Julia Child's French Bread is the ultimate in crusty artist bread. A wonderful loaf, simplified to the essentials to get it done with less fuss. While speed was not a goal, it was a total of 5 hours from the start to the cooling rack.
Introduction
In a previous post on my first try for a Julia Child's Bread, I really tried to follow the recipe, which was nine pages and was already "simplified" to some extent. It just didn't work for me. Be it the house temperature, the yeast, or just me, it didn't work well for my simple mind.
I reviewed the recipe and decided what was important and what was just the way it's been done. I looked at other recipes, but no help. So I cut to the essentials and added some touches to improve success and simplicity. Nine pages of instructions became just over one.
The components that I think are most important:
- The rest of the dough before kneading.
- The short amount of hand kneading.
- The large initial rise.
- The use of tripling, not double, in size for the second and third rise.
- And finally, the baking method. I used the dutch oven method last time, and it was fine, but the stone is better but fussier. The moisture, both with the pan and brushing, is critical to the crust.
My Rating
The recipe of the year for 2010. The "Holy Grail" of bread.
🥣The Dough
- Keep everything warm, heating the mixing bowls with warm water.
- Mix the yeast with warm water before adding it. I really like this because it distributes the yeast throughout the dough with the water.
- Use rapid rise yeast. It's the same organism but just produced differently, and more organisms are alive.
- A large glass serving bowl was used for the rising bowl. The straight sides and larger volume are necessary to judge the rise and was very handy to cover for the last rise, so nothing stuck to the dough.
♨️The Baking
I used a sheet of parchment paper to make the transfer of dough easier. A large pizza stone was my baking stone. We all have one of those.
I happen to have a large pizza peel that was handy, but a cookie sheet without an edge should work, or pick up the raised dough by the parchment paper edges and move it that way.
Brushing with water and having moisture in the oven helps a crispy crust.
📖Bread Recipes
Stand Mixer Rustic Peasant Bread
This recipe is listed in these categories. See them for more similar recipes.
🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
Preheat stand mixer bowl with warm water. Dry bowl and add 3 ½ cups AP flour and 2 ¼ teaspoon salt. Mix well.
Combine 1 ½ cup 105° water with yeast and mix well. Wait for the yeast to "proof." Those are the bubbles that prove your yeast is good.
Add yeast mixture to the mixer and uses one additional tablespoon of water to rinse the measuring cup and add that water to the mixer. With the dough hook, mix on "2". Continue to mix until the ball forms. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom. The dough should pull away from the sides and have about 2 inches sticking in the bottom. Add flour 1 tablespoons at a time if needed. Time: about 2 minutes.
Stop the mixer and allow the dough to rest for 2 minutes, then restart kneading on 2. At 5 minutes into kneading, stop the mixer and check for "spring" by pressing your finger on the dough. It is done when this springs back. Keep checking every 2 minutes of kneading. It will usually take 5-7 minutes total.
While the dough is kneading, measure 10 ½ cups very warm water into the large bowl with straight sides. Mark the top of the water for reference and pour out the water, dry bowl, and spray lightly with Pam or oil or butter.
Place on a floured surface and hand knead for 2 minutes. Place dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic and towel. Place in a warm spot until raise to your mark. About 2-3 hours.
With a rubber spatula sprayed with Pam, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. If the dough seems very wet, then sprinkle with a tablespoon of flour. Press to somewhat flatten and form an about 12-inch square. Fold lower-left corner to the upper right.
Lower right to the upper left. Fold on itself several more folds. Then form into a rounded ball with the folds underneath and the top rounded like a cushion. Re-spray the large mixing bowl with Pam and place dough in and cover again with plastic wrap and towel. Place in a warm spot to rise to about triple in size. About 1 hour.
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface again. Flatten slightly and gently into a round. Start turning edges underneath, forming a rounded ball stretching the "skin" to form a firmer ball of dough but not deflating the rise completely.
Place a square of parchment paper on a large wooden peel or a cookie sheet with no edge. Place dough in center and cover (I used the bowl I used for raising after you spray it again with Pam to prevent any sticking if it happens to touch the dough). Allow to rise until approximately triple in size again.
Preheat oven to 450° (not convection) with a baking stone on the middle rack and pan for water on the bottom rack for at least 30 minutes.
Score top of dough about ¼ inch deep with three cuts. Brush top liberally with water. Transfer on parchment paper to the baking stone.
At 3, 6, and 9 minutes, brush dough liberally with water. Add 1 cup of water to the pan at 6 minutes. Continue to bake until the top is browned and internal temp 200°-205°. About 25-30 minutes in total. Note: A spray bottle would work great instead of the brush for the water on the dough in the oven.
Remove from oven and cool on a rack for 2 hours before cutting.
