French Bread using a Bread Machine

Making bread at home has been truly simplified by bread machines. All you need to do is to put all the ingredients in the right order and select the cycle. Most of the bread machines have a French bread cycle to make French bread at home.

Unlike white bread or other Italian bread, French bread does not have any oil or sugar and is chewy and crusty. They work great for grilled sandwiches or go well with pasta and soups.

This is an easy bread machine French bread recipe made by using the French bread cycle or by making the dough in the bread machine and then shaping and baking the loaf in the oven.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Variations
• Serving suggestions
• Equipment
• Storage
• FAQ
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

Ingredients

French bread differs from other white bread as it does not have oil and sugar and is made with only our ingredients. It is made with flour, water, salt, and yeast.

Bread machine French bread can be made with all-purpose flour or bread flour. I have had equally good results using the King Arthur flour. Also, instant yeast or bread machine yeast works best for bread machine

Instructions

Bread machines usually have a "French Bread" setting which is usually longer than the basic white bread cycle. Depending on your brand and the size of the bread maker, there will be a setting to make 1 lb, 1.5 lb, and 2 lb French bread.

There is also a setting to select the crust setting varying from light, medium, to dark. When baking in the bread machine, I prefer to make the French bread on a "dark" crust setting, however, it is a personal preference.

To make French bread from start to finish in the bread machine, place all the ingredients in the order recommended by your bread machine manufacturer. This is a recipe to make a 1.5 lb loaf of crusty French bread in the bread machine, so I select the "French bread" setting with 1.5 lb and dark crust.

Once the cycle is complete, French bread will be ready. Remove the bread from the container immediately by inverting and shaking the container. Place the bread loaf on the cooling rack and slice it only after it has completely cooled down.

Variations

If you are planning to bake the French bread in the oven then remove the dough from the bread machine pan just before the last "rise" phase. You can check the manual and set an external timer accordingly.

On a lightly floured surface place the dough and knead it for a few seconds. Shape the dough into a loaf by tucking the edges at the bottom and having a smooth surface at the top.

The texture of French bread loaf baked in the oven is very different than the one directly baked in the bread machine. It is more crusty and has a darker golden brown color as well.

Make a few cuts in the dough with a serrated knife and allow it to rise, for the last time, for about an hour in a warm place. You can also score the bread with a razor blade after the final rise.

Bake the bread in a preheated oven at 400 °F for 30 minutes. If you want a nice shine, you can spray some water on the loaf before baking, or throw a few ice cubes in the oven after placing the loaf in the oven.

Serving suggestions

The bread must be allowed to cool down on a wire rack before it is sliced. Once cooled completely, it can be sliced using a serrated bread knife or an electric knife. A bread slicer is very useful for slicing bread evenly.

French bread is perfect for making grilled cheese, morning toast, or serving with your favorite soup.

Equipment

I have used the 2 lb. Hamilton Beach artisan bread maker. Depending on the loaf size and crust setting, French bread can take anywhere from 4 hours 15 minutes to 4 hours 30 minutes.

Depending on your bread machine, the French bread cycle will vary. It is longer than the basic white bread cycle. Since French bread does not have sugar, the yeast takes longer to ferment the dough.

Storage

French bread can be stored at room temperature for 2-3 days in an air-tight container. It can also be frozen after slicing. It is advisable to not store bread in the fridge as it becomes dry.

FAQ

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