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. Itโ€™s wonderfully simple.

sourdough French bread baguettes on a parchment lined baking sheet on top of a vintage oven.

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, itโ€™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. Itโ€™s perfect to serve as garlic bread, or with a bowl of soup

overhead photo of two baked sourdough French breads on parchment paper.

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. Itโ€™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.
slices of French sourdough bread on parchment paper on a white quarts countertop

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. 

two loaves of sourdough French bread on parchment paper, on is sliced while the other is whole
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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.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

Tools you may need:

Stand mixer with dough hook.

Lame

Baking sheet

Measuring cups and spoons

close up picture of two sourdough French breads on a parchment lined baking sheet

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 โ€˜windowpaneโ€™ 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 โ€œsee through itโ€, then the gluten formation is adequate.

If it doesnโ€™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.

sourdough French bread dough rolled out into a square on a white quartz countertop with a rolling pin and more dough to the back right

Shape it by rolling the dough into a flat rectangle (about 1/4 โ€“ 1/2 inch thickness) and roll up. Pinch the seam. 

sourdough French bread sough rolled up on a quarts countertop with a baking sheet covered with parchment paper to the left and a rolling pin in the back right

Place French bread dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.

two sourdough baguette dough rolls on a parchment lined baking sheet ready to go into the oven

Cover with a towel and allow to rise until doubled again. This could take a few hours depending on how warm your kitchen is.

a close up picture of a lame with two raw sourdough French bread baguettes in the background

Slash with lame. 

two raw sourdough baguettes slashed with a lame on top of a parchment lined baking sheet ready for the oven

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.

slices of French bread on a wood cutting board with the other baguettes and a blue and white stripped towel in the background

Find More Delicious Sourdough Recipes:

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

4.50 from 181 votes
Crusty sourdough French bread has a fluffy texture inside. It's everything you want in a recipe and it couldn't be easier.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Additional Time: 12 hours
Total: 12 hours 40 minutes
Servings: servings
sourdough French bread baguettes on a parchment lined baking sheet on top of a vintage oven.
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Ingredients 

  • 1 cup sourdough starter, 227 g
  • 1 1/4 cups water, 295 g
  • 2 teaspoon salt and, 10 g
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour, 560 g
  • 1 tablespoon honey, 21 g
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, 27 g
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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 โ€˜windowpaneโ€™ 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 โ€œsee through itโ€, 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 โ€“ 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 โ€œsee through itโ€, 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

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 98kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 195mg | Potassium: 23mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 0.004mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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4.50 from 181 votes (161 ratings without comment)

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165 Comments

  1. Lara says:

    4 stars
    Great recipe, thanks for sharing! I split the dough into 4 loaves to use for steak and cheese sandwiches. Delicious!
    I couldnโ€™t get them to crisp up but since the size was smaller I was able to put them individually into the air fryer for 5 minutes and they crisped up wonderfully. Definitely making again.

  2. Ann Williams says:

    5 stars
    I have used multiple times- always comes out great. I donโ€™t have a mixer and mix by hand.

  3. Samuel says:

    5 stars
    Your tips are really improving my skills with baking sourdough and your very detailed instructions. Thank you so much. I love sourdough, and I actually got started using your starter recipe. Please keep up the great work.

  4. Elizabeth Haddox says:

    I just made this yesterday and immediately made another batch! So so good!

  5. Alyssa J Pierce says:

    5 stars
    This is a new fave in our house! Thanks, Lisa!

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      Glad you enjoyed it!

  6. Addie says:

    5 stars
    Awesome recipe! I love making sandwiches with this loaf. Itโ€™s super easy and turns out absolutely amazing. Thanks a million Lisa.

  7. Marcy L says:

    2 stars
    AFter the knead and sitting overnight, it never doubled and was very sticky and wet. I was unable to form it really and it was gummy inside after baking. Shame! It might help to have pics of what it should look like in bowl before rise overnight and after!

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      Sounds like it over fermented and you may have missed it when it rose! That turns your bread dough into a sticky, unworkable mess. I am sorry you had troubles with your loaf.

    2. Ann says:

      Did you weigh out all your ingredients? I have found even if sourdough over rises, it is still workable and you will get a decent loaf. But if your hydration is off because you measured using cups and tablespoons instead of weight, it can be a mess. Sourdough is almost always a wetter dough to start with so even a slight difference in hydration levels can mess it all up. Also do not cut into a loaf of baked bread until it is completely cool or you will accentuate any doughiness from having your hydration offโ€ฆ.

  8. Tischan Seltzer says:

    Iโ€™m curious about part where it says let ferment for 8-24 hours before punching down. What if my dough more than doubles in that time. Does that matter?

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      If it more than doubles, you can punch it down sooner.

  9. Jennifer says:

    5 stars
    This looks to be a really easy recipe. What do you put the ice cubes in or on to to get the steam? How many do you use?
    Thanks!

    1. Terrina says:

      5 stars
      I put three ice cubes into a small glass oven-safe dish on the bottom rack, and baked the loaves on a higher rack. They came out a beautiful golden colour!

  10. Jennifer says:

    This looks to be a wonderfully simple recipe. What do you put the ice cubes in or on to to get the steam? How many do you use?
    Thanks!

    1. KyGrandee says:

      5 stars
      I was wondering where to put the ice cubes too? On the baking pan with the bread or in a different pan?
      Thanks

      1. Lisa Bass says:

        I like to put it in another pan under the baking dish with the bread.