A Bread Machine French Bread Recipe You Can Trust Every Time

Preview: Mix and knead this crusty bread machine French Bread recipe in a bread maker for superior texture. Bake the dough in your oven for the best crust. An excellent recipe for beginners!

Have you ever given somebody a recipe and then, when they turn around and make it for you, you don’t recognize it?

That’s what happened with this Crusty French Bread recipe. I shared it with my daughter-in-law, Amanda. Later, she baked this bread and brought it to a family party.

Here’s the crazy part…

I asked HER for the recipe thinking it was better than mine. How did that happen? Now she is famous in our family for this Crusty French bread.

If you are a beginning bread baker, this recipe will build your confidence.

No bread machine? No worries. See alternate directions for using a stand mixer or making by hand in the recipe notes.

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What you can expect:

This bread has a soft, compact crumb with a crispy crust when first removed from the oven. It is NOT a chewy kind of artisan bread with big holes in it.

Nope! Nothing too sophisticated. Just a fresher loaf of bread. Slice it for eating out of hand, smear it with garlic butter to go with pasta, or make sandwiches with it (see below).

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Ingredients and substitutions:

• FLOUR: Bread flour is my preference. It will give you the best rise. My second choice is King Arthur’s Unbleached All-Purpose Flour because of the higher protein content.
  
  Otherwise, go with any unbleached or bleached white flour you have on hand. It will still make a good loaf. This recipe is not written for whole wheat or a specialty flour. Reckless substitutions can be unpredictable. Proceed with caution.
  
• WATER: I use spring water for all my bread because yeast and chlorine don’t play well together. If you don’t have any, tap water is fine.
  
  My yogurt-making friends may want to try using the whey you drain off yogurt when making Greek yogurt. (This is not the same as protein whey.)
  
• YEAST: Dissolving instant or bread machine yeast (same thing) is unnecessary. I use it in all my bread-machine recipes.
  
  You can now substitute active dry yeast without dissolving it first. Be aware it may be a little slower on the uptake. Allow more time for rising. Adding an extra 1/4 teaspoon of yeast will help.
  
• SALT: Use table salt or sea salt. If you substitute Kosher salt, add an extra 1/4 teaspoon.
  
  Please don’t leave out the salt. It makes all the difference in the way your bread behaves and tastes.

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How to shape a loaf of French Bread:

Follow me. Start at the left top picture. If you aren’t happy with the shape on the first try, roll the dough in a ball and start over. Nobody will ever know. If you prefer, I have included a video showing this process.

FAQ

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Our favorite sandwich using this bread:

Amanda recently made this bread for my mom’s birthday party. We used it for beef au jus.

My other daughter-in-law, Susie, introduced me to McCormick’s Au Jus Gravy mix. It’s a touch salty, but I forgive.

Place the browned beef roast in a slow cooker. Pour seasoning mixed with water (according to the package) over the meat. Cook it on high for 5 hours or low for 8-9 hours. The result will be perfectly seasoned broth and fork-tender shreds of beef. Serve with Crusty Bread Machine French Bread.

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Do you need an entree to go with your French bread?

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If you have a question or tip to share, please leave it in the regular comments after the recipe so I can answer back. Or email me: paula at saladinajar.com.

Thank you for visiting!
Paula