Easy Homemade Vegan French Bread
Learn to easily make vegan French bread at home with just a handful of basic kitchen ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions!
Equipment
- Standing mixer with dough hook attachment
- Cooking thermometer
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp water, warmed to 110 degrees Fahrenheit (IMPORTANT!)
- 2 tbsp organic cane sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus more for greasing
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
Instructions
- Warm the water to 110 degrees Fahrenheit and add it to the standing mixer bowl. The water needs to be at this temperature to activate the yeast.
- Add the sugar and active dry yeast to the water, give it a quick stir, and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, the yeast should have risen to the top and become super frothy. If the yeast does nothing, it may be spoiled, and I recommend starting over with new yeast.
- Now add the salt, olive oil, and half of the flour to the mixer with the dough hook attachment on low speed and mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to incorporate all of the flour.
- Add in the rest of the flour and continue mixing at the lowest speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to incorporate all of the flour. Once all of the flour is incorporated and a dough has formed, knead for 3 minutes.
- While kneading, if the dough separates into two chunks, simply press them together with a rubber spatula now and again to make them merge together. On the other hand, if the dough starts to become super sticky and cling to the sides of the bowl, add 1 to 2 tablespoons more flour at a time until a sturdy but soft ball of dough forms. In the end, the dough should be smooth and slightly tacky but not sticking to the bowl. *Humidity, temperature, altitude, and a few other factors can impact how much flour yeast doughs need, and this is why you may need to add a bit more than the recipe calls for.
- Lightly grease a large mixing bowl with olive oil and gently toss the dough around to coat it in the oil. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the dough and then wrap the top of the bowl in plastic wrap.
- Allow the dough to rest for 1-2 hours or until it has doubled in size. *You must allow the dough to double in size, or you will have a dense loaf of bread.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, lightly grease your counter with olive oil. With your hands, shape the dough into a rough 9 by 13-inch rectangle.
- Tightly roll the 13-inch side up to create a loaf shape, and pinch the ends together to seal them shut.
- Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper, and gently lift and place the dough onto the pan.
- Using a VERY sharp knife, slit a few diagonal lines across the dough.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 1 hour or until it has doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place 6 ice cubes in a small pan, such as a bread pan, and place it on the bottom oven rack. Immediately place the sheet pan of dough on the middle oven rack. Bake for 25 minutes. *Adding the ice cubes into the oven helps create a more crisp crust.
- Allow the bread to cool, then slice as desired and enjoy!
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!