A Bread Machine French Bread Recipe You Can Trust Every Time
Sneak Preview: Mix and knead this easy Bread Machine French Bread recipe in a bread maker for superior texture. Bake the dough in your oven for the best crust. This is an excellent recipe for beginners.
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Have you ever given somebody a recipe, only to not recognize it when somebody makes it for you?
That’s what happened with this easy French Bread recipe. I shared it with my young daughter-in-law, Amanda. Later, she baked this bread and brought it to a family party. She baked it for a family party, and it was so good that I asked her for the recipe—forgetting it was mine! Now, she’s famous in our family for this crusty French bread.
I promise this basic recipe will build your confidence if you are a beginning bread baker.
- No bread machine? No worries. The recipe notes provide alternate directions for using a stand mixer or making it by hand.
- Do you have a mini bread maker that only makes a 1-lb loaf? Check below for a version I developed just for you.
Happy Bakers Speak Up
“I’ve made this several times since I can’t find much bread in the grocery stores right now. It’s delicious. I’ve got one rising now so that I can make us some French bread pizzas tonight. I’ll be making this instead of buying bread even when the stores are stocked again. It’s so easy to make too. So happy I found this recipe.”–JEN
“This has become my go-to french bread recipe. Comes out perfect every time and so simple!“–ANDREA
“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.”—STEPH
What You Can Expect from This Recipe
Fresh from the oven, this bread has a soft, compact crumb with a crispy crust. It is NOT a chewy kind of artisan bread with big holes.
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 (see below).
Making Bread in a Bread Maker with the DOUGH Cycle
If you are new to this website, you may be surprised that this beautiful bread comes from a bread machine. I rarely use my bread machine for baking bread because I don’t like cardboard crusts, dense bread, or ugly bread.
Use the DOUGH cycle to mix and knead bread because it’s the best kneading machine in town with a timer. When the DOUGH cycle ends, and the dough has doubled in size, remove it and shape it by hand for a gorgeous texture and incredible crust.
After the second rise on your counter, bake the bread in a conventional oven for homemade bread you’ll be excited to eat and proud to share.
Follow this link for many more tips and secrets about using a bread machine in this unique way. If you don’t have much time, at least read this post about a secret you MUST know to use a bread machine successfully, no matter which recipe you use.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- FLOUR:
- Bread flour = best rise and chewy texture
- Weighing flour helps avoid dense loaves
- WATER:
- Tap water works fine
- No need to warm it; friction heats the dough
- Sub the whey you drain off yogurt when making Greek yogurt
- BUTTER:
- Adds flavor
- Helps the crust brown
- Sub with butter substitute or vegetable oil
- No need to melt the butter–chop it finely, and the kneading paddle will blend it into the dough.
- YEAST:
- Add instant yeast along with other ingredients
- Substitute active dry yeast (use ¼ teaspoon more)
- SALT:
- Use table or sea salt
- Add an extra 1/4 teaspoon if using Kosher salt
- Please don’t leave out the salt. Check out this recipe if you need salt-free bread.
How to Make French Bread Using a Bread Machine
If your fingers leave holes that fill immediately, the dough may be underproofed. Let the dough rise a bit longer. If the dough doesn’t fill in at all, the dough may have overproofed.
How To Shape a Loaf of French Bread
Start at the left top picture. If you aren’t happy with the shape on the first try, roll the dough into a ball and start over. Nobody will ever know. If you prefer, I have included a video showing this process.
If you have trouble shaping the dough because it is too bouncy, treat it like a child having a tantrum. Walk away and wait for the gluten to relax. After 15-30 minutes, you can “talk” to the dough, and it should listen. (Don’t forget to cover the dough while it’s relaxing.)
Baking Your French Loaf or Loaves
Preheat oven to 425˚F (220˚C) for at least fifteen minutes before you think the loaves will be ready to bake.
Bake bread when it is almost double the original size for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350˚ (200˚C) and continue to bake until the internal temperature measures 200˚F (93˚C). Check with a quick-read digital thermometer.
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📌Kitchen Tips📌
How to make the crust crispier
- Spray the oven’s interior with water (avoid the light) when placing your loaf in the oven.
- Place a pan of boiling water on the bottom shelf while the bread bakes.
- Shorten the initial bake time, then reheat to fully brown and crisp the crust before serving.
How to keep the bread from sticking to the tray when baking
- Cover your baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet, or spray the sheet with a flour-and-oil product like Baker’s Joy.
- Sprinkle cornmeal or semolina flour on your baking sheet to make it non-stick.
- Avoid letting glaze drip onto the sheet as it can cause sticking if not covered.
How to tell when this recipe is fully baked
Insert a quick-read thermometer (my favorite thermometer) (paid link) into the center of the loaf. It should read 195-200°F (91-93°C). This ensures your bread is fully baked and ready to come out of the oven.
