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This small loaf French bread recipe makes one single loaf with a golden crust and soft, airy center. It’s an easy homemade bread that’s the perfect size for one or two people.
Featured Comment
“This recipe was easy and the bread turned out light and delicious. The exact right amount for 1 or 2 people. I will be keeping this one and making the bread often.”
– Starla
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 2 hours 40 minutes (includes two rises)
- Bake Time: 18 to 20 minutes
- Total Time: About 3 hours
- Equipment: Stand mixer or by hand
- Cook Method: Bake at 400°F (200°C)
- Servings: 12 slices
- Difficulty: Moderate. This recipe uses yeast, so water temperature and rise times matter. Step-by-step photos are included for every stage.
This small loaf French bread has a golden, crispy crust with a soft, chewy center that pulls apart easily. An easy bread recipe for one person or a small household.
Why I Love This Small Loaf French Bread
I started baking French bread years ago, and I got pretty good at it. But every recipe I found made two full loaves. For one person, that’s a lot of bread sitting on the counter going stale.
So I figured out how to scale it down. It took 2 days of testing to get the ratios right. With less dough, the balance between yeast, flour, and water matters more. Too much of one thing and the bread won’t rise or the crust stays pale. I kept adjusting until I got it right. Now this single loaf of bread bakes up with a golden, crispy crust and a soft, airy center.
One small loaf. Just enough to slice warm from the oven, spread with butter, and actually finish before it dries out.
I included step-by-step photos so you can see what the dough should look like at every stage.
This small loaf French bread is great with a bowl of French onion soup, a single serving of chili, or just torn apart with some homemade jam.
Watch How To Make A Small Loaf Of French Bread
Table of Contents
- Quick Look
- Why I Love This Small Loaf French Bread
- Watch How To Make A Small Loaf Of French Bread
- Ingredient Notes
- Bread Dough Variations
- How To Make A Small Loaf Of French Bread
- Expert Tips
- Troubleshooting
- Serving Suggestions
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
- Small Loaf French Bread Recipe
Ingredient Notes
If you have leftover ingredients from this small bread recipe with yeast, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
Flour: All-purpose flour or bread flour both work in this French bread recipe. All-purpose gives you a softer loaf. Bread flour has more protein, so you’ll get more chew and a better rise, but the dough will feel firmer since it absorbs more water.
Water: Use warm water between 90–100°F to activate the yeast. Water that’s too hot will kill the yeast, and water that’s too cold won’t activate it. If you don’t have a thermometer, it should feel warm on your wrist but not hot.
Salt: Salt adds flavor and keeps the yeast in check. Without it, the dough rises too fast and the bread tastes flat. You’ll also sprinkle a little on top before baking.
Active Dry Yeast: Active dry yeast needs to dissolve in warm water before you mix it with everything else. If you have instant yeast, use the same amount and add it straight to the dry ingredients.
Honey: A tablespoon of honey feeds the yeast and helps the crust brown in the oven.
Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil adds richness and keeps the bread tender. You’ll brush more on top before baking for a golden crust. Vegetable oil works as a substitute.
Bread Dough Variations
This small loaf French bread dough works well as a base for other flavors. Here are a few worth trying:
Olive and Walnut Bread: Fold in 1/8 cup of chopped kalamata olives and 1/8 cup of chopped walnuts when mixing the dough. The olives add a salty, tangy bite and the walnuts give it some crunch. After baking, brush the top with melted butter mixed with 1/4 teaspoon of garlic salt.
Rosemary and Roasted Garlic Bread: Add 3–4 roasted garlic cloves and 1/2 tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary just before shaping for the second rise. To roast garlic, cut the top off a whole head, drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast at 400°F for 30–35 minutes until soft and golden.
Cheese Bread: Mix in 1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan, Gruyère, or sharp cheddar during the first knead. You’ll get little pockets of melted cheese all through the bread.
Herb Bread: Add 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs like thyme, basil, or oregano to the dough. Dried herbs work too. Use about 1 teaspoon if going that route.
How To Make A Small Loaf Of French Bread
These photos walk you through each step of the process. For ingredient amounts and the full recipe, see the recipe card below.
- Mix the Dough
In a large bowl, add the flour, salt, honey, olive oil, and warm water. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let it dissolve. Mix with a stand mixer or by hand. If using a stand mixer, start with the paddle attachment until the dough comes together.
