Sourdough French Bread (Easy for Beginners Too)
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There’s just something special about pulling two golden loaves of homemade Sourdough French Bread out of the oven. Made with active sourdough starter, this bread has a soft airy crumb, incredible flavor, and that homemade quality you simply can’t get from a store-bought loaf.
It’s an easy same-day recipe that’s perfect for sandwiches, serving alongside soup, turned into Sourdough French Toast or slathering with butter while still warm from the oven. And if you love baking everyday breads with your starter, my Sourdough Sandwich Bread and Easy Sourdough Bread for Beginners are two more recipes you’ll definitely want to try.
Quick Look: Sourdough French Bread
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Rise Time: 7 hours
- Bake Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 7 hours 40 minutes
- Servings: 2 loaves
- Calories: ~913kcal per loaf
- Cook Method: Baked
- Flavor Profile: Soft, fluffy, and slightly chewy with a golden crust and a subtle sourdough tang. Delicious with butter, alongside soup, or sliced for sandwiches.
- Difficulty: Easy — Simple ingredients, straightforward shaping, and beginner-friendly from start to finish!
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Why You’ll Love This Sourdough French Bread
- 100% Sourdough- There’s no commercial yeast in this homemade bread; it uses natural yeast. Once you nail this easy French bread recipe, this Soft Whole Wheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread is a great next bake.
- So soft and fluffy– The combination of bread flour, olive oil, and a touch of sugar gives this loaf a tender, pillowy crumb that stays soft even the next day. It has that same satisfying chew as these Sourdough Breadsticks, which use a similar dough.
- Soft or crispy crust– Rub butter on the warm loaves straight out of the oven for a soft crust, or toss a few ice cubes on a baking sheet in the oven for a crispier one. If you love a good crispy bread crust, these Sourdough Ciabatta Rolls are worth adding to your baking list too.
- Makes 2 loaves– This recipe makes two French loaves, so you can eat one fresh and freeze the other for later.
Ingredients & Substitutions
* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*
- Sourdough Starter – You’ll get the best rise from an active and bubbly starter. For the best results, use an active sourdough starter, not sourdough discard.
- Bread Flour – I used bread flour for this recipe. Bread flour has more protein than all-purpose, and that’s what gives you that chewy, hearty bite. You can swap it for all-purpose no problem, but you’ll notice the difference in the chew.
- Sugar – A touch of sugar gives the dough a softer crumb. You can substitute it with the same amount of honey in grams, or leave it out altogether.
- Olive Oil – A little olive oil really helps. It keeps the inside of the loaf soft and tender. Any neutral oil will give this bread the soft interior you want.
Baking Time For Sourdough French Bread
|
Time |
Process |
|---|---|
|
10:00 AM |
Knead Dough |
|
10:10 AM |
First Rise |
|
3:10 PM |
Shape & Second Dough Rise |
|
5:15 PM |
Bake |
How to Make Sourdough French Bread
- To the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook, add all of the ingredients and mix on low for 10 minutes until smooth.
- Remove the dough, divide it into two even pieces and place each in a lightly greased bowl.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down to remove all of the air bubbles.
- Shape one piece of dough into a French loaf and place onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the second dough ball.
- Make 4-5 slashes with a lame, sharp knife, or razor blade on top of each loaf, cover and let the dough rest for its second rise.
- Brush the top of the loaves with an egg wash, then bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and the internal temperature has reached 190°F.
- Bring to room temperature before slicing. Enjoy!
McKenna’s Helpful Tips
- For a crispier crust, toss a few ice cubes on a baking sheet in the oven while the bread bakes.
- The dough should feel tacky, not sticky. If it’s sticking to your hands, add 10 grams or 1 tablespoon of flour at a time until it comes together. Humidity is usually the culprit.
- This recipe works around your schedule. So if you’re not ready to bake bread right away, cover the shaped loaves and refrigerate them for up to 12 hours. Pull them out, let them rise at room temperature, and bake as usual.
- Make sure to use warm water. If the water’s too hot it can kill your sourdough starter.
How to Store
Store any leftover French bread wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight bag at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, wrap each loaf tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, keeping it wrapped to prevent it from drying out. To refresh a day-old loaf, warm it in the oven at 350°F for 10 minutes. For a soft crust, rub a little butter on top while it’s still warm.
If you (somehow) have leftover bread after a couple of days, slice it up and make Sourdough French Toast or Sourdough French Toast Casserole!
Sourdough French Bread FAQs
Yes. Place the shaped loaves covered in the fridge for up to 12 hours. When you’re ready to bake, bring them out to rise at room temperature to complete it’s second rise and then bake.
Toss a few ice cubes on a baking sheet in the oven while the loaves bake. It’s the steam that gives you that crispier crust. This is the same method that I do with my Sourdough Bread Bowls.
You can, but it’s not necessary. It’ll give the loaves a more curved bottom, but the final result is comparable to baking on a regular parchment-lined baking sheet.
You can swap bread flour for all-purpose flour, though you’ll notice a difference in the chew. The sugar can be replaced with the same amount of honey in grams or left out altogether. I do this with my Sourdough Sandwich Bread recipe all the time! Any neutral oil works in place of olive oil.
