1-Hour French Bread Recipe - Easy Budget Recipes (2024)

Created On: &nbsp|Updated: | 235 Comments

I get commissions for purchases made through links on this post.

Pin

Share

Tweet

Share

The recipe prices will vary based on fluctuating grocery costs. Please use what is posted as a guide.

Experience the magic of homemade bread in just one hour with this game-changing French Bread recipe. It is so easy that it always comes out perfect, even if it is your first time making yeast bread.

It makes two large loaves for about $2.87. Each loaf serves eight people each and will cost around 18¢ per serving!

1-Hour French Bread Recipe - Easy Budget Recipes (1)

What You’ll Love About This French Bread Recipe

  • Versatility: This is a great recipe because the bread can be enjoyed plain, used to make Garlic Bread, served as a side dish to most entrees, dipped in olive oil, made into sandwiches, or toasted for French toast.
  • Quick Rise Times: Both rises only take 15 minutes, making this a relatively fast recipe for homemade fresh bread. This will quickly become your go-to bread recipe. Your family and friends will ask you to make this chewy French bread again and again.
  • Simple Ingredients: The recipe uses basic pantry staples, making it accessible for most home bakers. You may find that you have most of these basic ingredients on hand.
  • Easy To Work With: Forming the dough into two long loaves is simple and doesn’t require intricate techniques or a bread machine.

1-Hour French Bread Ingredients & Estimated Cost:

Recipe Cost: $2.87

Per Serving: $0.18

  • 2 cups warm water – $0.00
  • 2 Tablespoons instant yeast – $0.96
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar – $0.06
  • 2 teaspoons salt – $0.02
  • 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil – $0.09
  • 5 ½ – 6 cups flour – $1.62
  • 1 egg white – $0.12

The cost of the recipe is calculated based on the amounts needed. To learn more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained. The pricing for this recipe was updated in February 2024.

1-Hour French Bread Recipe - Easy Budget Recipes (2)

How To Make 1 Hour Bread

***For complete recipe instructions, see the recipe card below.

  1. Whisk warm water, sugar, and yeast in a bowl. Let it froth for 5-10 minutes before mixing it in the salt, oil, and flour.
  2. Knead in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth and the bread dough does not stick to the sides of the bowl. Cover and rise for 15 minutes in a warm place.
  3. The dough will be puffy but not quite doubled in size.
  4. Divide dough into two loaves on a baking sheet, cut diagonal slits across the top of the dough, and let the dough rise again before baking for 30 minutes.
  5. Brush with egg wash mixture to get an extra crispy crust, and bake for five more minutes.
  6. Slice and serve.
1-Hour French Bread Recipe - Easy Budget Recipes (3)

Easy French Bread Recipe Variations:

Use this bread as the base for these recipes:

  • BBQ Chicken Braid
  • French bread pizza
  • French-Bread Stuffing
  • French Toast
  • Garlic bread
  • Grilled Cheese Sloppy Joes

How Long Does French Bread Last:

  • Serve: Leftovers can be wrapped in plastic or placed in a Ziploc bag and kept at room temperature for 2-3 days.
  • Store: Wrap the bread in plastic wrap and store it for up to 5 days. (I like slicing the bread for pizza or garlic bread when it’s cold and slightly stiff. It’s easier to cut this way.)
  • Freeze: Wrap the bread in plastic wrap and then in foil before putting it in the freezer. It will keep for up to three months before getting freezer burn.

Quick French Bread Recipe FAQs

Why is it called French bread?

French bread, a long, crusty loaf known in France as a baguette, which means “a stick, ” is the top choice in French bakeries.

NOTE:

  • This recipe is an Americanized version of French bread. You know, the big, squishy French Bread loaves you find at the grocery store. This bread is nothing like a crusty baguette.

How do you make French bread crusty again?

You can try to put water on the loaf of bread and then wrap it in foil before putting it in a cold oven. Next, heat the oven to 300 degrees and heat the bread for 10-12 minutes. Then, unwrap the bread and cook it for 4-5 minutes. That’s it! You should now be able to enjoy that fantastic crusty bread once again!

Can I skip the egg wash?

Yes, you can skip this step. The egg wash helps the crust get a little extra crispy, but it is still delicious without this step.

Can you freeze French bread?

Yes! This is one of our favorite things about this recipe. The bread will stay fresh in the freezer for up to three months.

How to reheat French Bread?

When ready to use, remove it from the freezer and set it on the counter to defrost. Then, when ready, warm it in 30-second intervals in the microwave.

1-Hour French Bread Recipe - Easy Budget Recipes (4)

Get Kids Involved With Making One Hour French Bread

Ages 2-3: Let your tiny sous-chef add the ingredients and mix them in the stand mixer for some messy, doughy fun! They’ll love watching the ingredients form into a soft dough ball.

