makes perfect!

This staple food is an important source of nutrition. The healthier the ingredients, the healthier the bread.

Cooking and baking from scratch is very satisfying. Learning how to use healthy ingredients increases the nutritional value of your foods especially when learning how to bake bread.

FRENCH BREAD RECIPE for BEGINNERS:

This French Bread recipe can be shaped into long baguette style loaves or round loaves. It works well either way! How to Make French Bread for Beginners the easy way!!

Basic Bread Recipe: How to Bake French Bread

To Begin, add the following to a large mixing bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.

• 1 Tablespoon Dry Yeast
• 2 Cups Warm Water

Once the yeast has dissolved and started to foam, add:

• 5 Cups of Unbleached Flour (I like to use Einkorn Flour)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon Avocado Oil or Olive Oil

If you are having a hard time trying to decide what is the best all around oil to use……look no further. I use this Avocado Oil for everything from cookies, to cake, to salad dressings, to sautéing, and making my Creamy Butter Spread.

It has all the benefits of Olive Oil PLUS……it can take the higher heat for sautéing and frying. It is the best!

Stir to combine flour and mix for about 4 minutes, This mixing helps to reduce the first rising time.

Now add: 1+ more cups of Unbleached Flour just so the dough can be easily kneaded and is not sticky. The dough will start to hold together.

Mix as much as you can by hand and then turn dough onto a floured surface so you can knead it.

Knead the bread dough for 10 minutes or until you can lightly touch the surface and it springs back.

Once the dough is springy to the touch, place the ball into an oiled bowl to rise. Set this bowl in a warm spot in your kitchen or in the oven with the oven light turned on.

It just needs a warm spot out of a draft. Let rise for approximately one hour or until it doubles in volume.

Forming Loaves:

Turn the risen dough back on to your floured surface. Knead for one minute. Divide your dough in half.

Shape each half into French Bread style long loaves. Place each loaf on a lightly oiled baking or cookie sheet. I usually place the two loaves on one large cookie sheet.

Next, take a sharp serrated knife and gently cut diagonal slits in the top of each loaf.  I usually cut 3 to 4 slits in each loaf.

Now, let bread rest and rise in a warm location for 30 minutes. They should about double in size.

[gallery size="large" ids="2934,2936,2935"]

Baking Your Bread:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Place the risen loaves in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Double check on the bread at 30 minutes to make sure the bottom of the loaves are not getting too brown. Rotate loaves if necessary. [caption id="attachment_3239" align="aligncenter" width="600"]

Basic French Bread Loaves

Printable Recipe:

Once  your bread has finished baking, remove loaves from oven and set on cutting board or wire racks to cool. Now, slice and spread with your Creamy Healthy Butter Spread!

Remember: you can shape your loaves in long baguette style, French Bread style loaves or round loaves. This is the basic recipe for all of these.

Pin It for Later

Pin It for Safe Keeping!