Soft Fluffy French Bread

Baked loaf of fluffy french bread on wood table with towel, butter, and knife.

4.87 from 69 votes

This recipe for Fluffy French Bread is my go-to bread recipe. It makes one loaf and is easily doubled to make for a crowd.

Prep Time1 30

Cook Time30

Total Time2

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 88kcal

Author: Sara Smith

Cost: $2

Ingredients

1 cup warm water approx 90-110 degrees F.
2 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 Tablespoon white granulated sugar or honey
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon oil
2½ to 3 cups all purpose flour
1 egg, beaten for top of bread

Instructions

In bowl of stand mixer (or large bowl if mixing by hand), combine warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let sit 5-7 minutes or until foamy.
Mix in salt, oil, and 2 cups flour on low speed until combined. Add half cup flour at a time until dough pulls away from sides of bowl and is only slightly sticky. Mix on low to medium speed for 3-5 minutes, or hand knead 5-7 min.
Place dough in greased bowl and let rise for 45 minutes at room temperature, it should be almost double in size. Roll out into a 9X13 inch rectangle and then roll tightly up into a long roll, about 2-3 inches high and 13 inches long.
Preheat oven to 375 F. Prepare a baking sheet with silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Place the roll of dough on baking sheet and slice slits in top of bread 2-3 inches apart, and about ¼ inch deep. Let rise one hour, or until about doubled in size.
Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, top should be golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Brush egg onto top of loaf and bake for another 2-3 minutes. This gives the outside of the loaf a nice shine and a little crunch.

Notes

Placing dough in the oven and preheating it to 200 F and then shutting the oven off and propping the door open with a wooden spoon can decrease rising time by 15-20 minutes on either rise.

Nutrition