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Crusty French Bread (Mixed in a Bread Machine)

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Do you love eating and smelling bread right out of the oven? Try this Crusty French Bread, mixed up in a bread machine for the best texture and baked in the oven for the best crust.

No bread machine? No worries. See alternate directions in the recipe notes.

Crusty French Bread (directions for a bread machine)

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

That’s what happened with this Crusty French Bread. I gave the recipe to my daughter-in-law, Amanda. Later, she baked it and served it to our family.

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 French bread.

two uncut loaves of French Bread on a cooling rack

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 garlic butter on it to accompany pasta, or make sandwiches with it (see below).

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.

Illustrated tutorial for rolling out French Bread

How to Make Easy Beef Au Jus Sandwiches with Crusty French Bread:

Amanda recently made this bread for my mom’s birthday party. We used it to make sandwiches for beef au jus after my other daughter-in-law, Susie, introduced me to McCormick’s Au Jus Gravy mix. It’s a touch salty, but I forgive.

Beef Au Jus Sandwich on Crusty French bread

Place the browned beef roast in a slow cooker. Pour seasoning mixed with water (according to the package) over the meat and 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 it with Fresh Crusty French Bread.

Pin the picture below to save for later.

storyboard showing how to roll-out French bread

If you make this recipe and enjoy it, consider helping other readers and me by returning to this post. Leave a rating on the recipe card itself underneath the picture. Although always appreciated, comments aren’t required. Thank you for visiting! Paula

Crusty French Bread (Mixed in a Bread Machine)

Crusty French Bread (Mixed in a Bread Machine)

Yield: 16 servings
Prep Time: 3 hours
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 35 minutes

A simple, crusty French bread you can mix up in your bread machine and bake in the oven for the freshest bread ever

Ingredients

  • 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 cup lukewarm water
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons shortening or butter
  • 3+ cups bread flour
  • 1 teaspoon instant yeast

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients in bread machine pan in order listed. Start dough cycle. After 5-10 minutes, lift the lid and check dough. If dough is too sticky (levels out), add more flour 1 tablespoon at a time. If dough is too dry, add water a teaspoon at a time. Dough should be a loose ball that sticks to the sides, then pulls away.
  2. When dough cycle is complete, turn dough out onto lightly floured board. Roll into oval shape slightly longer than you want your final loaf to be.
  3. Starting from long side, roll into a cylinder shape. Pinch seam together. Turn over so seam is hidden. Pinch ends together and turn under making a small rounded shape on each end.
  4. Carefully place formed loaf onto a greased baking sheet or one covered with a silicone baking sheet. Cover with a tea towel and allow to rise in warm place until almost double.
  5. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Make glaze (1 egg white and 1 teaspoon water whisked together) and brush over loaf. Using a sharp knife, (I use a serrated knife) or a single edge razor blade, cut diagonal slashes about 2 inches apart and 1/2 inch deep across the top of loaf.
  6. Bake loaf for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake another 5-10 minutes until golden brown. Remove to cooling rack or slice and eat immediately.

Notes

Directions for making bread with a stand mixer or by hand:


  • To make this recipe in a heavy-duty stand mixer, add ingredients to the bowl in the same order. Turn on low to mix until all ingredients are moistened. Using dough hook, turn speed to 2 or 3 and continue beating/kneading until dough becomes smooth and elastic, about 5-10 minutes. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place. Deflate dough gently and shape rolls as indicated in recipe.
  • If making by hand, combine all ingredients into a shaggy ball in a large bowl. Turn dough out on a floured surface and knead with your hands until dough becomes smooth and elastic, a process that will likely take 10-20 minutes depending on your experience. Place dough ball into a greased bowl. Cover and allow to rise until double. Deflate dough gently and shape rolls as indicated in recipe
  • Please note: If you substitute regular yeast for instant or bread machine yeast, you must dissolve it first before adding to the dry ingredients. Stir it into about 1/4 cup of the lukewarm liquid called for in the recipe. Let sit for about 10 minutes. Add to other wet ingredients and then add dry ingredients. Proceed as directed to knead and shape rolls.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 43 Total Fat: 1g Saturated Fat: 1g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 2mg Sodium: 205mg Carbohydrates: 7g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 0g Protein: 1g
© Paula of saladinajar.com
Cuisine: American / Category: Bread
Easy Crusty French Bread mixed and kneaded in a bread machine, then baked in a conventional oven.

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  1. Cynthia Scott

    This is such an easy and delicious recipe.I placed a pie tin of boiling water on the rack beneath the baking sheet for a chewy crust. I’d made stew and this was perfect to soak up the broth.

    Reply

  3. Scott Hartsough

    Made this tonight, and it may have been the best loaf of bread I ever made, and so easy. I opted for the Kitchen-aid over the bread machine, and I added about a teaspoon each of basil and oregano for an herb style. I did notice that it took quite a bit more water – maybe an extra 1/4 cup. But this recipe is definitely a keeper.

