About this recipe
If you’ve ever wanted to make homemade bread without the stress, this recipe is for you.
This dough comes together in minutes, rests overnight to build flavor and structure, and bakes into a beautifully golden loaf with a crisp crust and airy crumb.
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“French bread is a great, classic recipe, and it’s not super long,” Matt Chatfield said. “It’s four ingredients: flour, water, yeast and salt.”
Ingredients
French Bread Loaf
Directions
French Bread Loaf
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In a large mixing bowl, mix the water, yeast and salt into the flour. Using a large spoon, mix until uniformly moist with no dry patches. You may use your hands if needed. No kneading is required. Spray a 1½ gallon container with pan coating, transfer dough and cover loosely.
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Let dough rise at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours. Refrigerate afterward to hydrate and develop gluten overnight. Dough may be refrigerated up to 4 days.
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Divide dough equally if making more than one loaf. Pull dough up and cut off a piece with a serrated knife. To shape a rounded Boule loaf, dust with flour as needed, then stretch and rotate dough to create a rounded top and bunched bottom.
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Sprinkle extra flour on top to prevent crusting. Place dough on a parchment-lined or cornmeal-dusted sheet pan. Let rest, covered, for 2½ to 3 hours at room temperature, until nearly tripled in size and soft like a balloon.
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Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in center.
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Using a serrated knife, gently slash top in a tic-tac-toe pattern, making ¼-inch deep cuts.
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Bake for 30–35 minutes, until a dark golden crust forms.
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Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 45 minutes before slicing.
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