Soft French Bread
A delicious soft French bread that's easy to make.
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1½ tsp sugar
- 2½-3 cups all purpose flour
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp olive oil
Instructions
- Add sugar to warm water and stir until sugar dissolves.
- Add yeast to sugar water and stir to combine. Allow to sit for 5 minutes until yeast is foamy.
- In a large bowl add 2½ cups flour and salt, stir to combine.
- Add yeast water to the bowl and stir with a spatula.
- Once dough starts to come together use you hands to knead the dough.
- Add more flour a little at a time, until dough is no longer sticky.
- Knead dough for 8-10 minutes until dough is smooth, soft and supple.
- Kneading the dough can be done in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachement if desired.
- Form dough into a ball and coat with olive oil.
- Cover dough with a dish cloth and allow dough to rest for 15 minutes. Dough should double in size.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a long cylinder shape. Tuck ends under and pinch dough together to form a long loaf of bread.
- Place formed loaf on a cookie sheet lined with a sheet of parchment paper. cover with a dish cloth and allow loaf to rise for 45 minutes.
- While loaf rises, preheat oven to 400°.
- Bake loaf for 20-23 minutes.
- Brush loaf with melted butter when it comes out of the oven if desired.
- Allow loaf to cool on a wire rack for 20-30 minutes before slicing.