    Reply

  6. Ju

    I’ve also made these the same day (Monday) I made the crusty rolls!!! Best french bread ever. Family so excited to see 2 loaves of them again this morning for their breakfast ???

    Reply

    • Paula

      Hi Carey,
      The glaze instructions apparently got dropped in a recent upgrade. I have fixed the recipe. The glaze is 1 egg white whisked together with 1 teaspoon of water. Hope the bread turns out great for you.

      Reply

    • Paula

      Glykeria, So sorry. It appears the glaze recipe dropped off when I changed recipe cards. I fixed it now. Glaze = 1 egg white and 1 teaspoon water whisked together. Brush lightly on loaf before putting it in the oven. Thanks so much for letting me know.

      Reply

  10. Fiona

    Made this for the first time today. Turned out great, except the crust wasn’t…well, “crusty”! I grew up with French bread having a VERY crisp crust (NZ), and cannot find that were I now live (WV). However, this recipe did yield some very scrummy bread, on which I am going to put my home-made chicken liver pate!

    Reply

    • Paula

      Hi Fiona,
      So glad you wrote. I’m glad you liked the bread but sorry you were disappointed with the crust. Wanted to let you know you did nothing wrong. That bread is most crusty when you first bake it. If you want a very crisp crust on your bread, you will have better luck to use a recipe with a “sponge” involved. A sponge is a water/flour/yeast mixture that percolates for several hours before you actually mix up the bread. They will take a bit longer to make. I have some on my blog here, here, and this one for crusty rolls which only requires a special glaze.

      Reply

  11. Liz

    Just wondering, Can I double this recipe, in my bread machine, 2 make 2 loafs?
    I’ve made 1 loaf of this bread, so far, and it is very good. I just would like to make
    2 loaf at one time. I guess, if I can’t, they will have to be. I’ve tried some of your other recipes, and they all have been keepers. Thanks, Liz

    Reply

    • Paula

      Hi Liz,
      No, I would not recommend making a double batch in your machine. The dough will not be kneaded properly nor will there be enough room for the dough to rise until double. I bought a used bread machine in addition to my favorite machine so I could make two batches at the same time. OR, Make one batch. As soon as the dough finishes mixing and kneading, remove the dough to another bowl to finish proofing and start another batch in your machine.

      Reply

  12. Karen

    Hi I made this bread today it came out great everyone loved it. I just bought a new bread machine first thing I tried was this bread in it (Hamilton Beach) on sale $49 for the price it was a great machine I had a Sunbeam but it rocked so much bounced off the counter twice so needed a new one.Thanks for a great recipe

    Reply

  13. Steph

    I have made this a few times now and am IN LOVE!
    I’ve tried to make it whole wheat, and it’s possible, but not nearly as good!
    I think this is a recipe that simply needs to be left alone. It’s AWESOME exactly as it is.
    This will be a repeat in my house for sure. Awesome for cold Canadian evenings and a hot bowl of soup.
    Can’t wait to try more recipes from your blog!
    -Steph

    Reply

  14. John

    This bread is awesome! I made it a few days ago, and I’m making it again today. My wife and daughters love it!
    Thank you for sharing this great recipe. I’m sure it will be a family favourite of ours too.

    Reply

  16. Ann

    I am so making this bread today. I have had a very nice bread machine for 3 years and it sat on the pantry floor. I, like a lot of you, have never really liked the bread out of the oven. My daughter gave me the link to your site and I made the Favorite Dinner Rolls. I have now made that recipe about 4 times in the last month. My daughter insisted that I mail her a batch of them for her Christmas dinner. They were a hit.

    My bread machine now sits on my counter like a proud peacock. I have stocked my pantry with all the ingredients to make any bread product that I wish. I have decided that I am not going to be buying store bought bread for everyday use at all this year. There is no work to making bread this way, and if I hit a day when I really don’t have the time to bake the dough off in my oven, I can always choose to just let the machine take care of it.

    I love this website/blog, love these recipes and am now a convert to bread making.

    Reply

  17. mark

    The post by “Best Bread Machine” (dated OCT 4 2011) has a blog link that goes to a Chinese spammer. You should remove it from your site, please.

    Reply

  18. lindsay

    Hi, I was wondering if I can not only mix this in my bread machine but also bake it I. The machine? Obviously i know it won’t be a long thin loaf. I’m military and have two small children…don’t have the luxury of the extra few minutes to roll out and roll up the dough. Thank you

    Reply

    • Paula

      Hi Lindsay,
      Of course you can bake this in a bread machine but it will be different and not look much like French Bread. As long as you don’t have the wrong expectations, it should work out ok. Honestly, the first couple times may take longer but you will get really fast with a little experience, and I think you will find it totally worth it.