French Bread recipe for a one-pound mini bread machine
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups bread flour
- 2/3 teaspoon instant yeast
See the main recipes for details on mixing and baking.
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 (paid link) mix. It’s a touch salty, but I forgive because it is so convenient and tasty.
- Brown a beef chuck roast and place it in a slow cooker.
- Pour the 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 this Bread Machine French Bread.
More Bread-Maker Tips, Tricks, and Recipes
- Bread Machine Ciabatta: Advanced bread makers will love the challenge of baking this bread.
- Crusty Bread Machine Recipe: Start with a biga to make this incredibly flavorful loaf.
- Really Crusty Rolls | A Bread Machine Recipe: A secret ingredient in the glaze makes the crust on these rolls quite…well…crusty.
- How To Use a Bread Machine to Make Fabulous Bread: Tips for using your bread machine to make fantastic bread you’ll be proud to serve.
- Six Bread Machine Secrets You Need to Know: Things you should know before you make bread with a bread machine.
- Tomato Basil Bread Mixed in a Bread Machine: If you love Italian food, you’ll love the flavors in this bread.
Parting Thoughts: If this is your first recipe on my website, I hope it turns out well. Breadmaking can be a satisfying experience when everything works. However, practice is essential, especially with bread.
Remember, bread machines don’t have a brain! That’s why they need your help to make fabulous bread.–a Paula-ism
If you like this bread, jump over to my Cuban Bread recipe. They are similar and it’s also quite easy.
This recipe was adapted from “One Hundred Years of Bread” (paid link) by Sidney Brockman Carlisle.
Recipe Help at Your Fingertips: For questions or suggestions, email Paula at saladinajar.com. If you need help, I’m happy to troubleshoot via email (faster than leaving a comment). Attach pictures and as many details as possible for the best advice.
Bread Machine French Bread Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) water–cool
- 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1-1/2 teaspoons butter
- 3 cups (360 g) unbleached bread flour
- 1 teaspoon instant or bread machine yeast
Glaze:
- 1 large (32 g) egg white
- 1 teaspoon water
Instructions
Making the dough
- Place all of the dough ingredients 1 cup (227 g) water–cool, 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar, 1-1/2 teaspoons salt,1-1/2 teaspoons butter , 3 cups (360 g) unbleached bread flour, 1 teaspoon instant or bread machine yeast into a bread machine pan in the order listed. Select the DOUGH cycle and press START.
- Check the dough at least twice during the mixing and kneading phase by lifting the lid to take a peek. The first time, look immediately after the machine starts mixing to ensure the paddles are engaged correctly. Look again 15 minutes into the DOUGH cycle to assess the consistency of the dough. For most recipes, the dough should stick to the side, then pull away cleanly.If your dough is too wet, add flour one tablespoon at a time.Conversely, if the dough is too dry, add one tablespoon of liquid at a time until the dough looks just right. Read more about this surprising secret to success with a bread machine here.
- When the DOUGH cycle completes, if the dough has doubled in size, go to the next step. If the dough has not doubled in size, leave it in the machine until it doubles before proceeding.
Shaping the dough
- Remove the dough from the pan onto a lightly-floured surface. Push the dough down with your palms to remove the bubbles. Shape into a loose ball. Cover and allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes.
- Roll the dough into an oval shape slightly longer than you want your final loaf to be (about 9 x 12 inches is what I do.)
- Starting from a long side, roll into a cylinder shape. Pinch seam together. Pinch ends together. Pull ends to reach seams and pinch together with the seam making a small rounded shape on each end. (This is difficult to describe. See the picture above or watch the video if you are confused.)
- Flip the loaf over and carefully place it onto a greased baking sheet or one covered with a silicone baking sheet or parchment paper. Cover with a tea towel and allow to rise in a warm place until almost double.
- Preheat oven to 425˚F (220˚C).
- Whisk 1 large (32 g) egg white and 1 teaspoon water together for the glaze. Brush it over the 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 the loaf.
- Bake the loaf for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 °F (18˚C) and bake another 5-10 minutes until golden brown. Bread should reach 200 °F (93˚C) + in the middle when done.
- Remove to a cooling rack or slice and eat immediately.
Notes
- 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. Then, using a dough hook, turn the speed to 2 or 3. 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 as indicated in the recipe.
- If making by hand: Combine all ingredients into a shaggy ball in a large bowl. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead with your hands until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Kneading will likely take 10-20 minutes, depending on your experience. Place the dough ball into a greased bowl. Cover and allow to rise until double. Deflate the dough gently and shape as indicated in the recipe.
- Please note: If you only have active dry yeast, use 1/4 teaspoon more than called for in the recipe. It no longer needs to be dissolved first, but you can if you prefer.
Equipment
Nutrition
All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com
Paula Rhodes, owner
As a retired home economist, I created Saladinajar.com to share my belief that you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Bread machines (used in an unconventional way), homemade yogurt, and quick microwave recipes are my specialty.