I bake when the house feels too quiet. Warm dough in my hands fixes that. This easy french bread recipe meets me where I am. Flour goes in a bowl. Water wakes the yeast. Salt keeps balance. Oil brings a soft crumb. I watch the dough rise like a small miracle. I shape four slim loaves. My kids hover. The air smells clean and a little sweet. The crust sings when it hits the rack. Steam from a few ice cubes gives that crisp shell and a tender chew. It tastes like dinner got a hug. If you want speed, a 10 minute bread recipe warms you up with quick mixing. If you want a relaxed bake, try a 1 hour bread recipe pace. I keep a list of baking bread recipes for days like this. My bread dough recipe stays simple so the crumb opens well. For gadgets, I love a bread machine sandwich bread day. For weekends, I switch to cast iron bread recipes and let the oven do the magic.
Table of Contents
- 1 Key Takeaways
- 2 Easy French Baguette Bread Recipe
- 3 Ingredients for French Baguette Bread
- 4 How to Make French Baguette Bread
- 5 Tips for Making French Baguette Bread
- 6 Making French Baguette Bread Ahead of Time
- 7 Storing Leftover French Baguette Bread
- 8 Try these Bread recipes next
- 9 French Baguette Bread
- 10 Nutrition
1 Key Takeaways
I bake bread when the room sits quiet and the day needs a reset. I keep the steps close and the tools simple so the bake stays calm. On Nancy Cooks I teach what I use at home and I keep the notes tidy for you.
Steam gives a thin crisp shell and a tender crumb. Warm water wakes yeast. Salt steadies flavor. A little oil softens the bite. This mix turns into a loaf that sings on the rack. It tastes clean and honest.
This guide suits a weeknight or a slow morning. It reads light and it works. You can lean on a 10 minute bread recipe warmup or aim for a one hour rhythm with a 1 hour bread recipe. Either way you get real bread that you sliced fresh.
2 Easy French Baguette Bread Recipe
I wrote this easy french bread recipe for busy cooks and for anyone who wants a sure win. This easy french bread recipe fits a small kitchen and a single bowl. We mix. We rest. We shape. You get four slim loaves that crackle as they cool.
I keep the method straight so your hands learn fast. I use warm water and instant yeast for speed. I toss in sugar for a friendly rise. I reach for bread flour for strength and a scoop of all purpose for a soft bite. This feels like a simple french bread and it tastes like a bakery loaf.
Short on time. Start with a 10 minute bread recipe stretch and move on. Want a relaxed pace. Follow the one bowl path and let the dough sit. Fans of cast iron bread recipes can bake on a preheated pan for extra snap. I share more of this work on Nancy Cooks where I test and retest so we can bake with calm.
3 Ingredients for French Baguette Bread
Warm water I use warm water that feels like a hot bath to the wrist. It wakes the yeast and helps the dough start quick. Too hot will tire it. Too cool will slow it.
Instant yeast I scoop instant yeast since it mixes well and saves time. It gives lift and a steady rise. Fresh yeast scent tells you it is alive and ready.
Sugar A spoon of sugar feeds yeast and adds a light golden tone. The loaf does not taste sweet. It just rises with spirit and bakes with color.
Salt Salt brings balance and keeps the dough in line. I add it to the bowl with flour so the mix stays even and the crumb bakes clean.
Oil A mild oil loosens gluten strands and yields a tender chew. I use a bit so the crust still cracks yet the center stays soft.
Bread flour Bread flour gives strength and a good bite. It helps the loaf hold shape and gives that nice pull when you tear a piece.
All purpose flour I add this to round out texture. The blend bakes into a simple french baguette that slices neat for sandwiches.
Egg with water I brush a quick wash for shine. The crust browns even and looks like a bakery tray.
Melted butter A light brush on hot loaves gives a thin sheen and a gentle flavor. It softens the snap just a touch which helps with crumbs at the table.
4 How to Make French Baguette Bread
Step one wake the yeast Stir yeast into warm water. Wait for a soft foam. The scent turns bready and a few bubbles form. That is your green light.
Step two mix the base In a bowl add warm water sugar salt oil and bread flour. Mix until smooth. Pour in the foamy yeast and mix again. The bowl should look silky.
Step three build the dough Add all purpose flour a bit at a time while the dough hook turns. Stop when the dough feels soft and only a little tacky. It should lift from the bowl sides.
Step four short folds Cover the bowl and rest in a warm spot. Every ten minutes pull the edges over the center. Do this a few times in one hour. The dough gains strength and air.
