Easy, No Knead French Bread

As I see people scrambling to find bread in the grocery stores due to Covid-19, I am reminded of this fabulous and easy, no knead bread recipe I grew up with. We make it quite often for dinner, and it gets rave reviews for the soft deliciousness that it is. Even better, there is NO special equipment needed: no bread machine, no Bosch or Kitchen Aid– just a bowl and a wooden spoon!

Since this recipe is so forgiving, and it’s ok for this bread to look “rustic”, this is also a great recipe to start kids on.

Easy, No Knead French Bread

Jen

This delicious, soft bread takes minimal effort. No kneading, no bread machine, no Bosch or Kitchen Aid needed!

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Prep Time 1 hr 30 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Servings 2 large loaves

Ingredients

  

• 2 1/2 c warm water
• 2 tbsp instant yeast
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1/3 c oil
• 6 c flour

Instructions

 

• In a large bowl, add all ingredients together, except the flour. Stir. Add flour and mix well. Let dough rest 10 min. and stir again. Do this a total of 5 times. The dough will be "shaggy" and rough looking.

  (If you use a Bosch or something similar, add all ingredients and mix for 2-3 min until all flour is incorporated. It might look quite wet. No need to let it rest and remix.)
• Sprinkle flour on your surface and put dough onto it. Roll it around in the flour a bit until it's not sticky. Divide flour into two.
• With your fingers or a rolling pin, spread the dough into a rough rectangle shape, about 12" x 8".
• Starting with the long side, roll the dough just as you would with a jelly roll or cinnamon rolls. Pinch the seams together. Place it on a greased baking sheet seam side down. Fold under the ends.
• Slash the top about 3-4 times to give it that "French bread" look. If desired, you can brush the top with beaten egg whites and sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Let dough rise until double in size.

  Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 min, depending on the thickness of your loaves. Check the bottom to make sure it is browned all the way. After it cools for about 5 minutes, I like to spread the top with butter.

  Enjoy!

Notes

If you are using a mixer such as a Bosch, you can double this recipe and then freeze the extra loaves for another time.