Easy to follow French Bread

French bread is a lean yeast dough.
That means:

• No fat
• No sugar
• Just flour, water, yeast, and salt

This gives French bread its:

• Crisp crust
• Open, chewy crumb
• Clean wheat flavour

It relies on proper kneading, fermentation, and baking heat, not richness.

French bread is the purest form of yeast bread.
No fat. No sugar. Just flour, water, yeast, and salt.

Because there’s nothing to hide behind, technique matters:

• proper kneading
• correct fermentation
• a hot oven

Get those right and you’ll have a crisp crust, open crumb, and clean flavour — exactly as it should be.(“The Secret History of Bread: From Sacred Staple to Chalk-Filled Crisis Food” – kooks stove talk).

Easy to follow French Bread

Mark Dexter

French bread is a lean yeast dough.

That means:

No fat

No sugar

Just flour, water, yeast, and salt

This gives French bread its:

Crisp crust

Open, chewy crumb

Clean wheat flavour

It relies on proper kneading, fermentation, and baking heat, not richness.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 2 hours hrs

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Equipment

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• 1 mixing bowl
• 1 measuring jug
• 1 Bench or clean work surface
• 1 Baking tray
• 1 baguette tray optional
• 1 Proofing cloth optional
• 1 baking paper
• 1 Sharp knife or razor blade
• 1 Oven

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 500 g Bakers Flour
• 10 g Salt
• 290 ml Water Approx.
• 10 g Dried Yeast

Instructions

 

Mix the dough

• Place flour and salt into a bowl and mix.

  Add the yeast, then the lukewarm water.

  Mix until a firm dough forms.

Knead

• Turn onto the bench and knead for 10–12 minutes until the dough is:

  Smooth

  Elastic

  Firm but pliable

  Test: Stretch a small piece — it should stretch without tearing.

First rise

• Place dough into a lightly floured bowl.

  Cover and leave in a warm place for 60–75 minutes, until doubled in size.

Knock back

• Gently press out the air.

  This strengthens structure and improves crumb.

Shape

• Shape into:

  Long loaf (French stick style), or

  Oval loaf

  Place seam-side down on a lined tray.

Second rise

• Cover lightly and rest for 30–40 minutes.

  The dough should:

  Rise visibly

  Still feel slightly firm to the touch

Slash

• Just before baking, cut diagonal slashes across the top using a sharp knife.

  This controls expansion and creates the classic French look.

Bake

• Preheat oven to 230°C (fan 210°C).

  Bake for 25–30 minutes until:

  Deep golden brown

  Crisp crust

  Hollow when tapped underneath

  Optional steam: Place a small tray of hot water in the oven for the first 5 minutes to improve crust.

Cool

• Cool on a rack before slicing.

Ready to use

• French bread is ideal for:

  Table bread

  Bruschetta

  Garlic bread

  Sandwiches

Mark’s bench-side advice

• Soft crust? Oven not hot enough.

  Dense crumb? Dough too stiff or under-proofed.

  Flat loaf? Over-proofed — shorten second rise.

  French bread is simple — and honest. There’s nowhere to hide, which is why technique matters.

KOOK’S SECRETS

Nutrition

Calories: 62kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 10gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 708mgPotassium: 242mgFiber: 3gVitamin A: 14IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 0.5mg

Keyword artisan, baked, homemade, yeast bread

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