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This Perfect & Easy Crusty French Bread is out of this world! Recipe yields two loaves of a buttery, crispy crusted bread with a super soft and fluffy interior. So easy, comes together quickly and tastes amazing using pantry staple ingredients!
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5 from 8 votes

Perfect & Easy Crusty, Soft French Bread

This Perfect Crusty French Bread is made start to finish in about 2 hours and 30 minutes and yields two loaves of perfectly crusty French bread with ultra soft and fluffy interiors. Serve with salted butter for the best tasting results!
Prep Time1 hour 50 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time2 hours 20 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Servings: 2 loaves
Author: Hayley Parker, The Domestic Rebel

Ingredients

  • One package 1/4 ounce or 2 & 1/4 teaspoons rapid rise yeast (may also use active dry or instant yeast)
  • 1 & 1/2 cups warm water divided (heated to around 110 to 115 degrees F)
  • 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 Tablespoon butter melted
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup of the warm water and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let set for about 5 minutes or until yeast has dissolved. Add in the sugar, salt, melted butter and remaining water and stir until blended. Lastly, add in the flour until mixture is relatively smooth. The dough will look very shaggy at first and you may want to knead by hand to bring everything together which should only take about a minute or so. Once the dough is mostly smooth (still okay to have some shaggy bits as you do not want to overwork it), place the dough ball back into the bowl and cover with a dish towel. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
  • Punch down the dough and turn it onto a floured work surface. Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut dough in half. Cover and let rest for about 10 minutes.
  • Roll each dough portion one at a time into an approximate 10x8 inch rectangle shape. Roll the dough up jelly-roll style (almost like you're making cinnamon rolls) starting with the long side closest to you, pinching the seam to seal. Place the loaves on a parchment lined baking sheet, seam side down. Cover and let proof/rise until almost doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. With a sharp serrated knife, make three or four diagonal cuts in the top of the loaf. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks until warm to the touch or room temperature. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. Can also be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw before serving.