- Knead the Dough
Switch to the dough hook and knead for about 10 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic. To check, pull off a small piece and stretch it thin. If you can see light through it without it tearing, it’s ready. If it rips, knead a few more minutes.
- First Rise
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until it doubles in size, about 1 hour. Press a finger lightly into the dough. If the indent stays, it’s ready. If it springs back, give it more time.
- Rest the Dough
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead it gently a few times to push out the air. Cover with a dish towel and let it rest for 10–15 minutes.
- Shape and Second Rise
Shape the dough into a round boule, an oval, or a 6×3-inch rectangle for a baguette. Place it on a baking sheet, cover with a dish towel, and let it rise for about 1 hour.
- Score and Prep for the Oven
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Use a sharp knife to score one slash across the top of the loaf. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.
- Bake the Bread
Bake for 18–20 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Tap the bottom of the loaf. It should sound hollow when it’s done.
Expert Tips
Measure flour by weight. Weigh your flour (10 ounces or 285 grams) if you can. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, fluff the flour with a fork, spoon it into the measuring cup, and level it off with a knife. Scooping directly from the bag packs in too much and makes the bread dense.
Check your yeast. Active dry yeast needs warm water (90–100°F) to activate. If it doesn’t foam after a few minutes, it’s probably expired. Start fresh with new yeast. With a small loaf like this, even a little inactive yeast will throw off the rise.
Try the windowpane test. After kneading, pull off a small piece of dough and stretch it thin. If you can see light through it without it tearing, you’re good. If it rips, knead for another 2–3 minutes.
If your dough isn’t rising. A cold kitchen is usually the problem. Place the covered bowl in your oven with just the light on. That little bit of warmth makes a big difference.
Check for doneness. The bread is done when the crust is golden and the bottom sounds hollow when you tap it after 18–20 minutes at 400°F. If the center still seems doughy, bake for another 3–5 minutes.
Handle sticky dough gradually. If the dough sticks to your hands or the counter, sprinkle a little flour and keep working it. Add flour one tablespoon at a time rather than dumping in extra all at once.
Troubleshooting
If your small loaf French bread isn’t turning out quite right, here’s how to fix common issues like dense bread, pale crust, or dough that won’t rise.
Why is my French bread dense and heavy?
This usually means too much flour or not enough kneading. Weigh your flour when possible, or spoon it into the dry measuring cup and level it off. Scooping directly packs in too much flour. Also make sure you’ve kneaded for the full 10 minutes with a stand mixer or 15 to 20 minutes by hand. Under-kneaded dough doesn’t develop enough gluten structure to rise properly.
Why is the crust pale and not golden?
The oven wasn’t hot enough or the bread needed more time. Preheat fully before baking. The olive oil brushed on top helps the crust brown, so don’t skip it. If the crust still looks pale, tap the bottom. If it doesn’t sound hollow, bake another 3 to 5 minutes.
Why didn’t my bread dough rise?
Usually it’s the yeast. It might be expired, or the water was too hot and killed it, or too cold and it didn’t activate. Yeast works best in water between 90–100°F. If your kitchen runs cold, try letting the dough rise in your oven with just the light on. That little bit of warmth is usually enough to get things moving.
Why is my French bread doughy in the middle?
It needed more time in the oven. Tap the bottom of the loaf, it should sound hollow when it’s done. If it doesn’t, bake for another 3–5 minutes. An instant-read thermometer should read about 200°F at the center. Cutting into the bread too soon can also make it seem doughy, so let it cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Why is the crust too hard?
The bread baked too long or the oven runs hot. Check the crust color at 18 minutes. If it’s already deeply golden, the bread is likely done. Oven thermometers are inexpensive and can be placed inside your oven to show the actual temperature, which is often different from the set temperature. If yours runs hot, reduce the oven temperature by 15 to 25 degrees.
Why didn’t the loaf hold its shape?
The dough was too wet or shaped too loosely. When shaping, tuck the edges under to create surface tension on top. A tight shape holds its form in the oven. If the dough feels too soft, knead in flour a tablespoon at a time until it firms up.
Serving Suggestions
This bread is great on its own with butter, but here are a few ways to use it:
- French Bread Pizza For One: Split the loaf, add sauce and toppings, and bake until bubbly.
- French Toast For One: Use day-old slices for French toast the next morning.
- Homemade Croutons: Cube leftover bread, toss with olive oil, and toast at 375°F until crispy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bake at 400°F for 18–20 minutes. The crust should be golden brown and the bottom should sound hollow when you tap it. If the center still seems doughy, bake for another 3–5 minutes. An instant-read thermometer should read about 200°F at the center.
