Sourdough French bread is a simple and classic recipe with a fluffy texture and crusty exterior. Knead the night before and allow it to ferment overnight, then shape, rise, and bake the next day. It’s wonderfully simple.
There is nothing better than a crusty loaf of bread. Slice it thick and spread with homemade butter, and now you are speaking my language.
Most French bread recipes call for instant yeast, which I almost never keep in my pantry, except for that rare occasion I want to make this einkorn sandwich bread.
Once you switch to fermenting grains and using wild yeast to leaven bread, it’s hard to go back to the conventional fast-rising breads. It lacks the flavor that develops during that slow rise.
But it is a delicate balance, because that fluffy center can sometimes be a challenge to perfect with sourdough.
These sourdough French baguettes have all the good qualities one can hope for. Crusty outside with a fluffy, tender texture inside. It’s perfect to serve as garlic bread, or with a bowl of soup.
Why you will love this recipe:
- Super simple. Start the night before and allow to ferment and rise overnight. The next day, all you have to do is shape, allow to rise, and bake. It’s a perfect almost-make-ahead side.
- Fermented grains for easier and better digestion. There is no doubt we love sourdough in our house. Not only is it tasty, but the fermentation process helps break down phytic acid, making it more nutritious, and helps break down the gluten, making it easier to digest.
- Delicious. This recipe is everything you love and hope for in a French bread: crusty exterior with a soft and fluffy inside. Use it as a side, garlic bread, or slice it in half to cover with sauce, cheese, and pizza toppings and now you have a pizza bread. This last particular idea was one my mom made us for a quick dinner growing up.
Is French bread the same as sourdough?
No. While they are similar, most French breads are not made with sourdough, but rather with conventional rapid yeast. You can easily make it into sourdough French bread by using this recipe. Just know that most French breads you buy from the store will use yeast.
Sourdough French Bread Tips:
- For a soft, fluffy, sourdough bread baguette, your dough should be on the wetter side. A dry dough will leave you with a drier loaf.
- To make those perfect long loaves, I like to roll it out into a rectangle and then roll it up and pinch the ends. This allows for a more even loaf for a better shape and more even baking time.
- To give the baguettes a crustier outside, place a few ice cubes in the oven. This will release steam and achieve that beautiful, golden crust.
- New to sourdough? Learn how to make a starter and care for it. Once you get the hang of it, I promise it is really easy. You can even make a ton of recipes from sourdough discard.
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Tools you may need:
Stand mixer with dough hook.
Measuring cups and spoons
How To Make Sourdough French Bread
Feed your starter 4-12 hours before starting this recipe. It should be very active and bubbly.
To your mixing bowl, add all of the ingredients.
Knead in a stand mixer using the dough hook until stretchy and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. This should take about 5-10 minutes. It should pass the ‘windowpane’ test, which is when you take a small piece of the dough and try to stretch it into a square-like shape. If you can stretch it thin enough where you can “see through it”, then the gluten formation is adequate.
If it doesn’t pass this test and is breaking apart, then place it back into the stand mixer and knead for a few more minutes.
Place in a large, oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap, beeswax wrap, or something that is airtight. This will keep the dough moist, preventing it from developing a hard skin.
Allow to ferment for 8 to 24 hours in a warm place.
The next day, it should have at least doubled in size.
Punch down the dough. Divide into two equal parts.
Shape it by rolling the dough into a flat rectangle (about 1/4 – 1/2 inch thickness) and roll up. Pinch the seam.
Place French bread dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Cover with a towel and allow to rise until doubled again. This could take a few hours depending on how warm your kitchen is.
Slash with lame.
Preheat to 400. Bake for 25 minutes.
For a more golden crust, add ice cubes in the oven. This helps add moisture and steam to make that golden, crustier crust.
Once it is done baking, pull it out of the oven and allow to cool completely before slicing.
Find More Delicious Sourdough Recipes:
- Sourdough Chocolate Cupcakes
- Sourdough Sandwich Rolls
- No-Knead Sourdough Bread
- Sourdough Blueberry Muffins
- Homemade Sourdough Bagels
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone
Sourdough French Bread
Crusty sourdough French bread has a fluffy texture inside. It's everything you want in a recipe and it couldn't be easier.
Ingredients
- 1 cup sourdough starter (227 g)
- 1 1/4 cup water (295 g)
- 2 tsp salt and (10 g)
- 4 cups flour (600 g)
- 1 tbsp honey (17 g)
- 2 tbsp olive oil (10 g)
Instructions
- Feed your starter 4-12 hours before starting this recipe. It should be very active and bubbly.
- To your mixing bowl, add all of the ingredients.
- Knead in a stand mixer using the dough hook until stretchy and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. This should take about 5-10 minutes. It should pass the ‘windowpane’ test, which is when you take a small piece of the dough and try to stretch it into a square-like shape. If you can stretch it thin enough where you can “see through it”, then the gluten formation is adequate.
