One-Hour French Bread With a Crusty Golden Finish
By Ethan Parker
Prep
35 min
Cook
25 min
Total
60 min
Servings
4
Make two loaves at once for the week: shape and rise both on one baking sheet, then cool before slicing or saving. This one-hour French bread uses four ingredients and bakes into browned, crusty loaves with a soft interior.
Bread flour provides the structure for these quick-rising loaves, while sea salt seasons the dough and yeast works with warm water to create lift. The method starts by briefly warming the oven, then uses that residual warmth for a short rise. Begin with three cups of flour, then work in more as needed until the dough becomes smooth and stops clinging to pressed fingers.
The dough should look shaggy after the yeast water first meets the flour, then turn less sticky and smoother as the remaining flour is mixed in and the dough is kneaded. A smooth surface and dough that no longer sticks to your fingers signal that shaping can begin. The key mistake is over-rising: loaves left too long can fall while baking.
Shape each half into a tight log with the seam pinched closed and placed underneath. Bake as soon as the oven reaches 425°, then let the loaves cool for 10 to 15 minutes for cleaner slices. Serve warm with soups, pasta, or meals that need a fresh bread side.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Makes two loaves in one baking session, so one can join dinner while the second gives you bread ready for another meal.
- The brief warm-oven rise fits around dinner prep because the shaped loaves rest while you handle dishes, cooking, or setting the table.
- Cooling the bread before slicing helps create neater portions, making it easier to divide a loaf for sandwiches or planned meals.
- Bread flour and a short ingredient list keep batch shopping straightforward, with only flour, salt, yeast, and warm water required.
- Both loaves bake together on one parchment-lined sheet, reducing cleanup and making a double-loaf routine manageable on busy cooking days.
- The recipe’s short rise avoids a long all-day schedule, so fresh crusty bread can be planned alongside soups, pasta, and dinner.
Ingredients
- •4 cups bread flour (4-4 1/2 cups)
- •1 tsp sea salt
- •1 ½ Tbsp yeast
- •2 cups warm water (should feel warm to the touch without scalding)
Instructions
- 1
Turn the oven on to warm up and set a timer for 3 minutes.
- 2
Turn the oven off when the timer goes off.
- 3
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 4
Measure the yeast into the bottom of a liquid measuring cup and pour the warm water over the yeast.
- 5
Combine 3 cups of the flour and the salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl and stir to mix.
- 6
Pour the yeast water into the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until the ingredients are combined; the dough should look shaggy.
- 7
Add another cup of flour and stir or mix until the dough becomes less sticky and smoother.
- 8
Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead by pushing and folding until smooth and no longer sticky when pressed; add additional flour as needed.
- 9
Divide the dough in half.
- 10
Roll one half into a rectangle about 8 by 10 inches, tightly roll it into a long log, pinch the seam closed, and place it seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
- 11
Repeat the shaping process with the second half of the dough.
- 12
Cover the loaves loosely with a tea towel, place the baking sheet in the warm oven, and set a timer for 10 minutes.
- 13
After 10 minutes, remove the loaves from the oven without shaking them or setting the pan down hard, then place them on top of the oven while it heats to 425°.
- 14
Remove the tea towel and gently place the loaves in the oven as soon as it is preheated.
- 15
Bake at 425° for 20 to 25 minutes, until the loaves are browned and crusty and an inserted thermometer reads 180°.
- 16
Allow the bread to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
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