Step five shape loaves Turn the dough onto a floured board. Cut four even pieces. Pat each into a small rectangle. Roll up tight from the long edge. Pinch the seam and tuck the ends.
Step six proof and score Set loaves on a baguette pan or two sheets. Cover and let rise until puffy. Slash each loaf with a sharp blade to guide the spring.
Step seven bake with steam Heat the oven to three hundred seventy five F. Place a spare pan on the lower rack. Brush loaves with wash. Slide the tray in. Toss ice on the hot lower pan and close the door fast.
Step eight finish and cool Bake until deep golden. Brush with melted butter. Move loaves to a rack. Listen for the soft crackle that means success for this easy french bread recipe.
5 Tips for Making French Baguette Bread
Keep flour nearby but add with care. Dough should cling a little to your fingers and then let go. If you add too much you get a tight crumb. Aim for soft and lively. That feel leads to a light loaf.
Use steam for crust. A few ice cubes on a preheated sheet make quick steam. The skin sets thin. The loaf expands well. This trick gives that crusty bread finish that many bakers chase.
For a gadget day try bread machine sandwich bread with the same dough then shape by hand and bake on a stone. On weekends try cast iron bread recipes and preheat the pan for a bold spring. For a classroom feel search baking bread recipes on Nancy Cooks and watch the short clips.
6 Making French Baguette Bread Ahead of Time
I like to mix the dough after dinner then chill it covered. Cold slows yeast yet builds flavor. In the morning I set the bowl on the counter and wait until the dough feels light and ready to shape. This path suits a busy week.
You can parbake the loaves to light gold then cool and freeze. On the day you need fresh bread reheat on a hot sheet until the crust sings. This move saves time and still brings a bakery style bite.
For a fast bake keep a tub of dough ready. This simple french bread plan turns small pieces into quick baguettes. It reads like how to make baguette at home and it works for new bakers.
7 Storing Leftover French Baguette Bread
Let loaves cool on a rack. Store at room temp in a paper bag for one day to keep the crust crisp. For longer storage wrap tight and freeze. The crumb will thank you later.
To refresh place slices on a hot sheet for a few minutes. The crust wakes up. The center turns warm and soft. This brings back that easy french bread recipe joy without a full bake.
Leftovers make fine garlic toast and the best bread for sandwiches at home. For crumbs dry the ends and pulse in a blender. I keep a jar on the shelf for meatballs and for breaded chicken nights.
8 Try these Bread recipes next
9 French Baguette Bread
Easy French Baguette Bread an easy french bread recipe anyone can bake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup very warm water
- 2 Tbsp instant yeast
- 2 cups hot water
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 5 Tbsp canola oil
- 2 cups bread flour
- 3 1/2 to 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 egg mixed with 1 Tbsp water for egg wash
- 1 to 2 Tbsp melted butter for brushing
Instructions
- Stir the yeast into the very warm water and let it wake up until foamy.
- In a mixer bowl combine hot water, sugar, salt, oil, and bread flour, then mix. Pour in the yeast mixture and mix again.
- With the dough hook running add all purpose flour a cup at a time until the dough feels smooth, soft, and only slightly tacky.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rest in a warm spot for 60 minutes. Every 10 minutes scrape down the sides and flip the dough to gently deflate.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface and divide into 4 equal pieces.
- For each piece dust with flour as needed. Roll into a rectangle about 10 by 4 inches. Roll up from the long side, pinch the seam and ends, shape, and set on a baguette pan or two baking sheets.
- Slash each loaf 4 to 5 times with a sharp knife. Cover and let rise 20 to 30 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 375 F with one rack low and one rack in the middle. Place a spare baking sheet on the lower rack.
- Brush loaves with egg wash and set the pan on the middle rack.
- Toss 4 to 5 ice cubes onto the hot lower sheet and close the door fast to trap steam.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes until deep golden. Brush with melted butter. Cool on a rack and serve.
10 Nutrition
Serving size one twelfth of a loaf. Calories one hundred fifty. Carbohydrates twenty eight grams. Protein five grams. Fat three grams. Sodium two hundred ninety milligrams. Fiber one gram. Sugars two grams. Values are estimates from my kitchen tests at Nancy Cooks and may vary by brand and oven.
For sodium reduction skip the butter brush and use a light wash. For more protein pair slices with eggs or with tuna salad. Bread is a base and you shape the meal. Eat warm and you taste more. Cool and the crumb slices clean.
This simple french loaf keeps flavor clear and clean. It supports soup and it upgrades lunch. It also makes croutons that stay crisp. That is the quiet power of a well made baguette.
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