- Place in a large, oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap, beeswax wrap, or something that is airtight. This will keep the dough moist, preventing it from developing a hard skin.
- Allow to ferment for 8 to 24 hours in a warm place. The next day, it should have at least doubled in size.
- Punch down the dough. Divide into two equal parts.
- Shape it by rolling the dough into a flat rectangle (about 1/4 – 1/2 inch thickness) and roll up. Pinch the seam.
- Place French bread dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Cover with a towel and allow to rise until doubled again. This could take a few hours depending on how warm your kitchen is.
- Slash with lame.
- Preheat to 400. Bake for 25 minutes.
For a more golden crust, add ice cubes in the oven. This helps add moisture and steam to make that golden, crustier crust.
Once it is done baking, pull it out of the oven and allow to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
For a more golden crust, add ice cubes in the oven for a crustier crust.
The windowpane test is when you take a small piece of the dough and try to stretch it into a square-like shape. If you can stretch it thin enough where you can “see through it”, then the gluten formation is adequate. If, after kneading, your dough just breaks apart, then knead it longer until it can pass this test.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 128Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 213mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 3g
Nicole says
This recipe is a definite keeper! Followed your instructions exactly (fermented overnight for about 10 hours then did the second rise for 2) and the bread turned out perfect! Super soft and fluffy on the inside with a really nice, and easy to chew through crust! I made half of the loaf into garlic bread and the other half we are eating on its own and both are better than any French bread I’ve had! This super simple and delicious recipe will be part of many meals! Thank you!!
Victoria says
How did you make it into garlic bread? I would love to try that, it sounds amazing!!
Nicole says
Sorry this took me so long to reply to! Once the bread was baked and cooled I simply mixed soft butter with minced garlic, and a little salt and spread that onto a loaf that was sliced in half lengthwise. Then baked at 350 until nice and toasty! Enjoy 🙂
Carolyn Duffy says
I just made the dough for this recipe. It seemed really wet, yet, after 5 minutes with 4 cups of flour. I added about a 1/2 cup or so more before I got it to the “window pane” stage. I haven’t baked it yet, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
Katie Hernandez says
So weird! I just made the dough and it seemed pretty dense and dry. Had to knead more a long time to get dough to absorb moisture and it was still pretty dense but passed the mid now pane test. Finger crossed as well 😅
Camille says
Such an easy recipe to follow and both loaves came out beautifully! The taste has a perfect sour tang!
L says
What kind of flour? Whatever you want? I don’t think it’s specified anywhere
Laura s. says
You can’t make sourdough with bleached white. That says a lot about what a dead product that is. Unbleached white is probably what she used, but I add about 20% whole wheat for flavor.
Ginger says
This is probably a stupid question, but I just can’t get my mind around it. How do you know how much to replace the amount of starter you’ve used? And why do you have discarded starter, aside from when you’ve just started a new starter? Thanks!
Mabel says
The King Arthur website has very good info about sourdough from making a starter and on to hire to feed it and many recipes as well as what you can do with the discard if you’d rather not throw it out. I used organic all purpose flour from Costco, whatever brand they sold when I bought it, but King Arthur all purpose flour is my favorite. Hope that helps. Happy baking! Mabel
Cindy Army says
wow!! so simple but so amazingly tasty. I felt like a profesional bread maker when I tasted this! 5 star
Chelsea says
Perfect sourdough French bread! What a great recipe. Thanks for sharing! My sourdough starter seems to take forever to rise, so this recipe took a good 24 hours including time out of the fridge for my starter to be active/bubbly. Worth the wait!
Vickie says
It would be great if you would give the measurements by weight!
Thank you!
M b ribb says
I second this. How much active starter is “one cup.” Afterall?
Lisa says
When I weighed it in the past, it was 227g. Hope that helps.
Rocio says
I will try to make this sourdough french bread thank you for sharing your recipe.
Brittany says
This is my first time making actual bread with my starter. I love all of your recipes and have done well with the rules, cinnamon rolls, English muffins, pancakes etc. My dough for this recipe seems really moist and very sticky after 10 minutes. I did another half a cup of flour, will see if this does the trick! I did use my starter directly from the fridge so it was a little more runny or than usual – is this normal?
Joan says
Hi,
Why are the instructions in the blog and the instructions in the lower (printable) section totally different? Was there a glitch?
Would love to know which one you prefer.
Thanks.
Angela says
This recipe was fool proof and soooooo easy!! I tried a different recipe and failed but this one came out PERFECT!!
Lisa says
Wow! Wonderful to hear/
Danielle says
Great idea!! These would be great to make a big batch of and freeze a bunch so you can just take one out for a meal here or there and just keep plain or whip up soem garlic bread real quick!