📖Recipe
Julia Child's French Bread - Simplified
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cup flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cup water - at 105 degree
- 1 pack instant dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Preheat stand mixer bowl with warm water. Dry bowl and add 3 ½ cups AP flour and 2 ¼ teaspoon salt. Mix well.
- Combine 1 ½ cup 105° water with yeast and mix well. Wait for the yeast to "proof." Those bubbles prove your yeast is good.
- Add yeast mixture to the mixer and uses one additional tablespoon of water to rinse the measuring cup and add that water to the mixer. With the dough hook, mix on "2". Continue to mix until a ball forms. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom. The dough should pull away from the sides and have about 2 inches sticking in the bottom. Add flour 1 tablespoons at a time if needed, Time: about 2 minutes.
- Stop the mixer and allow the dough to rest for 2 minutes, then restart kneading on 2. At 5 minutes into kneading, stop the mixer and check for "spring" by pressing your finger on the dough. It is done when this springs back. Keep checking every 2 minutes of kneading. It will usually take 5-7 minutes total.
- While the dough is kneading, measure 10 ½ cups very warm water into the large bowl with straight sides. Mark the top of the water for reference and pour out the water, dry bowl, and spray lightly with Pam or oil or butter.
- Place on a floured surface and hand knead for 2 minutes. Place dough in the bowl. Cover with plastic and towel. Place in a warm spot until raise to your mark. About 2-3 hours.
- With a rubber spatula sprayed with Pam, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. If the dough seems very wet, then sprinkle with a tablespoon of flour. Press to somewhat flatten and form an about 12-inch square. Fold lower-left corner to the upper right.
- Lower right to the upper left. Fold on itself several more folds. Then form into a rounded ball with the folds underneath and the top rounded like a cushion. Re-spray the large mixing bowl with Pam and place dough in and cover again with plastic wrap and towel. Place in a warm spot to rise to about triple in size. About 1 hour.
- Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface again. Flatten slightly and gently into a round. Start turning edges underneath, forming a rounded ball stretching the "skin" to form a firmer ball of dough but not deflating the rise completely.
- Place a square of parchment paper on a large wooden peel or a cookie sheet with no edge. Place dough in center and cover (I used the bowl I used for raising after you spray it again with Pam to prevent any sticking if it happens to touch the dough). Allow to rise until approximately triple in size again.
- Preheat oven to 450° (not convection) with a baking stone on the middle rack and pan for water on the bottom rack for at least 30 minutes.
- Score top of dough about ¼ inch deep with three cuts. Brush top liberally with water. Transfer on parchment paper to the baking stone.
- At 3, 6, and 9 minutes, brush dough liberally with water. Add 1 more cup of water to the pan at 6 minutes. Continue to bake until the top is browned and internal temp 200°-205°. About 25-30 minutes in total.
- Remove from oven and cool on a rack for 2 hours before cutting.
My Private Notes
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- This is not a recipe where you can just read the recipe card and do it. Please review the step-by-step photo instructions in the recipe post to get this right. I have now included the photos in the recipe card to help.
- Never do a recipe like this by time. If it says triple in size, then wait for it.
- This must be kept in a warm environment to rise correctly.
- Store at room temperature for 2-3 days in an airtight container. There are no preservatives, so it will mold quickly.
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor note: This recipe was first published on April 4, 2010. I was a "baby blogger" having only 3 months of blogging under my belt. This was my first adventure into a major project. It is still one of my favorite recipes but has been long neglected by me. Time to fix that. I have updated the text, clarified some wording, re-edited and added some photos (some backgrounds may not match), and added a dog photo. Please enjoy this "simplified" version of a classic Julia Child's recipe.
wefishallday
Your loaf is beautiful. I have this exact formula in my old Julia Child cookbooks. Your shorter version is certainly easier to follow, and I like the round loaf vs the longer french style loaf idea.
My question is this: Have you ever tried to calculate Bakers Percentages on this Julia Child recipe. When I do, I get an 84.3% hydration rate, which is very high. (using 120g flour/cup and 236g water/cup.) I can only assume that because her recipe calls for flour 3.5C "or more as needed", that it almost always requires the addition of extra flour beyond the 3.5 Cups. I see many other "Julia Child recipes" that say it's about a 73% hydration rate. Am I using the wrong g/C on either the flour or the water? Your thoughts? Thanks for the shortened version.
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Welcome to the blog.
The hydration of flour varies a bit. See https://www.cupcakeproject.com/how-much-does-a-cup-of-flour-weigh/ . After a lot of testing, she recommends 128gm average for the flour. King Arthur came in at 138. King Authur alone makes the ratio 74.5 . Also, all cups are not equal.
So unless all us Americans can start weight ingredients (like most of the world) variations in ingredients and measuring instruments will introduce some variability. But it is not rocket science (or medicine) so that is OK.
