Homemade French Bread shaped for make-ahead mornings, brunch, or easy daytime meals.
Morning Loaves: French Bread You Can Make Ahead
A straightforward French loaf with a crackly crust and tender crumb that you can shape, chill, or freeze so fresh bread is always within reach.
There’s something indulgent about the smell of baking bread filling the house first thing — this recipe is built to give you that without the frantic morning rush. The dough makes a glossy, golden loaf with a crisp exterior and an airy, chewable interior; a little olive oil in the mix keeps the crumb tender, while a dusting of semolina on the baking surface gives the bottoms a pleasant crunch.
The technique is deliberately simple: whisk the flour, instant yeast, salt, and sugar so everything is evenly distributed; add warm water (about 100–110°F) and olive oil until a shaggy dough forms; then knead until smooth and slightly springy (8–10 minutes by hand or 5–7 in a stand mixer). Let it rise in a warm spot until doubled, roughly 60–75 minutes — that’s when the flavor and structure develop.
Shaping and finishing are where you get the baker’s payoff. Form batards or long loaves, score them so they bloom, brush with an egg wash for sheen, and slide them onto a semolina‑dusted sheet. Twentyish minutes in a hot oven is all you need for a deeply colored crust. For make‑ahead mornings, retard the dough overnight in the fridge after the first rise, or shape and freeze loaves before the final proof; thaw and finish the final rise, then bake.
These loaves are endlessly useful: slice for sandwiches, toast for breakfast with butter and jam, or serve alongside soups and salads for lunch. The recipe yields four modest loaves — easy to scale up or down — and rewards the few minutes of hands‑on time with bread that tastes like you spent the whole morning in the kitchen.
Ingredients
How to Make Homemade French Bread
- Whisk the flour, instant yeast, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl so the yeast and salt stay distributed.
- Warm the water to about 100–110°F (warm to the touch), add it and the olive oil to the dry ingredients, and stir until a rough shaggy dough forms.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand 8–10 minutes (or 5–7 minutes in a stand mixer with a dough hook) until smooth and slightly springy.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic or a damp towel, and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 60–75 minutes.
- Gently deflate the dough, divide it into two equal pieces, shape each into a 12–14 inch baton (baguette shape), and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet dusted with semolina, seam side down.
- Cover the shaped loaves and proof for 30–45 minutes at room temperature until puffy (for make-ahead, cover tightly and refrigerate the shaped loaves overnight up to 16 hours; bake straight from the fridge adding 5–8 minutes to bake time).
- About 30 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 475°F (246°C) with a baking stone or an inverted heavy baking sheet on the middle rack and an empty shallow metal pan on the bottom rack for steam.
- Brush each loaf with a beaten egg (optional) or water, make 3–4 diagonal slashes with a sharp blade, slide the parchment onto the hot stone or sheet, pour 1 cup hot water into the bottom pan to create steam, and bake 18–22 minutes until deep golden and the internal temperature reads about 200°F (93°C). Cool on a rack at least 20 minutes before slicing.
Recipe Card
Homemade French Bread
Homemade French Bread shaped for make-ahead mornings, brunch, or easy daytime meals.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 22 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, instant yeast, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl so the yeast and salt stay distributed.
- Warm the water to about 100–110°F (warm to the touch), add it and the olive oil to the dry ingredients, and stir until a rough shaggy dough forms.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand 8–10 minutes (or 5–7 minutes in a stand mixer with a dough hook) until smooth and slightly springy.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic or a damp towel, and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 60–75 minutes.
- Gently deflate the dough, divide it into two equal pieces, shape each into a 12–14 inch baton (baguette shape), and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet dusted with semolina, seam side down.
- Cover the shaped loaves and proof for 30–45 minutes at room temperature until puffy (for make-ahead, cover tightly and refrigerate the shaped loaves overnight up to 16 hours; bake straight from the fridge adding 5–8 minutes to bake time).
- About 30 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 475°F (246°C) with a baking stone or an inverted heavy baking sheet on the middle rack and an empty shallow metal pan on the bottom rack for steam.
- Brush each loaf with a beaten egg (optional) or water, make 3–4 diagonal slashes with a sharp blade, slide the parchment onto the hot stone or sheet, pour 1 cup hot water into the bottom pan to create steam, and bake 18–22 minutes until deep golden and the internal temperature reads about 200°F (93°C). Cool on a rack at least 20 minutes before slicing.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 70
- Saturated Fat
- 1.1
- Sodium
- 880
- Fiber
- 2.5
- Unsaturated Fat
- 4.6
- Protein
- 11
- Fat
- 6
- Cholesterol
- 47
- Trans Fat
- 0.03
- Calories
- 385
- Sugar
- 1