Really Basic French Bread Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups bread flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (105-115F)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Cornmeal, for dusting

Mix and Develop the Dough

In a large bowl, whisk together the bread flour, instant yeast, kosher salt, and sugar. Because we’re using instant yeast, there’s no need to proof it separately.

Pour in the warm water and the olive oil. Mix with a spatula or your hands until a shaggy, sticky dough forms and no dry flour remains. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Instead of traditional kneading, we’ll develop gluten with folds. After 30 minutes, uncover the dough. Wet your hands slightly, grab one edge of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat three more times. Cover and let it rest for another 30 minutes. Repeat this entire stretch-and-fold process two more times.

Shape and Final Rise

After the final set of folds, the dough should be smoother and more elastic. Let it rise, covered, for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size.

Gently punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it in half. Gently press each half into a rectangle, then roll it up tightly into a long, thin baguette shape. Pinch the seams closed.

Place the shaped loaves on a piece of parchment paper, cover them loosely with plastic wrap, and let them rise for another 30-45 minutes, until they look puffy.

Prepare the Oven for Baking

At least 45 minutes before you plan to bake, place a pizza stone on the middle rack of your oven and a cast-iron skillet or other heavy-duty pan on the bottom rack. Preheat the oven to 450F. The stone needs to be thoroughly preheated to produce a crisp bottom crust.

Score, Steam, and Bake

When the loaves are puffy, use a very sharp knife or a razor blade to make three to four quick, decisive diagonal slashes across the top of each one. This is called scoring, and it allows the bread to expand properly in the oven.

Carefully slide the parchment paper with the loaves onto the hot pizza stone. Pour about 1 cup of hot water into the skillet on the bottom rack and immediately close the oven door. The burst of steam created is essential; it keeps the crust soft for the first few minutes of baking, allowing the bread to achieve maximum volume (this is called “oven spring”).

Bake for ~25-30 minutes, until the crust is a deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 205-210F.

The Most Important Step: Cooling

Let the bread cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Cutting into it while it’s still hot will result in a gummy texture, as the interior is still setting.

Basic French Bread

This recipe proves that you only need four basic ingredients to make incredible bread. The magic isn't in a complicated ingredient list; it's in the technique. Developing the gluten through a series of simple folds, creating a steamy oven environment, and baking on a screaming-hot pizza stone are the three keys to achieving a loaf with a crackly, crisp crust and a soft, chewy interior.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Active Time25 minutes mins

Rise and Rest Time3 hours hrs

Total Time3 hours hrs 55 minutes mins

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Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups bread flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
• 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups warm water 105-115F
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Cornmeal for dusting

Instructions

• Whisk the bread flour, instant yeast, kosher salt, and sugar in a large bowl.
• Add the warm water and the olive oil, mix until a shaggy dough forms with no dry flour visible.
• Cover the bowl with the plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Wet your hands, perform four stretch-and-folds, rotating the bowl between each fold.
• Cover and rest for 30 minutes, then repeat the stretch-and-fold process two more times.
• Let the dough rise, covered, for 1 hour until doubled.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide in half.
• Shape each half into a rectangle, roll tightly into a baguette shape, and pinch the seams closed.
• Place the loaves on the parchment paper, cover with the plastic wrap, and let rise 30-45 minutes until puffy.
• Place a pizza stone on the middle rack and a cast-iron skillet on the bottom rack, preheat the oven to 450F for 45 minutes.
• Score each loaf with 3-4 diagonal slashes using a sharp knife.
• Slide the parchment with the loaves onto the hot stone, pour 1 cup hot water into the skillet, and quickly close the oven door.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes until deep golden brown and internal temperature reaches 205-210F.
• Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Do not skip the cooling period as it will affect the bread’s final texture.