Brooke says
Hmm..seems like every sourdough bread comes out heavy and dense (so when you eat a lil bit it sinks to the bottom of stomach). I was wondering if you could have helped me….I took a pic of inside up close so you can see and perhaps give feedback….I tried and did everything exactly the way it read. Unbleached four from our local mill…..Everyone liked it…but I am thinking they are just trying to be nice….
Neil says
Autolyse your flour 2 hrs before adding your starter
Joe says
Nice easy recipe it is almost the same recipe I use for pizza dough except I make it 100% whole grain. I think it’ll work well as a French bread whole grain too. To tamp down the sourness I add 5-7 grams of baking soda.
Melody says
Would this recipe work with my einkorn sourdough or would some measurements be different?
Lisa says
The measurements would be different, since einkorn absorbs fat and liquid a lot more slowly than modern flour.
Kacy says
I’m making an einkorn batch now. I did the same measurements, understanding that it should be 20% different, it was stickier and wetter as usual after fermenting which is to be expected but I didn’t want to dry it out either. To form, I just used a scraper to pull up and fold over using flour, then placed on a cookie sheet. It is looking great, in the oven now. I would be open to your experience and I will be adjusting if needed as well.i think it’s going to be fine! Thanks Lisa!
Lisa says
Wonderful! Glad that worked out for you. Thanks for sharing.
Joy says
Couldn’t get it to rise after I shared them?? They rose just a bit after 2 hours. They baked pretty small. The weather is slight chilly so I put them in the cooling door under the oven eventually and turned the oven on to give off some heat. They ended up drying out on top. Thoughts? The same thing is happening to my sour dough sandwich bread loaves.
Olga says
Delicious! Definitely a keeper! I did have to add a little more flour (1/2 cup), but turned out delicious!
Lisa says
Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed.
Mer says
Can this be kneaded by hand or would it be too wet to do this. Is scrolled through quite a few comments but didn’t see this questIon. .
Thank you!
Therese says
Hi,
I made this for the first time, followed the recipe, however, my dough didn’t rise after the shaping portion. I’ve never done a window pane test but as I did this one, it broke and wasn’t too stretchy. What did I do wrong?
Tabitha says
Not being able to stretch to where you can see through it means it needs to be kneaded more. Not an indication of anything wrong, just that it’s not kneaded enough.
Mari Garland says
In general, the failed window pane test means the dough wasn’t kneaded long enough before the bulk rise. Try kneading for 2 additional minutes on speed 3 of a Kitchen Aid mixer with dough hook (low/med speed) and do the windowpane test again. I had to do this 2 or 3 times with my baguette recipe. Check out foodgeek.dk for a great video on the windowpane test before the bulk rise. I also had trouble with overproofing my dough during bulk rise step (not this recipe, actually I was attempting a whole wheat sourdough recipe). Commercial yeast will cause dough to double easily, but I’ve had the best luck with pure sourdough with only a 50% rise during bulk rise and then moving to shaping. Hope that helps.
Hailey Shaffer says
Very excited to make this recipe but the ads are making it impossible to read the ingredients from my phone. I totally support you having ads to make a living when you provide so much free content. I just wish I could easily read the recipe!
Faith holdeman says
Can I do a cup of whole wheat flour in this recipe?
Latrina says
With the water does it have to be a certain temperature?
Lisa says
I just use room temperature water.
Ali says
Easy to follow instructions! Turned out great. This might be my new go-to!
Lisa says
That’s awesome! So glad you enjoyed it!
Carol-Ann says
So I just made this recipe and my crust didn’t develop any color or real crunch! Everything else is wonderful though! I put ice cubes in the oven and even let it bake another 5 minutes but its still so pale! Any tips? Should I try an egg wash?
Lisa says
I recently made some sourdough bread bowls and figured out a way to make it really crusty. The answer is lots of steam! I placed rolled up towels in a baking dish and a cast iron skillet with pie weights into the oven and preheated them. Right as I added the bread, I added boiling water to the towels and cold water to the pie weights. This created a ton of steam and made nice crusty bread. A reader also suggested they just add a small baking dish of water to the oven during the first half of the baking. Hope that helps.
Valerie says
Made this today & my family had 1 loaf gone in less than 30 minutes. Will definitely make again. Finally a sourdough recipe that turned out for me. Thanks!
Lisa says
Yay! That is so wonderful to hear Valerie!
Mendy Adler-Porter says
Loved this recipe.? So easy, so good.
Thank you for inspiring me to love my Sourdough cooking..
Lisa says
That is wonderful to hear!
Julie Bremer says
Love the recipe easily to follow. Took my dough 24 hours to double, (cool house) however on the 2nd rise – it just did not happen. Any suggestions? I have a mixture of whole wheat and white flour. Thank you so much .
Lisa says
Hmm. That is interesting that it doubled the first time, but not the second time. How long did you let it rise the second time? Did you still bake them and did they rise during baking?