      Reply

  20. Dale Brackett

    Thank you so much for creating this website. I had already prepared my French bread dough in my bread machine, and I wanted to bake it in the oven, thanks for the great tips on how to make it look much more presentable than it would’ve been if I baked it in the machine, It turned out beautiful, Thanks so much from SLC, Utah, Dale Brackett.

    Reply

  21. April W

    Hi! Just wanted to drop by and say that as a novice bread maker, I have yet to fail at one of your recipes! Thank you so much!

    Reply

  22. Sarah

    This bread is absolutely wonderful! I made it to go with Sweet Potato and Carrot soup. We had some left over and made french toast with in the morning, soooo good! Family is coming down and my mom had me make two more loaves so she could have french toast in the morning with our family.

    Just one question, what do I need to do to keep the bread from glueing itself to the pan? My first loaf took a lot of convincing to get it off the pan. The glaze utterly glued it to the pan. The second time I tried to oil the pan, hoping that would keep it from sticking, but it still stuck, but not nearly as bad. The oil also smoked and there went the fire alarm! Should I try parchment paper, silpat, or something else?

    Thanks, this bread is awesome!

    Reply

  23. Erin

    Thanks to you and this recipe, I haven’t bought bread in two years. This french bread is our everyday bread and it is so good! I have had great results with adding a 1/4 cup or so of wheat bran or a few tablespoons of flaxmeal to up the fiber.
    I had such trouble making really good homemade bread, it was always tough and dry, but thanks to your wonderful tutorials, I am now a champion bread baker! I have tried many of your recipes and they have all been a success.
    Thank you so much, Paula!

    Reply

  24. Rich Rice

    Wonderful recipe- delicious bread. Thanks for posting. This was my first foray into French bread, and it worked beautifully. I actually managed to make it while carving a neck for a bass guitar. 😉 Simple and attractive, not to mention delicious!

    Reply

  25. VikkiD

    This is the first recipe I tried using this method & it turned out fantastic! It was delicious with grilled steaks & roasted vegetables. The leftovers made excellent toast this morning. I can’t wait to try more of Paula’s recipes. I am a new fan of Salad In A Jar! 🙂

    Reply

    • Paula

      Hi Leslie,
      Let it rise until double. How long it takes depends on the temperature in the room or place you are letting it rise. Normally takes around 30-45 minutes. The glaze is water and egg whites. Amounts and directions are listed in the recipe.

      Reply

  29. Judith

    Hi there,
    Bread looks fantastic. One question, is it necessary to use bread floue or could it all be unbleached flour.
    Thanks

    Reply

    • Paula

      Hi Judith,
      I have not tried it yet but using 100% unbleached flour would probably work. I would expect the texture of the bread to be slightly softer and not quite as chewy because there is less gluten in the unbleached flour. Worth a try. 🙂

      Reply

  31. Lori

    Wonderful recipe and instructions. I would never have shaped it properly had you not included those instructions. Thanks so much!

    Reply

  32. Julie

    By the way, my (ahem, your) French Bread was a HUGE hit with my family the other night (at my in-laws no less, so score!!, lol). It came out beautifully and was so yummy!!

    My only question is that it did taste slightly of yeast (kinda like a yeast roll after taste, which was not bad by any means), but just wondering if that is normal?

    Reply

  33. Julie

    Hi there Paula…

    I am also a really BIG fan of yours! I found your blog a few months ago while I was searching salad-in-a-jar… long story short, I have since bought a used bread machine about a month ago (to see if I really liked it before spending the big bucks, lol… which I do! But still haven’t had to upgrade just yet).

    I have been coming back here pretty regularly to try new things. I have tried your pizza dough, and it is now a Family FAVORITE! That was the first recipe I tried by using the bread machine only for the dough cycle (scary for me as a newbie)… I have had terrible experiences in the past with trying to make my own breads by hand (before the bread machine) and waiting for it to rise, etc. So, it always makes me a little nervous to do a recipe which requires it to cook outside the machine.

    However, recipes like French Bread, and pizza cannot be made in there, so I come look up your recipes, and get inspired every time I do! Thanks a bunch! Love your videos too!!

    This time, I like another commenter had a problem envisioning what you were describing when talking about how to form the dough, so I did a quick search and this is a link that shows pictures of exactly what you were describing… I didn’t even read the text, lol…just needed the pics (visual learner thing, I guess):

    http://www.steamykitchen.com/75-baking-the-perfect-loaf-of-french-bread.html

    Anyway, Thanks again soooo much for your tasty recipes and fun anecdotes!!

    Reply

    • Julie

      I was coming here to get the recipe for French Bread to make for my family today (Thanksgiving), 🙂 and I saw your updated pics… and I thought, “Awesomeness!!!” Thanks for updating the post and adding the pics, they really do help!