We are adding some extra flour during the initial mixing and with the kneading. I would prefer to go light to begin with since I find it easier to add some more flour instead of liquid.
I'm so glad you found and enjoyed this recipe. It is still one of my favorite recipes on the blog but by it's nature, it not very popular on the site, just not what people search for...
Dan
Anita, the returning Baker
Hi Dan. I hadn't baked bread in decades but with time on my hands now I wanted to give it a try. I followed the recipe and instructions to the T and voila! A beautiful loaf of French bread. It sure was time consuming but well worth the effort. Golden, crusty and delicious. I will definitely make it again. Many thanks. Anita
Alida
Can the dough be formed into French baguettes? How would baking time be altered? Any suggestions for forming the baguettes?
Thank you
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Alida,
Welcome to the blog.
Yes, you can form into baguettes if you want. Cook similar to https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/multigrain-french-bread/ And since you are changing it up a bit, cook to an internal temperature of about 200 degrees.
Dan
Ritz
Terrific recipe, thanks very much. Very helpful to have all the extra details so even novice bakers like me can follow. I followed DrDan’s recipe to the letter. Patience was required for the second and third rise, but well worth it. Delicious!
Bob
Make a batch of cultured butter at home to slather on this crusty bread and you'll think you're in heaven. :-)
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan
Hi Bob,
Thanks for the note and sorry for the slow reply.
I do love this bread. You reminded me of this recipe and I gave it a small update yesterday.
Glad you enjoyed the bread. And thanks again for the note and rating.
Dan
Barbarainnc
Nothing better than hot bread and butter. Oh my. 😊❤😊
DrDan
One of my all-time favorites. I admit to bread addiction.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
TJ
Nothing beats a homemade bread the aroma and the taste of that first bite into homemade bread mmmmmmmm it's like floating on a cloud
DrDan
Hi TJ
I do love this recipe, I need to redo the pictures and writing though.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Joan
What, why are you making bread? The French buy their bread at a local bakery, whether they live in Paris or in a country village.
If you live in a town with a bakery, buy your bread there. There are perfectly good US bakeries making bread daily, from Kosher bakeries with great rye and challah, to Italian groceries with Italian bread and rolls, to Middle Eastern and Greek pita bread, to yes, French bakeries making batards.
Enjoy the variety, that is available. Bakeries have the ovens and equipment to make bread. Let the professionals do it.
Alan
Classic French Bread recipe, non classic shape, The third rise and the triple the triple the size really let the gluten develop. Thanks for the shortened version. As to Joan who can't be bothered to bake bread because there are "professionals" that do it. Well, OK, but my three boys were raised on my home baked bread. I believe it would be a crime against nature to rob anyone the pleasure of the smell and taste of fresh baked bread at home.
DrDan
Hi Alan,
Thanks for the note. I didn't respond to Joan's comment... I didn't know what to say. It is fun to bake bread occasionally.
You are so correct about the triple in size and the third rise. The gluten formation is great.
This is a very old post and I apologize for the pictures.
Dan
D
But it's fun!
Beverly
Jone Jone Jone, I really can't believe you saying something like that on a cooking website. I have to LOL at you. I treasure his knowledge and his time for doing what he does. I would say he enjoys himself making bread among other things. The Kicker is he SHARES all the best with the ones that are lucky enough to find 101
Peace Love and Happiness Always
Char
Can you use a bread machaine
DrDan
Hi Char,
I'm don't believe this can be adapted to a bread machine.
Dan
DrDan
I haven't done this recipe for a few years. But it was "recipe of the year" for 2010. I can see a nice loaf in my future.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
diane dunsmore
Absolutely perfect on the first try. Thank you vzry, very much.
Mike Normand
I tried your Julia Child's French bread simplified recipe and !!!WOW!!! it was fantastic. Easy to make, but follow the directions carefully for best results. The round loaf lasted less than 24 hours. Making 2 more today. Thanks for your great effort to simplify this wonderful recipe. I will be making this for years to come.
DrDan
Thanks for the note. This is one of my all time favorite posts since I worked so hard on it and it came out so good.
DrDan
Dr Dan
My wife has requested a french onion soup recipe. That will give me a reason to make this again. I do love this bread... It's not that hard but it takes some time.
mountaineer
Just received Julia's first cookbook for Christmas and was disappointed that there weren't any recipes for bread. Luckily, a quick search came up with this very easy recipe that created a delicious dinner alongside french onion soup! Thanks for the pictures.
Christine
Can I just put in a little plug for this recipe? Dad (aka- DrDan) brought this to my house a while ago and it was amazing. Perfect crust with crunch but not so thick that I couldn't eat the bread. It was moist and flavorful. The only complaint I have is that the round is kinda big to cut with my bread knife!