Homemade French Bread
Make easy homemade French bread with your bread machine! This simple recipe does the hard work for you, then finishes in the oven for a golden, crispy crust.
There are few things in life better than the smell of freshly baked homemade French bread coming from your oven. Unfortunately, there are also few things more intimidating than making homemade bread from scratch. Kneading, proofing, shaping, worrying about yeast… suddenly that loaf of bread from the grocery store is looking pretty good.
But what if I told you that you could make homemade French bread with a bread machine and barely break a sweat?
Yep. This easy French bread recipe starts in the bread machine, where it does all the annoying stuff for you, and then gets finished in the oven so you end up with that beautiful golden crust and soft, chewy center we all want from homemade French bread.
Basically, the bread machine does the hard work, and you get to take credit.
I call that a win.
Why You’ll Love This Easy French Bread Recipe
This bread machine French bread recipe is perfect if you love homemade bread but don’t necessarily want to spend your afternoon standing over a bowl of dough.
The bread machine mixes the ingredients, kneads the dough, and gives it a warm little environment to rise. Once that’s finished, you simply take the dough out, shape it into a loaf, let it rise again, and bake it in the oven.
That’s it.
The oven is important because while bread machines are fantastic at making bread, they don’t always give you that classic crusty French bread exterior. Finishing the loaf in the oven gives it a gorgeous golden-brown crust while keeping the inside soft and tender.
And let’s be honest: a loaf of bread that looks like you spent hours making it is always more impressive.
Ingredients for Bread Machine French Bread
You’ll need a few simple ingredients:
- Warm water
- Active dry yeast
- Sugar
- Salt
- All-purpose flour
- A little oil
Nothing fancy. No mysterious ingredients that require a trip to three different grocery stores.
The key is making sure your water isn’t too hot. Yeast likes things warm and cozy, but not scorching. Think pleasant bathwater, not hot tub set to “lava.”
How to Make French Bread in a Bread Machine
Start by adding the ingredients to your bread machine pan according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Select the dough cycle and let the machine do its thing.
This is my favorite part of the recipe.
You walk away.
The bread machine kneads the dough while you drink coffee, answer emails, fold laundry, or stare into the refrigerator wondering why you opened it in the first place.
When the dough cycle is complete, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently shape it into a long French bread loaf.
Place the shaped dough on a baking sheet, cover it loosely, and let it rise until it looks noticeably puffy.
Before baking, make a few shallow diagonal cuts across the top of the loaf. These little slashes aren’t just for looks—they help the bread expand as it bakes.
Then into the oven it goes!
Bake until the French bread is golden brown and crusty. Try to let it cool for at least a few minutes before slicing.
I know.
It’s difficult.
The smell of warm homemade bread is basically torture at this point.
The Best Way to Serve Homemade French Bread
This easy homemade French bread is fantastic alongside soup, pasta, roasted chicken, or just about any meal that gives you an excuse to eat more bread.
It’s also pretty spectacular warm from the oven with a little butter.
And by “a little butter,” I mean whatever amount feels emotionally appropriate.
The best part? Once you’ve made this easy bread machine French bread, you’ll realize homemade bread doesn’t have to be complicated. Let the bread machine handle the tedious part, finish the loaf in the oven, and suddenly you’re a person who casually makes French bread at home.
Look at you.
Fancy.
Easy Homemade French Bread Made Simple
If you’ve been intimidated by homemade bread, this easy French bread recipe is a great place to start. The bread machine handles the mixing, kneading, and first rise, while the oven gives the finished loaf that classic crusty French bread texture.
It’s simple, practical, and delicious—and you get all the bragging rights without all the work.
Honestly, that’s exactly how I like my bread recipes.
Bread Machine Homemade French Bread
Make easy homemade French bread with your bread machine! This simple recipe does the hard work for you, then finishes in the oven for a golden, crispy crust.
Ingredients
- 1 cup water room temperature
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1-1/2 teaspoons butter
- 3 cups (360 g) unbleached bread flour
- 1 teaspoon bread machine or instant yeast
Instructions
- Add the ingredients: Place 1 cup (227 g) water–cool, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, 1-1/2 teaspoons butter, 3 cups unbleached bread flour, and 1 teaspoon instant/bread machine yeast in the bread-machine pan in the order listed.
- Start the DOUGH cycle: Select this cycle and press START. Ingredients will start to adhere to each other.
- Check dough about 15-18 minutes into the DOUGH cycle. If the dough is too wet, add flour one tablespoon at a time. If it is too dry, add liquid one tablespoon at a time. If this step is necessary, allow 1–2 minutes between additions so the dough has time to absorb them.
- When the DOUGH cycle ends, the dough should be approximately doubled in size. If it isn’t, leave it in the bread machine basket until it is.
- Deflate and rest: Restart the DOUGH cycle and let the machine knead for 5–10 seconds. Stop the machine, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and shape it into a smooth ball. Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Shaping the dough: Roll the dough into an oval approximately 9 × 12 inches. Starting from a long side, roll it tightly into a cylinder. Pinch the seam and ends closed.
- Place seam-side down on a greased or lined baking sheet.
- Second rise: Cover and let rise until just under doubled, usually 30–60 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425˚F
- Glaze: Whisk 1 large egg white and 1 teaspoon water together for the glaze. Brush over the loaf, then cut diagonal slashes across the top.
- Slash and bake: Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce oven to 350°F and bake 5–10 minutes more, or until golden and bread reaches 200°F internally.
- Cool and serve: Remove to a cooling rack or slice and enjoy while warm.
Recipe source: adapted from saladinajar.com