      Reply

  34. Lenora

    Hi there! I am fairly new to Bread making using a Bread machine. I like the concept of using the machine for the dough, and then baking the bread in the oven. I use your pizza dough recipe as well as the focaccia! Yum. Question: When the dough is finished mixing in the bread machine….do you take it out immediately, or do you let it rise in the machine….and then proceed with your instructions? (for example for the French bread)

    Reply

    • Paula

      Hi Lenora,
      I leave the dough in the bread machine to rise the first time. The first rise is part of the “Dough” cycle. That being said, if I’m cooking for a crowd, I will remove the dough at the end of mixing and start all over with a second batch. Then first batch of dough goes into a bowl to rise in a warm place before it’s ready to form. Hope I haven’t confused you. Write back if you still have a question.

      Reply

  35. Sangeeta

    Thank you for sharing this recipe. Since we are employed in KSA French bread isn’t easy to come by.
    Ever since my husband got me the Bread Maker I have been trying your recipe. They are great.

    Reply

  36. Monique T

    Just made this and it looks wonderful . . . . too bad my expensive kitchen aid mixer is collecting dust since I got my bread machine,

    Reply

  38. Brandy

    I realize this posting was from 2 years ago, but I wanted to stop by and tell you I just found it. I made this bread today and it was wonderful! It looked amazing. It smelled amazing. And it tasted even better. I wont be buying french bread at the store ever again!

    Reply

  39. Gina

    I just made this and it was GREAT! Love your white bread, too. You are my go to blog for my bread needs! Thank you so much for doing all of your posts. I would have given up on bread making with out you!

    Reply

  40. Stephanie

    Horrible idea to look at recipes at 1am when you want to go to bed of course I’m hungry now. I want to try to make this 1 day,once I perfect the art of making Campbell’s soup I will get on this. I have enough trouble with pancakes,bacon&eggs but I swear I’m going to try to learn how to cook I mean I’ll be 30 soon enough I should know how to cook something.

    Reply

  41. Katie

    Paula, I’ve been making your honey whole wheat bread since January and I finally thought to try this French bread recipe. I LOVE IT! Thank you again for enriching our family with such yummy bread! 🙂

    Reply

  42. ZojiBread

    Excellent recipe! I mixed the dough in my bread maker & it easily made two loaves. It’s delicious & we’re having it with spinach artichoke dip right now!! Yummy!

    Reply

  43. bread maker reviews

    I’ve made this breads 3 times already within the past 30 days and that i can’t get enough! Many thanks so much for sharing your formula,best bread maker!

    Reply

  44. Pat's Bread Maker Reviews

    Looks like a great recipe…I’m always looking for ways to get the crust right!
    Thanks for sharing

    Reply

  45. mhadar

    Wow very nice, I tried it, I dont think the yeast likes me too much, but it could be that I made it into two loaves instead of one. It tasted great thou!!

    Reply

  46. Breadmaker Dan

    Looks absolutely fantastic.

    I make a lot of bread at home and it never ever ends up looking like that. I’ll give the recipe a shot and pray for the best.

    Reply

  48. Susie

    ok, so here’s the verdict….quick dough cycle seemed to work ok, although probably the basic dough would have allowed for more rise time. but this is a denser, crustier bread so it may not have mattered anyway. my loaves (or should i say loaf) weren’t as pretty as yours, but guess this will just come with experience as i make it more. you may want to mention that this recipe makes only 1 loaf (or at least that’s how mine turned out) of about 8 thinner slices. i used bread flour & bread machine yeast. hope this helps someone else out who may be making the recipe for the 1st time

    Reply

  49. Susie

    oh and i’m also trying out the “quick dough” cycle on my bread machine…not enough time for me to allow for the basic dough cycle. i’ll let you know if it turns out…

    Reply

  50. Susie

    i’m just now about to make this recipe for the 1st time (with beef au jus for dinner, of course!)…..is there any way to add a pic or two of the second step? it’s hard for me to follow words & i’m not sure exactly what you are talking about. does the recipe really only call for 1.5 tsp of shortening? that really surprised me. is that correct? guess i’m about to find out.

    Reply

  56. ldh

    I love bread, Paula and this looks perfect! Aren’t bread machines so convenient. Looking forward to trying this recipe.

    I want to make your Greek Yogurt too. I have to pick up a strainer though. Years ago I made regular yogurt frequently for my children just using a yogurt maker. This sounds infinitely better!

    Reply

  57. Jeannette

    I think I am finally embracing bread making. I made two loaves of the same bread in two days. Yeast still doesn’t really like me too much but i won’t complain because it was deeelish. I’m thinking of trying this!

    Reply

  71. Gina

    Looks good! I’ll have to try this. I haven’t been happy with any French bread from my bread machine. Great pictures too, as always!

    Reply