A gummy line at the bottom of Sourdough French Bread can be caused by either underproofing or overproofing. Underproofed dough may not fully expand during baking, while overproofed dough can weaken the gluten structure and cause the loaf to collapse slightly near the bottom. It’s important to not rush the rise time and watch your dough instead of the clock for the best success!
If you tried this Sourdough French Bread recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Sourdough French Bread Recipe
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Ingredients
- 250 grams active sourdough starter 1 1/4 cups
- 380 grams water 1 1/2 cups + 1 Tablespoon
- 50 grams olive oil scant 1/4 cup
- 25 grams sugar 2 Tablespoons
- 800 grams bread flour 5 3/4 cups
- 18 grams salt 1 Tablespoon
Instructions
Mix Dough
- To the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook, add the warm water, sourdough starter, olive oil and sugar. Use a Danish dough whisk to mix until you have a milky liquid. My water was 105 degrees F. Any hotter than 120 degrees F can kill the starter. If you use cooler water, the dough will take longer to rise.250 grams active sourdough starter, 380 grams water, 50 grams olive oil, 25 grams sugar
- Add the flour and salt to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed for 2-3 minutes until the ingredients are fully combined.Alternatively, you can mix and knead the dough by hand. I would increase the time from 15 to 20 minutes.800 grams bread flour, 18 grams salt
- Increase the speed to medium low and continue to knead for 10-15 minutes. The dough should be pulling from the sides of the bowl, be smooth and tacky to the touch – not sticking to your hand.
First Rise
- Remove the dough from the bowl, divide it into two even pieces (750 grams) and place the dough into two lightly greased bowls, or one bowl if it is large enough. Cover with a plastic cover and wait until they have doubled in size. In my 70 degree F kitchen, this took about 5-6 hours. This depends greatly on the temperature of your dough and environment. The warmer your environment, the faster your dough will rise. The opposite is true for cooler kitchens. I love these straight-edge bowls because it allows me to clearly see when the dough has doubled in size.
Shape
- Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down to remove all of the air bubbles. This helps to keep a tight crumb. Then, place the dough on a clean work surface.
- Stretch or roll one of the dough balls into a large rectangle with a rolling pin, about 13 inch x 9 inch, doesn’t have to be exact . Starting with the longest side closest to you, roll the bread dough into a log, like you would a cinnamon roll. Curl the ends of the French bread dough under itself and pinch the seams together. Repeat with the second dough ball.
Second Rise
- Gently place the shaped loaves onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet with the seam sides down. With a lame or very sharp knife, cut 4-5 slashes onto each shaped dough. Cover the dough with a plastic cover or plastic wrap and allow it to rise until the dough has risen and looks puffy. This took 2-3 hours in my 70 degree kitchen. It is tempting to rush this step, but don’t! If your loaf has not risen properly, it will be dense and gummy. Not ready to bake? See Notes below.
- While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375 degree F. Just before placing the loaves in the oven, brush the tops of each loaf with an egg wash.
Bake
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the internal temperature has reached 190 degrees F. If the tops are browning too quickly, cover it with a piece of aluminum foil and continue to bake.
- Remove the loaves from the hot oven and allow them to cool until room temperature before slicing. For an extra soft crust, rub butter on the top of the warm loaves. Enjoy!
Notes
MAKE-AHEAD Options
If you are looking to prepare this Sourdough French Bread the night before and bake them the following day– here are some options and tips! Option 1: Prepare the dough and once it has doubled in size, cover the bowl and chill in the fridge overnight. The following morning, shape the sourdough French bread loaves and allow them to rise and get fluffy in a warm place before baking as normal. Since the dough is cool from the fridge, the second rise will take longer to complete. Option 2: Prepare the dough and shape the French bread the night before, then pop the covered baking sheet into the fridge overnight. Pull out the unbaked loaves to allow them to rise and get fluffy in a warm place. In my 70 degree F kitchen this took about 3-4 hours. Option 3: Prepare the dough and shape the loaves, then pop the covered baking dish into the freezer overnight. Once frozen solid, cover the sourdough French bread with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and store for up to 1 week for the best results. When ready to bake, place the frozen French bread on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Cover and place them in the refrigerator the night before. The next day, take them out of the fridge and allow them to rise in a warm place until fluffy. Again, in my 70 degree F kitchen, this took about 3-4 hours.Ingredients & Substitutions
- Sourdough Starter – You’ll get the best rise from an active and bubbly starter. For the best results, use an active sourdough starter, not sourdough discard.
- Bread Flour – I used bread flour for this recipe. Bread flour has more protein than all-purpose, and that’s what gives you that chewy, hearty bite. You can swap it for all-purpose no problem, but you’ll notice the difference in the chew.
- Sugar – A touch of sugar gives the dough a softer crumb. You can substitute it with the same amount of honey in grams, or leave it out altogether.
- Olive Oil – A little olive oil really helps. It keeps the inside of the loaf soft and tender. Any neutral oil will give this bread the soft interior you want.
