Get the recipe: https://b.link/fuakl3dx
Made with only four ingredients, this classic French bread from our upcoming Big Book of Bread (on shelves October 22, 2024) has a thin, crisp crust with a soft, fluffy interior and open crumb structure. It’s a fine example of a bread made with a “lean” dough (one without any added sugar or fat). Quotidian but not plain, this bread makes great toast, BLT sandwiches, and our Supreme Garlic Bread: https://b.link/9nahd5o5
Shop this recipe
The Big Book of Bread: https://b.link/63ca1ch2
AP Flour: https://b.link/jxd34nzx
Instant Yeast: https://b.link/vovhguyq
Bread Lame: https://b.link/b10ngjbz
Bread and Pizza Stone: https://b.link/yceonepn
Brotform Liner: https://b.link/91ep378j5
Baker’s Peel: https://b.link/l6s77r5m
Bowl Scraper: https://b.link/m52q2dxn
Credits
Martin Philip – Host
Tucker Adams – Senior Producer
Lydia Fournier – Set Assistant
Robert Strype – Editor
Chapters
0:00 Make the preferment
4:18 Do bulk fermentation and the bowl folds
6:16 Divide and pre-shape the bread loaves
8:30 Shape the French bread dough
10:44 Score and bake the loaves
13:06 Slice and enjoy the crispy golden French bread!
#FrenchBread #BreadRecipes #Baking
50 Comments
Martin is officially my fav bread teacher.
As always, Martin is certainly a great baker but he is also a master teacher ! Thank you so much for your time and efforts. Looking forward to receive the new book !
This is a superb video. You explain things so well and the production is great too. I've been baking for some forty years and use different methods, as I bake with a lot of wholewheat / wholemeal flours, and rye.
It's always a pleasure to watch your videos, you bake so very well.
Thank you.
P.S. – Did you forget to mention the oven temperature and time?
I love French loaves…..im watching from Cape Town South Africa……im definitely going to try it….. thankyou so much for recipe ♥️
Martin is the best! Such a good teacher… he explains everything in great detail in a way that anyone can understand while giving you the sense of confidence to try each recipe.
After 3rd fold how long for final rice
Those loaves look perfect!
Martin, you make look so easy. My bread did not look like yours for sure. I just put in the oven
Love that he uses the handle of the spoon for mixing – better than the bowl and much easier than the Swedish whisk.
But you couldn't post a recipe?
Love watching you; learned a lot! And you did the coil fold, you said the dough feels great, not too stretchy and has a lot of strength. I would actually find it very helpful if you did a cut away mini video saying here’s an example of one that is too stretchy doesn’t have enough strength and here is what I do to fix it.
Can I use a metal French bread loaf pan.
Why are you using AP Flour rather than Bread Flour? What would the final product look like if I used Bread Flour?
Made this, though I do not have all the tools that Martin has, but I was able to make do. My work with a lame needs work!
I found some excellent tips in this video, that Martin sort of skipped over, which I haven't ever seen in other bread-baking videos before.
Great video. What's the temperature of the oven, and time of baking?
Your videos are excellent. You’re a top notch teacher. Your instructions are easy to understand & you inject a bit of humor too. Looking forward to more.
Okay, this is an incredible fountain of knowledge and bread wisdom. My only criticism of the video is re-using that same musical interlude every 1-2 minutes for 1-2 seconds each for every single transition. Feels like I’m stuck in limbo or something. Please, editor, use your musical transitions more sparingly, use a little more variety, and have it have more impact by using it for more meaningful and slightly lengthier transitions.
Instead of using the same track for 1-2 seconds at every “chapter” change like 10 times, use different tracks for 2-5 seconds for every “act” change like 3-4 times. It’ll give the video a lot more structure, making it more entertaining and easier to understand the concepts of baking presented by the lovely Martin.
Don’t let the loaf smell your fear 😂❤ Martin is the best.
This was fantastic
Thank you. I was born in San Francisco in 1947 and love sourdough french bread, so I'll be adding a tablespoon of my sourdough starter to the poolish.👍
This is a good introduction to bread video. I love the definition of poolish and coil folding. The information on different flour types and why is helpful. This book will be a great gift for your friends and relatives. Thank you!
World's most complicated recipe!
Martin always explained bread making simple and easy to follow.
