Easy Crusty French Bread Recipes

CRUSTY FRENCH LOAF

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar, oil, salt and 2 cups flour. Beat until blended. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down; return to bowl. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. , Preheat oven to 375°. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a 16x2-1/2-in. loaf with tapered ends. Sprinkle cornmeal over a greased baking sheet; place loaf on baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 25 minutes. , Beat egg white and cold water; brush over dough. With a sharp knife, make diagonal slashes 2 in. apart across top of loaf. Bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool.

EASY CRUSTY FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• Combine yeast, sugar, and warm water in a large mixing bowl (you can also use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook).
• Let the yeast proof for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is foamy.
• Add flour to bowl. Mix with a sturdy spatula until the dough starts to come together, then add salt and mix until all ingredients are incorporated. For best results, mix until no dry bits of flour remain. Note: This is a relatively slack (wet) dough, so it may seem a bit shaggy and sticky at this point. Don't worry - it will become more smooth and elastic as we go!
• Cover bowl with a clean tea towel and let rise on the counter for about 1 hour, until dough has doubled in size.
• When dough has risen, lightly flour a large cutting board.
• Tip the dough out of the bowl and onto the cutting board. DO NOT PUNCH THE DOUGH DOWN - you want to keep all those nice air bubbles intact so you have an airy, delicious loaf of bread. (Note: If the dough is sticking to the bowl a little bit, wet your hand with a bit of cold water and gently separate the dough from the bowl to get it all out).
• Shape the dough into a round loaf: Pull each corner of the dough in towards the center (like you're folding an envelope) and repeat until the dough feels tight and begins to resist your folds. Flip the dough over and pull it into a round loaf. Watch the video(s) above to see exactly how we do this!
• Flour a proofing basket or a medium bowl and place your loaf into it seam-side down. Cover with a tea towel and let rise another 30 minutes or so while you preheat the oven. Note: I like to line my proofing basket or mixing bowl with a clean linen napkin to distribute the flour more evenly and help with cleanup.
• While bread is rising, place an empty dutch oven (with the lid on) in your oven and heat to 460 degrees Fahrenheit.
• When the oven is hot, you're ready to go! Use oven mitts to pull the dutch oven out and remove the lid.
• Lay a piece of parchment paper down on your counter or cutting board (optional - it makes transferring the bread easier!)
• Tip your bread dough gently out of the proofing basket onto the parchment paper. Make sure the seam side is up this time - this is what will create those beautiful cracks on top of the bread!
• VERY CAREFULLY (without burning yourself!) use the sides of the parchment to lift the bread up and place it into the hot Dutch oven.
• Put your oven mitts back on, place the dutch oven lid back on the pot, and slide the whole thing back into your hot oven.
• Cook bread for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, remove the lid from your dutch oven. The bread should be taller, crusty, and very lightly browned. Continue cooking the bread, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes more until the bread has deepened in color and you have a beautiful brown crust.
• When bread is done, use oven mitts to pull the pot out of your oven.
• Use a long spatula or the corners of your parchment paper to lift the bread out of the dutch oven and onto a cooling rack. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into it.
• Slice, slather with butter, and enjoy!

CRUSTY FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup water. Add the sugar, salt, shortening, remaining water and 3-1/2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Do not knead. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Turn onto a floured surface. Divide in half; let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each half into a 10x8-in. rectangle. Roll up from a long side; pinch to seal. Place seam side down on 2 greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. Sprinkle the tops with cornmeal. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. , With a very sharp knife, make 5 diagonal cuts across the top of each loaf. Bake at 400° until lightly browned, 20-30 minutes. Remove from pans to wire rack to cool.

CLASSIC AND CRUSTY FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast, sugar, and salt. Stir until dissolved.
• Mix in the bread flour, a little at a time, until a soft dough is formed.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead it for about 8 minutes.
• Put the dough in a greased bowl and flip the dough over so that all of the dough is lightly greased, including the dough top . Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour or until double in size.
• Punch down the dough .
• Give the dough a quick 2-minute knead.
• Divide the dough into 2 equal halves. Shape each half into a long loaf.
• Place the loaves on a lightly greased baking sheet. Make about 5 diagonal slits, 3/4 inch deep, into the top of each loaf.
• Cover loaves with a clean towel or greased plastic wrap and let them rise for 45 minutes or until double in size. Heat the oven to 400 F.
• If you'd like, brush the loaves with the beaten egg white for a shiny crust, and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds. Bake at 400 F for 5 minutes.
• Remove the loaves from the oven and use a mister or spray bottle to lightly spray the tops of the loaves with cold water. Turn the oven down to 350 F and bake the loaves for another 25 minutes or until done.
• Remove the loaves from the baking sheet and let them cool on a rack.

