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Active Time
30 min
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Total Time
3 1/2 hr
The beauty of this bread is in its simplicity—mixing, kneading, even part of the rising are all done in a food processor. The end result is like a warm, crusty slice of Paris.
Ingredients
Makes two 17-inch loaves
Special Equipment
Step 1
Pulse flour, salt, and vinegar in a food processor to combine.
Step 2
Stir together yeast and 1/3 cup water in a small bowl until yeast is dissolved, then let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast.) With motor running, pour yeast mixture and remaining 1 1/3 cups warm water into flour mixture in processor, blending until dough forms a ball and pulls away from side of processor bowl, about 1 minute.
Step 3
Cover processor feed tube and let dough rise until it fills bowl, about 1 hour. Pulse several times to deflate dough.
Step 4
Generously oil bread pans with olive oil.
Step 5
Turn out dough onto a work surface and divide in half (dough will be very soft). Press 1 half into a 10- by 8-inch rectangle and fold in the 2 short outer sides to meet in the middle, pinching edges together. Turn over (seam side down), then roll and stretch into a 15-inch-long irregular loaf. Put loaf, seam side up, in bread pan and turn to coat with oil, leaving loaf seam side down.
Step 6
Repeat procedure with remaining dough. Let loaves rise, uncovered, in a warm draft-free place 30 minutes.
Step 7
Put oven rack in upper third of oven, then put a large roasting pan with 1 inch of water in it on bottom of gas oven or on lowest rack of electric oven. Preheat oven to 450°F.
Step 8
Make 3 shallow diagonal slashes down length of each loaf with razor. Bake loaves 30 minutes, then carefully remove pan of water from oven. Remove bread from pans and turn upside down on upper oven rack, then bake until golden and crusty all over, about 5 minutes more. Cool loaves on a rack.
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Reviews (72)
Back to TopWow! I wasn't sure about making the dough in the food processor, but after reading all of the reviews on this bread, I decided to give it a try. It was truly amazing! You would never know that I didn't spend all day in the kitchen making this bread. My family loved it and we are very persnickety about our bread! (Including my daughter, who is a huge bread baker.) We had it with Sausage, Pasta, and Bean Soup - another Epicurious favorite. I did make 2 adjustments based on the reviews below - I did a second 30 minute rise in the food processor and I baked at 430 degrees for 15 minutes for the "first bake", then baked the additional 5 minutes upside down directly on the oven rack, as called for in the recipe. It was perfect. I will definitely be making this bread again many more times!
Anonymous
Wallingford, CT
4/6/2020
Ignore those few negative reviews! This recipe is easy and fantastic. It’s been a go-to for me for years now. Addressing a couple of those reviews—French bread is always best fresh, not day after; a quality food processor can handle a tough 1 minute; and for the person who completely ditched the directions and did not use the processor—smh not even sure what to say. Anyway, at my casa this is always devoured in short order.
marcyepp
Southwest Texas
3/30/2020
Bread was good right out of the oven but did not hold up well even one day later after being in a ziplock bag. It was dry and overly chewy.
Anonymous
Allentown PA
2 /7/2018
I would not make this recipe again. I have been baking bread with my grandma since I was a teen. This recipe was waaaaay fussy. I changed it up on a few things. I bloomed my yeast, also added sugar. Then I put the wet mixture in the kitchenaide. forget the stupid food processor. wasted step and way to complicated. I put the wet mixture in the bowl including the vinegar, then added the floor salt mixture until it was the right softness and consistency. Then I let it rise, rest and made two beautiful loves that were brushed with herbs, salt and olive oil. No pan underneath, no bs. This was a very fussy recipe for sure! I learned that vinegar will prob give a sour dough flavor and I like that part of the recipe. so I did glean something new. But way, way to fussy! I am a foodie, but I do not care for fussy.
peninsulahair
华盛顿州
8/3/2016
A very good recipe, however I question the use of vinegar and lack of sugar. I made po' boy rolls and they left a sour aftertaste. Next time I will add a tablespoon of sugar to try and balance it out. If that doesn't work, the vinegar goes out the door completely.
whatcity225
Gonzales, LA
5/15/2016
A food processor, surely a cruel joke, or perhaps the author's day job includes repairing kitchen appliance motors. Bread dough calls for a stand mixer or mixed by hand, period. Measurements by volume instead of weight is another clue this is not a well thought out recipe.
tonyp5
McLean, VA
2 /14/2016
Came out perfectly, I've made these at least 2 times a week since I found the recipe several weeks ago. Everyone loves it and it is so easy to make I no longer buy sandwich bread. For my oven though, 15 minutes baking was perfect. I turned them over for the remaining 5 minutes after shutting the oven off.
pixelsicle1
11/9/2015
I have always sworn that while I can cook, I cannot bake. I was SO wrong! Used cookie sheet as others have, and brushed with salt and garlic. Dinner for 8, not one crumb left and everyone wanted recipe. Easy, turned out perfect, and adapted perfectly to high altitude. Now I have the confidence to try other more difficult breads and pastries! Thank you! 3
sylandra
Reno, NV
6/27/2015
Have never made french bread before, and it was a hit! Did not have bread pans, so I just formed them into two baguette-like long rolls on a cookie sheet, and that worked fine. Sprinkled some salt on the top. Next time will experiment with garlic, rosemary, and other ideas as suggested below.
ligacla
Bellevue, WA
12/31/2014
This is my go-to recipe (I have made this so many times I have it memorized). I make this in my Kitchenaide mixer with the dough hook instead of the food processor--really, I am just too lazy to drag it out and have to clean it later-- and it comes out perfect. I let it raise in the mixing bowl. Cutting the dough into 4-6 pieces means you can make rolls for po-boy sandwiches, just sayin'
CharleneB
Indianapolis, IN
10/23/2014
Made this for the first time last week. I did not use the white vinegar. Instead I have sour dough starter that has been going for 3 plus months. I used one cup of the spur dough starter and 3 cups flour. I'm stead of two loaves I made rolls and it was fantastic. My wife told me not to do that again because she could not stop eating them. The entire dinner party of eight made positive comments. Reduce the water added or ad a littleness flower to get the consistancy wanted.
joeboy1556
Neenahl, WI
3/9/2014
Boy, I totally butchered this recipe. I don't have a food processor so I made it by hand. I cut the recipe in half. I didn't have very foamy yeast. I didn't let it rise fully. I didn't fold it like origami...And it came out awesome!! This recipe is not as high maintenance as it seems.
KarenWalheim
Santa RosaCA
3/1/2014
It was perfect first time!
Kmarasmith
Washington State
11/20/2013
我想试试这个再保险cipe but I don't have a food processor...can it be done by hand?
sammy88
dominica
11/12/2013
Exceptionally easy. Nice crust, good texture and chewiness, but a bit too salty. Definitely worth trying again.
nigelb
Reston, Va
10/30/2012
