Description
This No Knead Homemade French Bread recipe delivers classic crusty baguettes with minimal effort. Using an easy mix-and-rest method, the dough requires no kneading, making it perfect for beginners or anyone craving fresh bakery-style bread at home. The bread is baked with steam in the oven for an authentic crispy crust and tender crumb.
Ingredients
Scale
Yeast Mixture
- 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
- 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
Dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Make the dough: Stir the yeast, lukewarm water, and sugar together in a large bowl until combined. Add the flour and salt, mixing just until the ingredients are fully incorporated. Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel and let the dough rest at room temperature for 2 hours to allow it to rise and develop flavor.
- Cut the dough: Once the dough has risen, preheat your oven to 465°F (240°C). Place a rimmed cookie sheet on the lowest rack of your oven. Generously flour a clean work surface. Carefully turn the dough out onto the surface, taking care not to deflate it. Cut the dough into three equal, long pieces for standard-sized baguettes, or two pieces if you prefer larger loaves.
- Shape the bread: Carefully transfer each piece of dough into a French bread pan. If you do not have a French bread pan, you can shape the pieces into baguette form freehand and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake: Pour water into the rimmed cookie sheet in the oven to create steam, which helps form a crisp crust. Immediately place the bread pan or shaped dough on the middle rack and bake for 20-25 minutes (or 25-30 minutes for two larger baguettes) until the tops are crusty and golden. Flip the bread upside down onto the upper-middle rack and bake for an additional 5 minutes until the bottoms are browned and crusty as well.
Notes
- Using a French bread pan helps maintain the traditional baguette shape, but this recipe works perfectly without one—simply shape loaves freehand.
- Creating steam in the oven by adding water to a rimmed pan produces a crusty exterior similar to bakery-style bread.
- Be careful when handling the dough to preserve the air bubbles developed during the resting period, ensuring a light and airy crumb.
- Let the bread cool completely on a wire rack before slicing to maintain the texture and prevent gumminess.
