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
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
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love this recipe! I’ve used it so much and have always achieved great results!!
I just have to say that this turned out very good for me! I read a lot of reviews saying that the dough was sticky. I didn’t have enough starter so I halved the recipe to make one loaf. I’m not sure if that is why mine turned out so good…great crust, rose very well and wasn’t too sticky. Looking forward to our New Years Eve dinner tonight, complete with some tasty bread!
My first disaster, sticky, messy, I added half cup extra flour, it rose just fine but after shaping the loaves fell flat.
I finally picked up the entire mess, threw it in a ball and put it in the fridge to see if I can save it tomorrow.
I think the full cup of starter is too much?
It sounds like the dough may have over fermented! When it ferments for too long, it can become very sticky and messy and won’t hold a shape.
I added 1/2 tsp of instant yeast. I was a little apprehensive of these turning out when the dough didn’t rise much after I shaped them – HOWEVER they rose very nicely while they baked and turned out beautifully… Soft and fluffy, made the perfect garlic, cheese bread.
I would agree that the dough was a little sticky, but so happy this turned out
I haven’t made this yet but I’m about to try it.. reading through the comments i understand why some are saying it was way overproofed (sticky, couldn’t work with it).. this is a lotttt of starter. I would not add more than 100g starter personally (unless I’m adding it cold from the refrigerator).. I just know my dough would be over proofed with a cup of starter! 60-100g gives me time for a slow overnight rise.. depending on temperature of my kitchen. When it’s colder I use more like 100g but warmer, 60 does it perfectly. Just gage how active your starter is and do what works for you… adjust that one element in the recipe and I bet it will work great.
Can I use Einkorn flour to make Sourdough French Bread? I assume the measurements need to be adjusted?? Thank you for your help.
Hmmm tried twice and my dough was also too wet? Being determined I did manage to make loafs and they were very tasty. Lisa are you using fresh ground or organic white? It almost seems like it needs more flour to form dough. I believe fresh ground is thirsty so maybe absorbing liquid if that is what you use. Please advise and thank you:)
Love your new book! 🤗
Hi there! I would add more flour if you are still finding that your dough is wet before working with it.
Terrible. Had to throw out it was so bad. Instructions made it overproofed and inedible.
I am sorry this did not work for you.
I absolutely love this recipe! I am pretty new to sourdough and have had some fails but this recipe is so simple! I have also rolled out the dough and cut my loaves into 6 rolls each. Same cooking time and nice crusty rolls! Don’t forget the ice cubes! The dough also freezes well for later cooking😉
Two attempts.
First one the dough tripled overnight. It was too wet, sticky and unmanageable. Could not roll out. It spread out.
Next time I adjusted my start time to later. Next morning it did not rise. Gave it a few more hours, nothing
I have a new oven with a proofing mode, put it in there and checked it every hour. After 3 hours it finally was doubled. I still could not work with it, sticky and spread out, unable to roll it.
I put it on parchment paper and laid it in a French bread pan. Put it back in the oven on proof.
I’ll give it a few hours and see what happens.