|Homemade French Bread |

Homemade French Bread

Prep time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook time: 16-20 minutes

This is not Whole 30 or Paleo, but lets be honest, who really cares because its FRENCH BREAD! Doesn’t get much easier than this. This French Bread only has 5 ingredients and is so easy to throw together and truly puts the finishing touches to any meal.

My husband’s cousin originally sent me a French Bread recipe. Once I tried it homemade I knew that I would never be going back to store bought. The fact that this is so simple to whip up makes it that much easier to never return to store bought. My favorite meals to pair this with are my Baked Spaghetti Squash (click here for recipe) or my Dutch Oven Chili (click here for recipe).

This bread is an easy way to impress some dinner guests or add it to a meal train when helping out a friend. I have made this bread many times making tweaks here and there and finally ended up with this recipe. I am, in fact, making this tonight for some friends coming over to watch football.

I am not sure that there is a bread out there that I don’t like, but I can guarantee this is one that you will love as much as we do! When we have some leftover I like to pop it in the toaster and enjoy it with breakfast. My only regret is not making this sooner!

| This recipe makes two loaves |

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups warm water
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp yeast
• 6 cups of white flour
• 1 Tbsp salt

Instructions

1. Warm up water in microwave for 40 seconds. You do not want the water to be hot or it will kill your yeast.
2. Add in sugar and yeast. Let the yeast bubble.
3. While the yeast is bubbling in a large mixing bowl (I use my kitchen aid with the dough hook) mix together flour and salt.
4. Once the yeast is all bubbled up (about 5-7 minutes) pour water sugar yeast mix into the flour and salt mix. Mix for about 1 minute.
5. Cover and let dough double in size about 35 minutes.
6. Break dough into 2 parts. Work them down to 2 loaves. Working them into a “french bread” style loaf.
7. Place on greased baking sheet or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
8. Using a sharp knife slice about 4 lines into the top of the loaves.
9. Cover with saran wrap and let rise again. About 20 minutes.
10. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
11. You may need to reshape the dough one last time. I usually have to press on the sides to get it to look nice again.
12. Bake for 16- 18 minutes. Be very careful not to over bake. The bread wont become dark like you expect. Make sure to check at 16 minutes. the first time I made this bread I over cooked it because it wasn’t the color I had expected.
13. Enjoy while still warm!