Yes. Mix the ingredients in a large bowl with a spoon, then knead by hand on a floured surface for 15–20 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. A stand mixer speeds things up, but it’s not required.
Yes. Use the same amount of instant yeast and mix it directly with the dry ingredients. You don’t need to dissolve it in water first.
Wrap the bread in a kitchen towel or place it in a resealable bag and keep it at room temperature. It stays fresh for about 2 days. You can also freeze it in an airtight bag for up to 3 months and reheat slices in a 350°F oven for about 5 minutes.
Bread flour has more protein, which gives you a chewier bread with a better rise. All-purpose flour makes a softer, lighter loaf. Either one works for this recipe.
Yes. Double all the ingredients to make two small loaves. Rising and kneading times should be about the same, but watch the dough and go by how it looks rather than the clock.
This recipe hasn’t been tested in a bread machine. If you’d like to try, King Arthur Baking has a helpful guide on converting bread recipes for bread machines.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this small batch French bread recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Small Loaf French Bread
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 ounces all purpose flour or bread flour – (2 ¼ cups for a single loaf. If doubling the recipe, use 4 ½ cups)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt -plus ½ teaspoon for sprinkling on top
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ tablespoon olive oil – plus 1 tablespoon for brushing over top.
- 6 fluid ounces warm water
- ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
Instructions
- Mix the Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, honey, olive oil, and warm water. Sprinkle the yeast over the water to dissolve.
- Knead the Dough: Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed until the dough starts to come together. Switch to the dough hook and knead for about 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If kneading by hand, work the dough on a floured surface for 15–20 minutes until smooth and stretchy.
- First Rise: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, or until it doubles in size. Press a finger into the dough. If the indent stays, it's ready.
- Deflate and Rest: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead 4–5 times to push out the air. Cover with a dish towel and let it rest for 10–15 minutes.
- Shape the Dough: Form the dough into a round boule, an oval, or a 6×3-inch rectangle for a baguette shape. If making a baguette, press the ends down with the heel of your hand to seal them. Place on a baking sheet, cover with a towel, and let rise for about 1 hour until puffy.
- Score and Prep: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Use a sharp knife to score one slash across the top of the loaf. Brush with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt.
- Bake: Bake for 18–20 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Tap the bottom of the loaf. It should sound hollow when it's done.
- Serve: Let cool for a few minutes, then slice and enjoy warm.
Notes
-
- Measure flour by weight. Weigh your flour (10 ounces or 285 grams) if you can. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, fluff the flour with a fork, spoon it into the measuring cup, and level it off with a knife. Scooping directly from the bag packs in too much and makes the bread dense.
- Check your yeast. Active dry yeast needs warm water (90–100°F) to activate. If it doesn’t foam after a few minutes, it’s probably expired. Start fresh with a new packet.
- Try the windowpane test. After kneading, pull off a small piece of dough and stretch it thin. If you can see light through it without it tearing, you’re good. If it rips, knead for another 2–3 minutes.
- If your dough isn’t rising. A cold kitchen is usually the problem. Place the covered bowl in your oven with just the light on. That little bit of warmth makes a big difference.
- Check for doneness. The bread is done when the crust is golden and the bottom sounds hollow when you tap it. If the center still seems doughy, bake for another 3–5 minutes.
- Handle sticky dough gradually. If the dough sticks to your hands or the counter, sprinkle a little flour and keep working it. Add flour one tablespoon at a time rather than dumping in extra all at once.
- Stir all the ingredients together in a large bowl with a spoon until combined.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a rough ball.
- Using the heel of your hand, push the dough away from you, then fold the far edge back toward you and press down. Repeat.
- If the dough gets sticky, sprinkle a little flour as you go. After about 3 minutes it should start to smooth out.
- Keep kneading for 15–20 minutes total until the dough is smooth and stretchy.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I live in a place where I cannot buy fresh bread, so I have to make my own, and I’m very new to baking bread. I was looking for rolls for po’boys for a large crowd and found this one. However, I didn’t read the post or description. I realized my mistake after the first rise. But, after quickly mixing up a larger batch, I put my little single roll into the oven, and wow, this is one of the best bread recipes I’ve tried!! I’m glad I mistakenly stumbled onto this recipe because now I have one on hand when I just need a small amount of delicious crusty bread! Thank you!