I am soooo frustrated with this recipe I want to quit… and others for that matter. I weigh my ingredients, follow instructions to the tee and I STILL have super wet dough that is IMPOSSIBLE to handle… 🤬🤬🤬
Would it work if I made the poolish with sourdough starter instead of yeast?🤔
The dissonant transition music made me think something really awful was about to happen
Just made it yesterday. They came out incredibly crunchy on the outside and airy on the inside. I left the second loaf to proof further while the first one was baking, the difference is definitely noticeable between the two loaves. The first one had better rise and shape but they were equally delicious. So happy with this recipe, I will definitely be making it every week.
Hola, soy mexicana, específicamente de la Laguna Méx, es decir, vivo en tre 2 estados, Durango y Coahuila, vivo en 🇺🇸 pero estoy buscando la receta de pan francés, tengo entendido que en mi tierra mexicana llegaron unos religiosos y desde entonces nuestro pan es muy famoso, lo invito a que conozca esta variedad del pan francés, toda una gran historia, en ningún otro estado de mexico les queda igual, solo en este lugar tiene un sabor inigualable, de verdad lo invito!!!!😊
I tried to bake this recipe with an all-purpose-flour with 12 % proteine. Hydration of 74% resulted in a very wet dough.
The amount of knowledge you share in 15 minutes is second to none. You are an extremely generous, likeable and talented teacher🏆 Liked and subscribed.
I always watched your show on YouTube channel as well I appreciate it very much
This looks so fantastic. I have a Blue Star Oven in my range. They told me using steam was a no go due to the infrared broiler at the top of the oven. I'm so bummed. That crust is over the top awesome, and sans steam impossible to achieve. 🙁
My attempts at making French bread have failed miserably. Everything goes great until I put it in the oven. Instead of rising into a cylinder shape, the dough spreads out flat. My wife calls it “amoeba bread” because of the shape. I can’t get the surface tension that is necessary for the dough to rise and bake correctly. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Made this recipe yesterday exactly as printed and it came out beautifully – excellent oven spring, 2 delicious flavorful loaves that the whole family enjoyed. Thank you KAFlour for this wonderful recipe! Excellent filming (Tucker? 🙂 and super helpful tips from Martin, yet again. I am so grateful for the wealth of knowledge shared on this YouTube channel. One possible error in the recipe: I baked my 2 loaves for only 30 min at 475 F on a preheated baking steel with steam and they came out VERY dark, borderline burnt. I believe the 32-38 min cooking time in the recipe may be too long. I made a note to bake for only 25-30 min next time.
For those that are just starting to bake bread or for those that want to increase their knowledge and skill levels follow this guy. Concise, relevant instruction that will get you to where you want to be
So you don't really need sugar for the yeast?! 🤔
I kind of just want to bake a huge boule with this recipe. No dividing. Has anyone done this?
I loaf 🥖 you very much
My loaves are crispy and crunchy when right out of the oven but the exterior goes soft when it cools. What am doing wrong. Great video. Thanks
I like crusty bread that isn’t gummy on the inside which you get from the folding technique. Is this a recipe that has a soft airy crump and not gummy?
Love these videos , just starting to get into making breads
Martin sir, im the french bread loaf video you show to leave the preferment 12-16 hrs. Are there any additional steps to let the dough go to 24 hrs. I did not managed my time very well.
I'm not a baker…yet, but I can see just how "alive" this dough is. When I saw your focaccia recipe, I was hooked! I can't wait to buy the book so I can learn how to make my own bread. Thank you, Martin, I've liked and subscribed!
Are y'all using a fan oven for this sort of thing? I'm trying this and the dough looks epic but like every other loaf it seems to brown way too fast. I'm worried it'll burn.
Nice
Hi, do you have two pans/trays under the stone in the oven? Does it make any difference if using only one tray for the hot water?
Did i miss what temp you bake at? I'm doing 475.
Wow! I baked these this morning, and we had a lovely turkey sandwich for lunch! I used sourdough starter in the preferment, and 1/2 tsp yeast in the dough. I baked them on a steel for exactly 32 min., and they were a perfect color from top to bottom.
If I wanted to refrigerate after shaping and place in bannetons (like traditional sourdough), would it affect the end result? I assume it should sit out for at least an hour before baking? This video was so full of great information. Thank you so much!
Beautiful,