Ages 4-5: Time to unleash their inner scientist! They can help measure the water and yeast (with grown-up supervision) and add the dry ingredients to the mixer.

Ages 6-8: Level up their skills! They can help measure, combine, and knead all the ingredients. Let them set the timer for the dough to rise (a great exercise in patience!) and, with proper knife safety guidance, teach them to score the dough before the second rise.

Ages 9-11: Prepare to be impressed! With your gentle guidance, they can follow a recipe from start to finish. Encourage them to read the recipe twice beforehand for a sense of accomplishment.

Ages 12+: Step back and watch your little chef work their magic! Let them handle the entire recipe, from gathering ingredients to baking delicious golden loaves. You can do the happy dance in the corner knowing you’ve raised a master baker!

Remember, baking is about creating memories together, so have fun, make a mess, and enjoy the delicious reward!

Homemade French Bread Budget Tips

This French Bread freezes well, so we love freezing one of the loaves to always have one on hand. We also love using the leftover bread to make other recipes, such as croutons, breadcrumbs, French toast, etc. Making homemade bread rather than buying it at the grocery store trims some of the grocery budget.

1-Hour French Bread Recipe - Easy Budget Recipes (5)

More From Easy Budget Recipes

  • Hard Boiled Eggs In Air Fryer
  • Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe Easy

1-Hour French Bread Recipe - Easy Budget Recipes (6)

1-Hour French Bread Recipe

1-Hour French Bread Recipe - Easy Budget Recipes (7) Recipe Cost 2.87

1-Hour French Bread Recipe - Easy Budget Recipes (8) Serving Cost 0.18

Course Bread, Side Dish

Cuisine American, French

This French Bread recipe takes just one hour from start to finish. It makes 2 large loaves that serve 8 people each and will cost just 0.18¢ per serving!

Servings: 16 people

Prep Time 9 minutes mins

Cook Time 28 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Equipment

  • stand mixer

  • standard-size baking sheet

  • parchment paper or silicone baking mat

Ingredients

  • 2 cups warm water 90-100 degrees
  • 2 Tablespoons instant yeast
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 5 ½ – 6 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg white mixed with 1 Tablespoon water optional

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.

  • First, add the water, yeast, and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer.

  • Whisk the mixture together and let it sit for 3 minutes, or until it’s bubbly and frothy.

  • Next, add in the oil, salt, and 5 ½ cups of flour.

  • Attach a dough hook and mix on low until the dough comes together.

  • Increase the speed to medium-high and knead. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl. If it doesn’t, add more flour, 2 Tablespoons at a time, until it does.

  • Then, knead the dough for 2 minutes on medium-high.

  • Remove the dough hook and cover the work bowl with a warm damp towel. Let the dough rise for 15 minutes.

  • Remove the towel and punch the dough down.

  • Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces and shape each piece into a long, thick dough that measures 16-17 inches long.

  • Place the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, and cut 5-6 slits diagonally on each loaf.

  • Move the oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 375 degrees.

  • Let the dough rise for a second time while the ​oven preheats.

  • As soon as the oven is done preheating, pop the pan into the oven (don’t let the dough sit out too long because it will over-proof). Bake for 23-25 minutes.

  • Then, remove the bread from the oven and brush the loaves with 1 egg white mixed with 1 Tablespoon of water.

  • Bake for another 3-5 minutes.

  • Move the pan to a wire rack and cool the bread for 5 minutes before slicing and serving!

Video

Notes

This dough rises super fast! Do not let it rise longer than 15 minutes on the first rise, and no longer than it takes for your oven to preheat on the second rise! If you let the dough rise for too long, then it will over-proof!

Nutrition

Serving: 1large slice | Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Sodium: 297mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin C: 0.001mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 2mg

Love this recipe?Follow @EasyBudgetRecipes or tag #EasyBudgetRecipes!

We recently updated the pictures to this post. Here are the originals from September 2019.

1-Hour French Bread Recipe - Easy Budget Recipes (9)

Pin

Share

Tweet

Share

1-Hour French Bread Recipe - Easy Budget Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What are 2 tips to successfully making quick breads? ›

6 Tips for Successful Quick Bread
  1. Tip 1: Follow the Recipe Closely. ...
  2. Tip 2: Don't Overmix the Batter. ...
  3. Tip 3: Use Room Temperature Ingredients. ...
  4. Tip 4: Preheat Your Oven. ...
  5. Tip 5: Don't overbake the bread. ...
  6. Tip 6: Let the bread cool before slicing.
Feb 20, 2024

How much cheaper is it to make bread? ›

The price of making your own basic white sandwich bread is about $1.75 per loaf, and the price of a store-bought loaf is between $1-$2.86/loaf.

What bread takes the longest to make? ›

Sourdough Breads

Sourdough bread takes the longest to make of all the types of bread. It is made from a culture that is stirred into the other ingredients and allowed to rise for many hours.