QUICK FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• Add the yeast to the water in a medium-large bowl, then sprinkle the sugar over the top of it.
• Let it sit for five minutes or so, or until the yeast mixture looks frothy on top.
• Stir in the salt, oil, and flour.
• Put a bowl of water in the microwave and heat it for a couple of minutes.
• Knead the dough until it's smooth, and comes away from the sides of the bowl easily. Add a bit more flour if it's sticky.
• Remove the water from the microwave and put in the dough. Let the dough rise in the microwave, door closed, for 15-30 minutes, until dough is almost doubled in size. (it was only about 1 1/2 times bigger for me, and was awesome!).
• Now remove the dough and divide into two equal balls. Roll into rectangles, and then roll up, jelly roll style. Place both loaves next to each other ion lightly greased cookie sheet. Cover and let rise while you heat your oven to 375 degrees. Bake both loaves for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown.
• EAT!

FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, yeast and salt. Stir in 2 cups warm water, and beat until well blended using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
• On a lightly floured surface, knead in enough flour to make a stiff dough that is smooth and elastic. Knead for about 8 to 10 minutes total. Shape into a ball. Place dough in a greased bowl, and turn once. Cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled.
• Punch dough down, and divide in half. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover, and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each half into large rectangle. Roll up, starting from a long side. Moisten edge with water and seal. Taper ends.
• Grease a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Place loaves, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly beat the egg white with 1 tablespoon of water, and brush on. Cover with a damp cloth. Let rise until nearly doubled, 35 to 40 minutes.
• With a very sharp knife, make 3 or 4 diagonal cuts about 1/4 inch deep across top of each loaf. Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) oven for 20 minutes. Brush again with egg white mixture. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until bread tests done. If necessary, cover loosely with foil to prevent over browning. Remove from baking sheet, and cool on a wire rack.

EASY CRUSTY FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• MIX THE DOUGH & FIRST RISE (1 HOUR):.
• Combine yeast, sugar, and warm water in a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
• Let the yeast proof for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is foamy.
• Add kosher salt and flour to bowl. Mix with your hands or a sturdy spatula, or mix on low speed with your stand mixer until all flour is incorporated and dough has just started to pull away from the sides of the bowl. For best results, mix until no dry bits of flour remain. Please note: This is a relatively slack (wet) dough, so it may seem a bit shaggy and sticky at this point. Don't worry - it will become more smooth and elastic as we go!
• Lightly flour all sides of your dough (don't mix the flour in - it's just to keep the dough from sticking!) and turn it over inside the mixing bowl to coat with flour on all sides. Cover with a clean tea towel and let rise on the counter for about 1 hour, until dough has doubled in size.
• SHAPE THE DOUGH & FINAL RISE (30 MIN):.
• When dough has risen, lightly flour a large cutting board.
• Tip the dough out of the bowl and onto the cutting board. DO NOT PUNCH THE DOUGH DOWN - you want to keep all those nice air bubbles intact so you have an airy, delicious loaf of bread. (Note: If the dough is sticking to the bowl a little bit, wet your hand with a bit of cold water and gently separate the dough from the bowl to get it all out).
• Sprinkle a bit of flour across the top of the dough, then begin shaping it into a round loaf. Pull each corner of the dough in towards the center (like you're folding an envelope) and repeat until the dough feels tight and begins to resist your folds. Flip the dough over and tap it into a round loaf.
• Flour a proofing basket or a medium bowl and place your loaf into it seam-side down. Cover with a tea towel and let rise another 30 minutes or so while you preheat the oven.
• HEAT THE OVEN :.
• While bread is rising, place an empty dutch oven (with the lid on) in your oven and heat to 460 degrees Fahrenheit.
• BAKE!
• When the oven is hot, you're ready to go! Use oven mitts to pull the dutch oven out and remove the lid.
• Lay a piece of parchment paper down on your counter or cutting board (optional - it makes transferring the bread easier!).
• Tip your bread dough gently out of the proofing basket onto the parchment paper. Make sure the seam side is up this time - this is what will create those beautiful cracks on top of the bread!
• VERY CAREFULLY (without burning yourself!) use the sides of the parchment to lift the bread up and place it into the hot Dutch oven.
• Put your oven mitts back on, place the dutch oven lid back on the pot, and slide the whole thing back into your hot oven.
• Cook bread for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, remove the lid from your dutch oven. The bread should be taller, crusty, and very lightly browned. Continue cooking the bread, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes more until the bread has deepened in color and you have a beautiful brown crust.
• When bread is done, use oven mitts to pull the pot out of your oven.
• Use a long spatula or the corners of your parchment paper to lift the bread out of the dutch oven and onto a cooling rack. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into it.

