Classic French white bread
This is the recipe for classic, everyday French bread raised with yeast. French bakers call this "pain courant".
It is quicker and easier to make than leavened bread or new leavened bread, so ideal for a beginner.
It is quicker and easier to make than leavened bread or new leavened bread, so ideal for a beginner.
308 K 4.3/5 (74 reviews)
3 hours 50 min.
Easy
2 loaves
5 IngredientsLast modified on: June 6th 2017
For 2 loaves, you will need:
- 1
500 g plain white flour (French Type 65) - 2
310 ml water - 3
9 g fine (or table) salt - 4
7.5 g yeast - 5
50 g Soured dough (optional) - Total weight: 830 grams
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 40 min.
Resting: 2 hours 30 min.
Cooking: 40 min.
All in all: 3 hours 50 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 5 min.
Put into a food-processor bowl: 500 g plain white flour (French Type 65), 9 g fine (or table) salt, 7.5 g yeast and, if possible, 50 g Soured dough.
Stage 2
In bread-making, the water temperature is always important. It's not a fixed value, but related to 3 other temperatures: 1) the temperature of your flour, 2) the room temperature in your kitchen, and 3) the basic temperature of this recipe, which is 48-52°C.
You can calculate the temperature of the water for this recipe in one click, using this small calculator.
You can calculate the temperature of the water for this recipe in one click, using this small calculator.
Stage 3 - 3 min.
Add 310 ml water at the right temperature, then knead on the slowest speed until the ingredients are well mixed (about 3 minutes).
Note: For the best way to knead, see: A few tips for effective kneading at home.
Note: For the best way to knead, see: A few tips for effective kneading at home.
Stage 4 - 15 min.
Knead a little faster (the next speed up) for around 15 minutes, until the dough temperature reaches 24°C (75°F).
You could also chech the dough by trying the window-pane test.
You could also chech the dough by trying the window-pane test.
Stage 5 - 2 min.
Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured worktop.
Stage 6 - 15 min.
Gather the dough into a ball and transfer to a large, clean bowl. Cover with a sheet of plastic.
Leave to rest for 15 minutes.
Leave to rest for 15 minutes.
Stage 7 - 5 min.
After this time, tip the dough onto a lightly floured worktop and cut into pieces of about 500g each.
Stage 8
You can weigh each piece to check, as it is not easy to do this by eye.
Note: using the quantities stated, you can expect to obtain 1750 g of dough, to divide up as you choose.
Note: using the quantities stated, you can expect to obtain 1750 g of dough, to divide up as you choose.
Stage 9 - 5 min.
Form each piece of dough into a ball.
As the gesture for doing this is difficult to describe, you can see it in the short video on the right.
As the gesture for doing this is difficult to describe, you can see it in the short video on the right.
Stage 10 - 15 min.
Place the balls of dough on the floured worktop, dust the tops with flour and cover with a sheet of plastic.
Leave to rest for 15 minutes. This allows the dough to "relax".
Leave to rest for 15 minutes. This allows the dough to "relax".
Stage 11 - 5 min.
Shape the loaves.
As the gesture for doing this is difficult to describe, you can see how it is done in the short video on the right.
As the gesture for doing this is difficult to describe, you can see how it is done in the short video on the right.
Stage 12 - 2 hours
Place each loaf in a banneton (French raising basket), dusting the bottom generously with flour first.
Cover with a sheet of plastic and leave to rise for 2 hours.
Cover with a sheet of plastic and leave to rise for 2 hours.
Stage 13 - 40 min.
Preheat the oven to 240°C (460°F).
Turn the loaves over onto the peel (for a wood-fired oven) or onto a baking sheet (for a conventional oven), slash the tops and bake...
Turn the loaves over onto the peel (for a wood-fired oven) or onto a baking sheet (for a conventional oven), slash the tops and bake...
Stage 14
...for 30 to 40 minutes.
Note: As when baking any bread, you should ensure that the oven is filled with steam for the first 15 minutes of baking. This page shows you how; it really is the secret of golden-brown, crusty loaves..
Note: As when baking any bread, you should ensure that the oven is filled with steam for the first 15 minutes of baking. This page shows you how; it really is the secret of golden-brown, crusty loaves..
Stage 15
You will notice how the holes in the bread are regular in size. This comes from the action of the yeast which, unlike leaven, produces even bubbles.
Remarks
You might also like to take a look at this page about making your own bread.
Keeping: A few days in a cloth bag.
Source: After Thomas Marie (of the INBP French National Bakery Institute).
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 60 RDI=20 % | 400 RDI=40 % | 7 RDI=1 % | 1,890 RDI=90 % | 7,910 RDI: 90 % |
| Per 100 g | 6 RDI=3 % | 50 RDI=5 % | 0 | 230 RDI=10 % | 960 RDI: 10 % |
| Per loaves | 30 RDI=10 % | 200 RDI=20 % | 3 RDI=1 % | 940 RDI=50 % | 3,960 RDI: 50 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 2 loaves : 1.05 €
- Per loaves : 0.55 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Plain white flour (French Type 65)
Like these other recipes: Bacon rolls, Seeded loaf, "Psychedelic" sandwich bread, Mustard baps, Poitevin twist, ... See them all 19
Water
Like these other recipes: Naan, Nougat, Quince and apple compote, Super-green, super-thrifty soup, Sorrel soup, ... See them all 136
Fine (or table) salt
Like these other recipes: Naan, Refreshing summer salad, Express chilli con carne, Panzanella, Choux pastry (pâte à choux), ... See them all 102
Yeast
Like these other recipes: Aperitif rolls, Fougasse with bacon and Comté, Rum babas, Dipping bread with cheese, Liège waffles, ... See them all 55
Other recipes you may also like
Caramelised apple pie
Apple pie made with caramelised apples.September 11th 2018265 K4.3 1 hour 55 min.
4 pears salad with vanilla
It's a very easy recipe, everything depends on the choice of differents kinds of pears all fully ripe, to give a delicious contrast in the mouth.February 21th 2011235 K4.2 40 min.
European glass
A little dessert that's rather long to make, but which will always impress your guests. Layered in a glass: a jellied red fruit coulis, a layer of pineapple charlotte cream, a layer of kiwi coulis, topped with a peeled clementine segment. It's "european" because it resembles the italian flag, and in...August 15th 2010237 K5 2 hours 30 min.
Vanilla sugar
Almost essential in patisserie, you can find it in expensive little sachets of about 10g. It's necessary to distinguish between the vanilla sugar which really contains vanilla, and vanillin sugar, purely chemical which has never seen a vanilla pod. Here is how to quickly make a whole jar full of...August 12th 2018427 K 15 30 min.
French dressing (vinaigrette)
Here is a very simple recipe, but it could completely transform, maybe even transcend, your salad.July 7th 20111.06 M4.5 7 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-08-31)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe (as 13 people already do)
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.