What ingredient makes our bread soft and keeps it from drying out too fast? ›

Emulsifiers

This makes the bread spongy and moist. Once out of the oven, the bread begins to cool, and the starch molecules start to retrograde – they rearrange themselves and crystallize to form a network, which also expels the water absorbed during baking.

What's the purpose of an egg in a quick bread? ›

By surrounding small particles of fat, the egg helps make the quick bread batter smoother, thus contributing to volume and texture. In addition, when eggs are beaten, they incorporate tiny air bubbles that expand with heat in the oven, contributing to volume.

What is the secret for mixing quick bread? ›

Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients all at once. Using a wooden spoon, mix just until the dry ingredients are moistened, 15 to 20 light strokes. There should be some small lumps. Overmixing can cause quick breads to be tough, bake unevenly or cause elongated holes (or tunnels).

Is it cheaper to buy bread or make it in a bread machine? ›

Making bread from a machine is marginally cheaper than buying it, as long as you eat bread frequently enough to offset the cost of the appliance. Specifically, I see this as an investment that's smart for households that go through bread quickly, like large families or homes with multiple roommates.

Do you save money making homemade bread? ›

A normal loaf of white bread costs an average of $1.30 at the grocery store, with whole wheat being a bit pricier at around $2.00 a loaf. If you buy seven-grain or sourdoughs, those could be around $4.00. Most home bakers find they can make their bread at home from anywhere between $0.40 and $1.00 per loaf!!

Why is bread suddenly so expensive? ›

The aftereffects of pandemic-induced supply chain blockages and the Russia-Ukraine war, however, have kept price hikes elevated for some crucial goods, such as bread and frozen vegetables, experts told ABC News. Here's what to know about which prices are still rising and what's causing the surge.

Why is French bread long? ›

The history of the baguette is contested, and there are few facts pointing to a single definitive origin. One theory attributes the baguette's invention to Napoleon Bonaparte, who, according to legend, ordered that bread be made extraordinarily thin and long to better fit into a special pocket in soldier's uniforms.

What is the fastest bread maker? ›

Zojirushi Home Bakery Mini Breadmaker

Settings include basic bread (regular or firm), soft bread, French bread, bread dough, cookie/pasta dough, cake, jam, and quick baking. The crust can be set for regular or light, and the quick baking setting produces a loaf in less than two hours.

Which bread keeps you fuller for longer? ›

Because wholegrain bread is made with flour from whole grains, it contains plenty of healthy compounds, like fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Fiber serves as food for the bacteria in your gut and can help keep you fuller for longer. Wholegrain breads are also a source of polyphenols.

Why is my homemade bread hard the next day? ›

If you have the problem of your bread drying out too quickly, it could be because you keep it in the fridge. The fridge is designed to be low in humidity and a cool environment. While lower temperatures are great for homemade bread, the low humidity sucks out all the moisture from your homemade bread.

What is the secret to softer bread? ›

Bread Making Tips For Softer Bread
  1. Do Not Over-Knead Your Dough. ...
  2. Ensure Dough is Well Hydrated. ...
  3. Lubricate With Oil. ...
  4. Add Sugar. ...
  5. Add Eggs. ...
  6. Reduce Baking Time. ...
  7. Create Steam in Oven. ...
  8. Add Milk.
Mar 27, 2023

Why is my homemade bread dry the next day? ›

Since no preservatives are used in home baking, baked products tend to dry out quickly and should be consumed in 1 to 2 days. Do not refrigerate. Refrigeration pulls moisture from bread, which speeds up the staling process and causes bread to dry out.

What are 2 characteristics of a good quality quick bread? ›

  • High-quality muffins have a thin, evenly browned crust.
  • Top is symmetrical, but looks rough.
  • When broken apart, texture is uniform and crumb is tender and light.

What are the 2 main differences between a batter quick bread and a dough quick bread? ›

The difference between batter and dough is batters are thin and contain eggs, and doughs are thick and don't have to contain eggs.

What are three facts about quick breads? ›

About Quick Breads

Quick breads are pretty self-explanatory – they're called quick because they're relatively quick to make. Quick bread loaves and coffeecakes use baking powder or baking soda for leavening agents, and require little to no kneading. Fruits, nuts, oats, vegetables and spices can add flavor.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Manual Maggio

Last Updated:

Views: 6542

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (49 voted)

Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Manual Maggio

Birthday: 1998-01-20

Address: 359 Kelvin Stream, Lake Eldonview, MT 33517-1242

Phone: +577037762465

Job: Product Hospitality Supervisor

Hobby: Gardening, Web surfing, Video gaming, Amateur radio, Flag Football, Reading, Table tennis

Introduction: My name is Manual Maggio, I am a thankful, tender, adventurous, delightful, fantastic, proud, graceful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.