This easy French bread tastes even better than the big, fluffy loaves you get at the bakery!
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❤️ Why you'll love it
- Takes just 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Crust stays soft and chewy.
- Super easy to make.
This easy baguette recipe can be made in just a few minutes thanks to a mixer (or food processor)and a quick rise technique!
🧾 Ingredients
This is an "at a glance" list of ingredients. You'll find the list and the measurements in the printable recipe card below.
🔪 Instructions
- Mix the yeast, sugar, and warm water in a large bowl then set aside for 10 minutes, or until it's foamy. Skip this step when using rapid rise yeast.
- Add 1 cup of the flour and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer then add the yeast mixture. Beat, adding more flour until a sticky dough is formed.
- Knead for 5 minutes.
- Form into loaves on a large baking sheet covered in parchment, score, and bake.
🥫 Storage
Place in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to two days.
Wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.
🧑🏻🍳 Baker's notes
⭐ Expert Tip: Warning! A friend made this soft French bread recipe and dropped some of the ice on the glass of her oven door and it shattered. Please be careful! If you prefer not to use ice just toss a cup of cold water on the oven floor.
- If you consistently have trouble getting the yeast to grow try using bottled spring water - there may be something in your water that's not harmful to you but the yeast doesn't like.
- Throwing the water or ice on the floor of a hot oven creates a ton of steam - this gives the bread its classic texture. Be careful - you don't want steam burns.
- Kosher salt is used in this recipe. If you use regular table salt reduce the amount to one teaspoon.
- When you score the top use a very sharp knife and cut it on a 45 degree angle. This helps it to rise evenly.
💡Great Idea: Slice the finished baguettes in half longwise and spread with your favorite marinara. Top with your favorite pizza toppings and a sprinkle of Mozzarella - the most delicious French bread pizzas ever.
✨ FAQs
Cover the baguettes with a towel as they are cooling.
Wrap it in a damp towel and place it on a baking sheet. Add it to a 375F oven for 10 minutes.
Yes, you can use instant or bread machine yeast (also called rapid rise). Just skip the part where you mix the yeast and warm water and put the yeast into the flour before adding the water.
I use this loaf to make my air fryer garlic bread - try it!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 star rating! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Soft Baguette Recipe
Equipment
- baking sheet
- stand mixer
Ingredients
- 2 cups water 110F, comfortably warm
- ¼ ounce active dry yeast 2 ¼ teaspoons or 1 packet
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 4 - 5 cups all-purpose flour may need more but dough should be sticky
- coarse cornmeal for dusting the pan
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Instructions
- Put the 110F water, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of your mixer.
- Mix briefly, just until blended.
- Set yeast mixture in a warm place for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes stir in the salt and 1 cup of the flour.
- Using the dough hook attachment mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes.
- Add the rest of the flour, ½ cup at a time until you have a soft dough.
- Knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is no longer sticky and you have an elastic dough. That means you can pull it away from the dough ball without it breaking off.
- Form the dough into 2 or 3 long loaves on a heavy, big baking sheet dusted with coarse cornmeal.
- Use a sharp knife to score (slice shallow gashes) in the top of the bread.
- Allow the loaves to rise for 10 minutes in a warm place if there is time. If not - just go straight to the next step.
- Fill a 1 cup measure with ice cubes and cold water
- Put the loaves into the preheated oven and toss the ice on the bottom of the oven floor.
- Close the door quickly and don't open it until you are ready to take the bread out of the oven, 15 to 20 minutes later. When the bread is done it will register 200° on an instant read thermometer.
- Cool slightly before cutting.
Notes
- Warning! A friend made this soft French bread recipe and dropped some of the ice on the glass of her oven door and it shattered. Please be careful! If you prefer not to use ice just toss a cup of cold water on the oven floor.
- If you consistently have trouble getting the yeast to grow try using bottled spring water - there may be something in your water that's not harmful to you but the yeast doesn't like.
- Throwing the water or ice on the floor of a hot oven creates a ton of steam - this gives the bread its classic texture. Be careful - you don't want steam burns.
- Kosher salt is used in this recipe. If you use regular table salt reduce the amount to one teaspoon.
- When you score the top use a very sharp knife and cut it on a 45 degree angle. This helps it to rise evenly.
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