Posted by Suzanne McMinn on December 16, 2007 @ 6:45 pm
Tags: yeast breads
Breads, The Farmhouse Table
Classic, crusty french bread, so easy, so quick, so good, and so versatile. This bread is one of my secret recipes because it can be varied in endless ways–it is truly a recipe of a thousand breads. Makes perfect authentic Old-World style crusty french bread loaves plus dinner rolls, classic pizza and french bread pizza, dipping bread, dessert pizza, hoagies and subs, soft, chewy Italian bread and rolls, and more. All of these breads from one quick-to-memorize recipe. If you have company, double or triple the recipe, or it will disappear before you can get it to the table!
How to make classic, crusty french bread loaves:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 package yeast
(rapid-rise recommended)
1 cup warm water
salt to taste
In a large bowl, combine water with yeast and salt. Let sit for five minutes. Stir in flour until the dough is stiff enough to knead. (Add flour a little at a time. Three cups flour is approximate; exact amount may vary.) Knead dough until smooth and elastic–a few minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl; cover. Let rise until doubled. Form dough into a french-style loaf and place on greased baking sheet. (Dust baking sheet with cornmeal first if desired.) Place immediately in oven (unpreheated!)–bread will rise as oven heats up. Set oven at 375-degrees. Bake for 30-40 minutes.
Makes one loaf. Recipe can be doubled, tripled, and so on.
(Pictured: classic, crusty french bread loaves and homemade croissants.)
French dinner rolls: After first rise, divide dough into balls. Dust greased baking sheet with cornmeal if desired. Let rolls rise till doubled. Bake in 375-degree oven about 15 minutes. (Can also be used to make hoagie or sub rolls–shape as desired!)
Classic pizza: After first rise, roll dough out on a greased pizza baking pan. Place immediately in oven. Bake at 375-degrees for about 10 minutes. Take out pizza bread. Add sauce and toppings as desired. (For dessert pizza, add melted butter and a mix of sugar and cinnamon, or add fruit!) Put completed pizza back in oven for another 15-20 minutes.
French bread pizza: Bake french bread loaf as directed above. Let cool. Slice loaf in half horizontally. Add sauce and toppings as desired. Put completed french bread pizzas back in 375-degree oven for about 15 minutes. See Shrimp French Bread Pizza.
Dipping bread: After first rise, roll dough flat in a square or rectangular pizza pan (or cookie sheet). Brush with olive oil and sprinkle garlic, salt, or other herbs as desired. Bake in 375-degree oven for 15 minutes. Cut into thin rectangular pieces. Dip in prepared spaghetti sauce, Ranch dressing, olive oil with garlic and balsamic vineger, etc.
Soft, chewy Italian loaves and rolls: Add two tablespoons of olive oil to the recipe above (add to water, yeast, salt mixture before adding flour) to turn classic, crusty french bread loaves into soft, chewy Italian loaves or rolls. Follow recipe otherwise. Bake at 375-degrees for 30-40 minutes for loaves, 15 minutes for rolls.
Other variations: Add anything to turn the classic recipe into something totally unique and suited just to your tastes. After combining warm water, yeast, and salt (and oil, if making Italian bread) and before stirring in flour, add garlic, herbs, chopped onions, tomatoes, peppers, anything and everything that appeals to you! This is a bread to enjoy in a thousand creative ways and a thousand scrumptious flavors. Memorize it in minutes; bake it at the drop of a hat. And it’s so easy! (Shh, don’t tell, it’s a secret!)
And thanks to commenter Adam’s excellent idea, check out my French Sandwich Loaf post to use this recipe to create sandwich bread!
More ideas using this recipe:
Garlic-Herb Croutons
Homemade Hot Pockets
The Farmhouse Table Index
Main How to Do Stuff Index
Printable Recipe
12:24
pm
Love French bread! Thanks for all the great variation ideas! Happy New Year!
10:06
am
I can’t wait to try this! French bread is one of my favorites, and I’m always scared off by homemade bread recipies since I’m a novice. It sounds easy enough though… maybe I’ll give it a try tonight.
4:32
pm
this is going to be fun to make french food is delicious never had there bread so its going to be cool to try.
7:03
am
8:42
am
Hi there!
Thanks for the recipe, can’t wait to try it! Just one quick question, how much exactly is in 1 packet of yeast?
Thanks again!
8:47
am
Mich, one packet of yeast is 1/4 ounce of yeast.
2:07
pm
I love your website but I do have one question: I made this bread two days ago and it was wonderful. But I was wondering if you though it was okay to add a little oil and let it proof a second time in a 1-1/2 pound loaf pan so that I get a more sandwich bread shape? I’m new to bread baking and have limited tools on my student budget, but I like the texture of this bread so much that I would to use it for sandwiches. And info (via email) would be great. Thanks, Adam
10:05
am
Thanks for the idea, Adam! See my French Sandwich Loaf post to make sandwich bread!
11:13
pm