I don’t think you can beat the taste (and smell) of homemade bread. I’m so glad you stumbled upon our recipe and I’m especially happy to know that you enjoyed it too.
Someone must have tried this with a bread machine. Please post. Senior with a bread machine stored in the basement.
I am new to bread baking and I love this recipe. The taste is great and the size is perfect. I was wondering if you had a whole wheat recipe in this size as well?
We don’t have a whole wheat bread recipe yet, Nina but I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
I made this in my stand mixer and followed it exactly (not like me usually). But I wanted 3 mini-baguettes to use for sandwiches, so cut it into 3rds. Omg. It was perfection. Nice crust but not too crusty. A bit of toothsome chew. Sandwich perfection. Making it again tomorrow to go with a batch of hubby’s spaghetti. I usually shy away from bread or roll recipes with any sweet ingredients, but this one was so good and did not finish on the sweet side, but instead on the delicious side. A keeper. Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the bread. Thank you for your feedback.
1/2 tsp of yeast appears to be erroneous. No rise
Jude, the ingredient amounts are correct and this bread has been made many times by myself as well as other readers with great success. One possible reason that your bread did not rise could be because your yeast was “dead” or expired. This is the most common reason, bread doesn’t rise. Another reason may be that the water you used to dissolve the yeast was too hot.
Thank you for this excellent French Bread recipe. I make my breads by hand as I do not have the room for a large mixer or bread machine.
This bread came out so perfect. My husband and I really enjoyed it.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.
The bread turned out beautifully. I decided to make another buy added fresh garlic and rosemary to the dry and it turned out great as well and the taste mmmmm. Thank you
I wanted a sub so I made this and rolled it out thinner. I sprinkled the top with everything but the bagel seasoning. I will never buy a sub roll again!
Hi, just wondering if I can use veg. oil instead of
olive oil ? Can’t wait to try this recipie !!
Happy New Year ♡
Yes, you can.
Excellent recipe!! my first time making bread, the directions couldn’t be easier to follow. I don’t have a mixer so I did it all by hand it turned out delicious thanks for the great directions!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the bread recipe. Thank you so much for your feedback.
I LOVE this…. your site keeps coming up when looking for small (or one person type ) recipes.. (with roomies the fridge and freezer space is a premium and we all eat differently and at different times so sharing is a challenge sometimes…lol Can’t wait to try this today… thank you !
I have used this recipe many times, always had good results. One neighbor ever gave me a bag of flour to maker her a loaf.
I’m so glad you are enjoying the bread recipe. Thank you for your feedback.
Can I put in fridge after it gets covered in bowl then pick back up the next morning with the knead 4-5 times…
Yes, you can.
This recipe makes a wonderful loaf of bread. Perfect size so that We can eat the entire loaf while it’s still fresh. I baked a loaf for making stuffing this Thanksgiving and it worked great for the recipe I used.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the bread, Annie. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.
Made this bread (I have made bread before) at first (especially when I put it in the oven I thought it was to sticky,and will have to start over.
When I checked the oven
WOW it rose and turned brown just the right size for single serve stuffing and to have some with my coffee a few days later TY
Just a thought. I was under the assumption that you had to bloom the yeast in warm water before you add it to the flour. Here you put the yeast on top of the water which was added in the bowl. Is this correct?
Yes, it is correct. The yeast will dissolve in the water. No need to use a separate bowl to dissolve it.
What if I have a paddle attachment but not a dough hook
The paddle attachment is for mixing and the dough hook is for kneading. Kneading is the process of working the dough into a smooth ball which allows gluten to form. You can knead the dough by hand, if necessary. Instructions for kneading the dough by hand can be found in the FAQ section in the post.
Can i make this in my bread machine?
I haven’t tested this bread recipe using a bread machine but other readers have with success.
Love the bread! It is easy to make and comes out light and airy. I especially like the fact that it held its shape. I prefer the oblong shape but so many times the bread spreads out and loses that “French bread” look. This holds that shape perfectly all the way through baking.
for doubling the recipe, would i just double the ingredients or would it change everything else? like would it have to rise longer or anything like that?
I’ve doubled this recipe many times with success. Just double the ingredients and everything else stays the same.
So simple, so great! My husband said I could make this at least once a week because it tastes so good. It really does go together easily an quickly. I was very happy that it kept the oblong shape without spreading out and flattening out.
My first ever loaf – and it’s worked 3 successive times!! <3 One thing I did have to do was use some dietary fibre in place of flour on the second loaf, because I ran out of flour. It became a wholemeal-esque bread! Very tasty, but does NOT last long, it's so good!
