When I say I’ve been obsessed with making bread lately, I mean it. I’m still making about a loaf a week of my classic lazy-girl sandwich bread in the bread machine, but the second loaf has been supplemented by this super-easy 2-hour French bread recipe.

Now it does require a bit more effort than using the bread machine, but it’s really not too bad (and it makes delicious garlic butter toast, which makes all the effort worth it).

Anyways, before I get distracted, let’s break down this French bread recipe:

How to Make a Simple French Bread From Scratch

The French Bread Recipe You Can Make in just two hours.

2-Hour Simple French Bread

A quick and easy recipe to make golden and fluffy french bread loaves.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Resting Time 1 30

Total Time 2

Servings 2 Loaves

Ingredients

2 Cups Warm Water (I like to turn the sink to "hot" and just use that)
2 Tbsp Sugar
2 1/4 Tsp Instant Yeast
3 Tbsp Room Temp Salted Buter
5 1/2 Cups Bread Flour (You may need a bit more if your mix is a little wet)
1 Tbsp Kosher Salt
1 Egg

Instructions

If you haven't already, pull your butter out to soften. Put in ziploc and place in hot water if you're in a rush.
Mix your 2 cups of warm water, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 2 1/4 teaspoons of instant yeast in a small bowl. Let rest for 3-5 minutes until you see something foamy start forming on the top.
While it's resting, mix your bread flour and salt in another, large bowl. Pour in your water mixture once it's foamy and mix until stuff starts to stick together and get chunky in the bowl.
Hand knead or use a stand mixer with a kneading attachment and knead the dough for 10 minutes. I've gotten a perfectly smooth dough ball AND a bumpy one, they both taste the same to me (hence why I recommend just hitting the 10 mintues and calling it done).
Let dough rest covered with a clean towel or shirt for about an hour, or until the dough is about doubled in size.
Once dough is done resting, put on counter or cutting board and divide into two. Hand flatten into a rectangle that's about 5 x 10 inches. Roll up like a swiss roll, pinch the seam it makes closed, and tuck the ends under so it makes a rounded end (this gets easier with practice!!).
Let your new loaves rest and raise for about 30 minutes. Once done, brush with egg wash, cut lines diagonally even 2-3 inches, and bake in the oven at 415 F for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, cover with foil and bake for another 10 minutes!
Let rest for 5 ish minutes after it's out of the oven before cutting!

Keyword Bread Recipe, French Bread

How to Save (and Use) Your French Bread

Once your bread’s baked, I highly highly recommend making your own garlic butter bread to store in the freezer for your next spaghetti dinner. You can also slice it up and store it in an airtight container and use it as sandwich bread with a thicker loaf!

Personally, we love making:

Mini grilled cheese sandwiches with homemade tomato soup
Air fryer French toast
Bruschetta bites

And the list literally goes on and on (should I share those recipes, too?). It’s such a nice, fluffy bread that partners well with nearly anything.

But, that’s it for today! Don’t forget to check out my other bread recipes, like my Bread Machine Garlic Cheese Bread or my Lazy Girl Sandwich Bread!!