Easiest French Bread Recipe

This French bread recipe is GOLD when we want homemade bread without the hassle. It's kneaded in the food processor in 45 seconds! There is waiting time after that, but very little hands-on work. The crust is crackly, and the inside is soft and creamy. Crusty French bread at its best, and with a video tutorial!

Loaves of crusty French Bread on metal sheet.

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This recipe is a game changer

I started making this bread recipe years ago. I would make a double batch, form it into individual sandwich-sized loaves and freeze them.

Or eat a freshly baked loaf in a matter of minutes; that also happened sometimes. Warm with a dollop of butter this bread is fantastic!

During the 2020 bread-baking craze, I dusted off this recipe and made it with regular white bread flour and superfine whole wheat flour. Both are amazing! The latter is more rustic and doesn't completely develop that crackly crust, but that is minor compared to the easiness of this recipe.

I love making homemade bread. The aroma in the kitchen is unparalleled, as are those first warm crusty bites.

For breakfast and sandwiches, I tend to lean towards fiber-laden ones like this whole wheat oatmeal bread recipe that is versatile and delicious. For bruschettas, there's nothing like this Italian semolina bread.

So, let's go straight into the details of making this French bread.

FAQ

What is the difference between French bread and baguette?

They're both the same. A baguette is a French bread shaped like a stick, long and thin, and the name used for this type of bread in France.

Can French bread be frozen?

Absolutely! And I recommend doing so if not eating in the first hours of making it as it can harden or become too chewy pretty fast.

Golden homemade French baguettes on a dark baking tray.

Ingredient Notes

Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.

Yeast: for this recipe, you need dry instant yeast.
Flour: depending on where you live they have different labels. I use bread flour, and I highly encourage it, as it has more protein, thus developing more gluten which makes for a better rise and crumb. All-purpose will work if that's all you have.
Salt.
Water: it should be tepid, and you can use mineral water or regular tap water. Be careful not to use hot water as it will greatly diminish the yeast's strength or kill it altogether, and the bread won't rise. Slightly warm or tepid means that you can dip your pinky finger and it will be barely warm.

White surface with bowls containing french bread ingredients.

How to make baguettes

You'll love how easy this recipe is to make! There is some waiting time to allow the yeast to render its magic, but besides that, there is little hands-on work.

Time is the most important step, and this French bread recipe is easy to follow. You only need to process the dough for 45 seconds! Yes, that's right, less than a minute.
Food processor: it's a necessary appliance for this recipe. Use one that is large enough to hold all ingredients comfortably.

Bowl of a food processor on a white surface with flour, yeast, and salt.

Ingredients

Make sure the salt and the yeast do not touch before adding the water, as it can reduce the latter's strength if that happens. They will combine once the liquid is added.

Adding water through feed tube of a food processor to flour mixture.

Mixing

Put the ingredients in the bowl of the food processor with the steel blade and add the water through the feed tube while the food processor is running.

Bread dough in the bowl of a food processor. View from above.

45' dough

It will be rustic, not smooth at all. You then have to let it rest for a couple of hours. The dough won't rise until doubled, so don't worry if it has hardly changed in appearance. But it will be softer and more relaxed.

Forming

Baguettes or batards are French names that distinguish the type of loaf. The baguette is thinner and longer (more crust than crumb), and the batards are plumper and shorter (more crumb than crust).

Make a rectangle and roll it up with your hands like cinnamon rolls. Important: pinch the seams each time you roll the dough to keep out as much air as possible.

Scored baguettes on a dark baking pan with a lame (razor) beside them.

Scoring

This refers to the slits that are made on top of the loaf right before it goes into the oven. This helps the bread to rise evenly.

Use a lame (a stick with a razor blade that can be bought online) or a sharp knife.

Vintage Kitchen Tip

Don't be tempted to make very deep slits, as they will blossom too much during baking. You need quick cuts with a scoring razor or a kitchen knife. Depending on how sharp it is, the dough will wrinkle (see oven image below) and that is fine.

Baking the bread

Oven: this is where the magic happens, and it's highly recommended to put a pan with hot water on the bottom of the oven to create steam while the bread bakes. It helps to create that fabulous crackly crust that we all love!

When is it done? The bread will turn a golden brown, and the slits will open. The way to know if it is fully baked is by turning it upside down (carefully because it's very hot, so use a kitchen towel) and tapping the bottom of the bread. It should sound hollow and not be very soft. That's when the bread is done.

Metal pan with loaves of bread in the oven, a pan with water in the bottom

Close up of bread whitish crumb interior, slices on wood

Kitchen Notes

Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Time: this is a no-knead bread, but you need resting and proofing time (when the yeast does its magic), so plan accordingly.
Flour: You can use white bread flour, all-purpose flour, or superfine whole wheat flour. The last one makes the bread more rustic and without that crackly crust, but it also renders a fantastic, more wholesome bread.
Oven: It's highly recommended that you follow directions for both the temperature and the pan with water in the bottom. This will help you get the best results possible.
Storing: French bread is best about half an hour out of the oven (when it had time to cool down a bit) and those few hours after. You can keep it in a bread bag at room temperature, but it will lose the crackly crust unless you warm it before eating. You can't return it to its original state, but it'll be wonderful. You can freeze this bread (I recommend slicing it thickly, wrapping it in plastic, and then in foil or a Ziploc bag).

Partial view of golden French bread baguettes on metal sheet pan

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Crusty French Bread Recipe

Author: Paula Montenegro

Click the stars to Rate this Recipe!

When we want homemade French bread without the hassle, this baguette recipe is GOLD. It's kneaded in the food processor for 45 seconds! There is waiting time after that, but very little hands-on work. So if you're intimidated about baking bread at home, this is the perfect recipe.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Rising time 3

Total Time 3 40

Servings 3 medium baguettes

Course Bread