Is it okay to follow all the steps except for baking but leave it overnight?
You can let bread dough rise overnight but it needs to be covered and stored in the refrigerator. I also recommend that you let the dough go through the first rise and refrigerate it during the second rise. The next day, allow the dough to warm to room temperature (the time it takes for the oven to preheat is often long enough) before baking.
I made this tonight and it was great! I will be making it again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the bread, thank you so much for your feedback.
I’m a bit confused with dry active yeast I proof with the honey and water to activate them mix. Your Instructions say mix flour and other ingredients then sprinkle yeast how does it proof without liquid and the salt kills ?
If you take a look at the photos in the recipe post, you can see that the flour, salt, honey, olive oil, and water are added to the mixing bowl. The yeast is sprinkled over the surface of the water so that it can dissolve (Step 1 in the recipe box).
I haven’t bought flour lately, but I do have Plain Flour & Self Raising Flour in my fridge, I haven’t heard of all purpose flour before, can I use one of the flours I already have for this recipe?
Plain flour works the same as all-purpose flour so I recommend using this kind.
I just made this tonight exactly by the recipe and it turned out wonderfully! So good and I love the cute little loaf. A note about rising: You don’t have to have a warm kitchen for bread to rise. I use an old-fashioned heating pad. Heat it up, put a wire rack over it and a potholder on that. Then I put my bowl of bread dough on the potholder and cover. It works like a charm.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the bread and thank you so much for your feedback and tip.
Made this this week,(by hand), and although the shape didn’t turn our quite right. Husband thought it was the best bread I have ever made.
Even though I usually use the bread machine!
Thanks for the recipe Joanie.
Have you book on order, should arrive soon.
Best wishes.
Jean, I’m so happy you and your husband enjoyed the bread. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.
I am always trying to up my fiber intake, so would white whole-wheat flour work in this recipe? I have vital gluten that I could add.
Thank you.
I’m actually not sure. I have only tested this bread recipe using bread flour and all-purpose flour.
I will let you know!
I plan on making this, but can you tell me what speed you use with your kitchen aid mixer? thank you
I mix it at a medium-high speed.
I want to try making this bread, but is it really necessary to use bread flour. I’m excited to try I haven’t made bread in a very very long time.
Hi Marda, the recipe calls for using all-purpose flour but bread flour will also work.
So good! I was intimidated just thinking about making homemade bread but this recipe is easy and the perfect size for a beginner as I didn’t want to waste ingredients if it flopped. My husband and I thought it was great, very flavorful and the texture was just right. Thanks for a nice easy recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this bread recipe. It’s definitely a lot easier to make than many others we’ve tried. Thank you for your feedback.
I’ve made this recipe twice now and my family and myself absolutely love love love it. We were wondering how we can store it. We have those vacuum seal food saver bags, I’m wondering about how long you could store this bread that way since I want to make multiple loaves on the same day. Thank you!
I’m so glad you and your family enjoy the french bread recipe – thank you for taking the time to let me know. I don’t use vacuum seal food saver bags so I don’t know how they will store. This article might be helpful though – https://redstaryeast.com/yeast-baking-lessons/baking-steps-guide/cooling-storage/
Hi Joanie! Made this a few times and have at last found an easy making recipe just love the flavour in fact I’m preparing one just now and would you believe it I’m 91 years of age and I’m daft about cooking and baking
Again many thanks Incidentally have you a recipe for ginger nuts
Hi Robert, I’m so happy you are enjoying the french bread recipe. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.
At this time we do not have a ginger nuts recipe but we’ll add it to our list of recipes to work on.
I made this bread in my bread machine the bread turned out so good the only thing I added 1tabl more of water followed the directions and baked for 20 min at 400.farenheight.Yummy this recopie is to keep.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the bread. Thank you so much for your feedback.
I tried this bread in a bread machine it came out perfect followed the directions as required the only thing I did I added 1 tablespoon more water in the machine as the dough was not elastic enough.did the second rising for 1 hr. It’s nice and moist very light yummy…
I’m so glad you enjoyed the bread recipe. Thank you so much for your feedback.
LOVES THESE SINGLE RECIPES
Thank you, Paul.
I have made this loaf twice now. Shared with a friend once and she loved it too!! Thank you!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the bread recipe, Valerie. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know.
This Homemade Bread Is Soft, Chewy, And Simply Delicious.