CRUSTY FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1 1/2 cups warm (105° to 115°F) water. Let stand until the yeast bubbles. Stir in the salt and half the flour. Let stand for 5 minutes, until bubbly.
• Stir in the rest of the flour a little at a time until a soft dough forms. If necessary, you may need to add more flour, a tablespoon at a time (depending on the climate: in warm, moist conditions, you'll need a bit more flour; in very dry, arid places, like Minnesota in the winter, you may need to add a bit more water).
• Cover, and let the dough stand for 15 minutes until it begins to rise.
• Turn out onto a very lightly floured board and knead until the dough is smooth and feels as if all the lumps of flour are gone.
• Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about an hour.
• Divide the dough into three parts to make baguettes. Shape each into a long, narrow loaf. Place on a lightly greased, dark, rimless cookie sheet (not one that is insulated), with the smoothest side of the loaf up. Cover and let rise again for 45 minutes, until puffy.
• Position the oven racks on the very bottom, the center, and the upper center of the oven. Place a rimmed cookie sheet filled with lake or river rocks on the very bottom level. Preheat the oven at 465°F (regular bake) for at least 20 minutes. Center a baking stone or 6 unglazed tiles on the center rack (place the tiles 1 to 2 inches apart for air circulation).
• When the dough has risen until puffy, slash the loaves with a sharp, serrated knife diagonally across the top in three or four places, about 1/4 inch deep. Reduce the oven temperature to convection bake at 450°F. Using a spray bottle filled with plain water, spritz the loaves generously. Pour 3/4 to 1 cup cool water into the pan of rocks beneath (a sport water bottle works well).
• Bake on the center rack (on preheated tiles) for 15 minutes, until the loaves are browned and crusty. Remove the bread from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
• Alternate Mixing Directions
• Bread machine: Measure all the ingredients into the container of a bread machine and program the machine for the "dough" setting. When the dough is ready, continue with step 6.
• Food Processor: Measure the yeast and dry ingredients into the container of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Turn the processor on and slowly add the water through the feed tube; process until the dough is smooth and shiny and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Cover, and let rise until the dough is doubled.
• Sheaves of Wheat
• After rising (step 8), snip the loaves with scissors at a 45-degree angle, pulling each snipped piece outward on opposite sides so that the loaves resemble sheaves of wheat.
• Sun-Dried Tomato Baguettes
• Soak 1/2 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain well and pat dry. Knead into the dough in step 4. Proceed as directed.
• Kalamata Olive Loaf
• Pit and chop 1/2 cup well-drained Kalamata olives and add to the dough in step 4. Shape the dough into a round loaf and place on a lightly greased, dark, rimless (noninsulated) cookie sheet. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes, until puffy. Preheat the oven as directed in step 7. Before baking, slash the loaf diagonally with a serrated knife or razor blade across the top in three places. Bake at the temperature given in step 8 for 20 to 25 minutes or until crusty and browned. Cool on a wire rack.
• Walnut-Fig Loaf
• Chop 1/2 cup walnuts and 1/2 cup dried figs. Knead into the dough in step 4. Shape the dough into a round loaf and place on a lightly greased, dark, rimless (noninsulated) cookie sheet. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes, until puffy. Preheat the oven as directed in step 7. Before baking, slash the loaf diagonally with a serrated knife or razor blade across the top in three places. Bake at the temperature given in step 8 for 20 to 25 minutes or until crusty and browned. Cool on a wire rack.
• crusty rustic loaves
• There are a few important things involved in getting a crusty baguette or a rustic bread to turn out perfectly:
• First, the dough-it's a simple mixture of flour, salt, yeast, and water. It must be moist rather than dry and stiff. I've found that I can get beautiful results whether I mix the dough by hand, with a steel blade, in the food processor, or in the bread machine. The trick is to create a dough that is moist enough to form big bubbles inside so that the baked loaf has an open texture. Moistness also contributes to a crunchy, chewy crust.
• The second important thing is to produce steam in the oven. I do this by preheating a pan of 1-inch rocks on the bottom shelf of the oven. I use a 12 1/2 × 17 1/2-inch rimmed pan filled with river rocks or landscape rocks. To create the steam, I squirt about a cupful of water onto the hot rocks, creating a burst of steam after I place the loaves in the oven.
• Third, hot air in the convection oven circulates the heat and steam around the baking loaves to create a crunchy crust.
• Rustic loaves require stabilized high heat. This can be accomplished by preheating tiles in the oven (on a rack in the center) to mimic a brick oven. The tiles help to maintain a high heat. Plain unglazed tiles from a flooring supply store work well. You can also place a baking stone into the oven if you have one. A kit called the "Hearthstone" kit works beautifully but is expensive. Because it is sometimes difficult and messy to transfer loaves directly onto preheated tiles or stones, I simply place the shaped loaves on a dark, noninsulated, rimless cookie sheet to rise and then set the cookie sheet right on the preheated tiles to bake.
• If you do not have the pan of rocks or tiles, at least be sure to use a dark, noninsulated, rimless cookie sheet for baking the bread and spray the oven and risen loaves with plain water before and during baking. This does not produce as nice a crust as outlined in step 4 but is a good compromise.

FRENCH BREAD ROLLS TO DIE FOR

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
• To the yeast mixture, add the oil, salt, and 2 cups flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces, and form into round balls. Place on lightly greased baking sheets at least 2 inches apart. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Bake for 18 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.