So I just made this last night. I kneaded it’s by hand. I used 2 tablespoons of honey and 300 grams of flour. And substituted canola oil for olive oil. My husband and I thought it was the best bread we have ever had. It was perfect and soft and fluffy and airy. It was easy and even this morning was just as good as it was last night. I couldn’t be happier. I will make this again and again! (Probably with my stand mixer. Lol)
Hi Chrissy, I’m so happy you and your husband enjoyed the bread. Thank you so much for your feedback!
Just made this loaf. Eating now. Turned out better than any I have made in my breadmaker.
Easy to make, although more work involved than using a breadmaker.
I used a food processor, with mixing blade (I don’t have a paddle), then dough hook. I changed nothing in the recipe.
Very impressed. Thank you 😊
Kay
Wouldn’t 10 oz. of flour be 1cup is 8 oz plus 2 oz. ?
Hi Carol, The 10-ounces of flour is the weight of the flour. In the future I will clarify between ounces and fluid ounces.
Joanie, Do you have to use honey? I have all ingredients except honey,thanks
You can leave the honey out. The bread will still be fabulous.
Hi Joanie,
I don’t own a stand mixer so what are the directions if mixing by hand?
Thanks,
Teresa
Ajijic, Mexico
Hi Teresa,
Great question and I’ve added those directions to the post. Here they are for your convenience:
To mix bread without a stand mixer follow these easy steps:
1. Mix the ingredients together with a large spoon in a large mixing bowl (Step 1 in the recipe).
2. After mixing the ingredients, transfer the shaggy dough to a lightly floured counter or large cutting board and shape it into a ball.
3. Start each stroke by gently pushing the dough away from you with the heel of your hand.
4. Lift the edge of the dough that’s farthest away from you and fold the dough in half toward you.
5. Lightly sprinkle the dough with flour as needed if the dough becomes too sticky. Continue folding and pressing the dough and after about 3 minutes, the dough should begin to look smooth.
6. As you continue to fold and press the dough, it will become more smooth and elastic. This entire process should take 15-20 minutes.
Joanie, thank you so much for posting this recipe! I have wanted to make bread lately but most recipes are for two full loaves. My family would never eat them before they were hard as a rock. This sounds and looks wonderful!
I have two questions. One, could this be kneaded in a bread machine?
Two, could I bake this in a Dutch oven, starting the baking in a cold oven?
I have a Staub Dutch oven, and the directions caution against preheating it empty.
Thank you!
Mary Keltner
Hi Mary,
I’m really not sure whether you can use a bread machine or not, I’ve never tried it and don’t know what adaptations might be needed. This article from King Arthur Flour talks about how to convert favorite bread recipes to a bread machine – https://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2018/04/30/how-to-convert-recipes-to-a-bread-machine.
I also haven’t made it in a Dutch oven, although I know some breads can be made in one. So, since I haven’t tested the recipe in a Dutch oven, I can’t say for sure how it will turn out.
I don’t have a kitchen scale.
Ten ounces of flour = How many cups. Two?
Hi Dina,
For this mini french bread recipe, 10-ounces of flour is 2 3/8 cups (285 grams) measured the way I describe in the recipe.
Hi,
Is this a 1 pound loaf? Can this be done in the bread machine? Looking forward to making this delicious looking bread!
Pat
Hi Pat,
I’m really not sure whether you can use a bread machine or not, I’ve never tried it and don’t know what adaptations might be needed. This article from King Arthur Flour talks about how to convert favorite bread recipes to a bread machine – https://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2018/04/30/how-to-convert-recipes-to-a-bread-machine.
Can you use a different oil without changing taste? I don’t ever buy olive oil but rather use vegetable oil or Crisco shortening. If I can use either of other two, same amount?
Hi Carol,
I wouldn’t recommend using any other oil. If you don’t have olive oil, you can just leave the oil out altogether.
Can I do this in a bread machine?
Hi Karen,
I’m really not sure whether you can use a bread machine or not, I’ve never tried it and don’t know what adaptations might be needed. This article from King Arthur Flour talks about how to convert favorite bread recipes to a bread machine – https://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2018/04/30/how-to-convert-recipes-to-a-bread-machine
Hi! What measure is 10 ounces of flour? Thank you! I love making bread!
Cynthia
Hi Cynthia,
For this mini french bread recipe, 10-ounces of flour is 2 3/8 cups (285 grams) measured the way I describe in the post.