The Easiest Food Processor French Bread (2024)

This food processor French Bread recipe is so easy to make and tastes better than anything from a store. With just a few ingredients you can have fresh homemade bread tonight!

I kinda sorta like homemade bread. As in, I love it. With all my heart.

Honestly, I could eat half a loaf right out of the oven, all by myself. And I probably have. Probably more than once.

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I’ve been making this food processor French Bread for years. I go through seasons when I bake all of our family’s bread, and this is my go-to recipe. Using a food processor (mine is just like this one) makes it a relatively easy task, once you get the hang of it.

Just remember: Making homemade bread is a little bit about following a recipe and a little bit about technic. Ittakespractice, so be patient. Give it a try…and then try a couple more times.

Eventually, you’ll know just how the dough should look and feel at each stage. That’s a lovely place to be!

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Step-by-Step Guide to Making French Bread in a Food Processor

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Start out by preheating the ovento 200° F and moving the top rack to its lowest position. Then, put aplastic dough hookinto the food processor.

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Toss in five cups of the flour, the salt, sugar, and yeast. I use this kind of instant yeastthat I get in bulk, but you also canuse the little packets. It’s either two packets, or a total of four and a half teaspoons.

Give the food processor a whirl to combine all the dry ingredients.

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Heat two cups of water to about 125° F. This takes exactly 60 seconds in my microwave. Pour two tablespoons of olive oil into the measuring cup of heated water.

This is where it gets interesting. With the machine running, SLOWLY pour the water and oil through the spout in the lid of the food processor.

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Let the machine continue to spin a few more times after the water is completely added. The dough will likely be way too wet at this point, and the food processor maysound like it’s about to have a heart attack. That’s a good time to turn it off.

Take off the lid and add a little more flour, about a quarter or half cup at a time, spinning it around after each addition.

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Watch carefully for the dough to start coming together into a ball. It will look a little “shaggy” at first.

You do NOT want to add any more flour than absolutely necessary! To check if the dough is the right consistency, touch gently with an open hand. If the dough is still tacky enough to stick to your hand, keep adding the flour a little bit at a time.

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This is what you’re looking for. The dough should just barely stick to an open hand. Not too wet, but not too dry. It’s just right.

Before taking the bread dough out of the food processor, prep a large bowl by pouring about a tablespoon of olive oil (just eyeball it) into the bottom. Use your hand to rub it around the bottom and sides of the bowl.

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With the oily hand, pull the dough out of the food processor and remove the dough hook. The oil on your hands will make it much easier to tuck it into a ball without getting dough stuck all over.

Plop the ball upside down into the bowl to oil the smooth side of the dough. Flip it back over so the smooth side is on the upside (make sense?), and cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap.

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Now, turn the oven off (Did you hear me? TURN IT OFF!) and put the covered bowl in there for about half an hour, until it’s doubled in size.

A warm oven is my big secret for speeding up the bread-making process. Guard the secret carefully, young Jedi.

If it doesn’t look like the dough has risen enough after thirty minutes, give it five more.Grease a large cookie sheet while you wait.

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Remove the bowl from the oven, dip your fist into some flour, and punch down the dough. This is my favorite part. Don’t ask me why I enjoy punching something over and over. Probably don’t want to go there.

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Dump out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and pinch itinto two pieces. Roll out one piece of the dough into a large rectangle, approximately twelve-inches wide.

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To make a loaf, start rolling up the dough. Pinch it together with your thumb after each roll. If the dough sticks to your hand, just dip your thumb into some flour.

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Keep rolling and pinching until you get to the end.

Then, pull up that loose end and pinch it together with the rest of the loaf to seal it up.Place the loaf, seam side down, on one halfof the greased baking sheet and tuck the ends under to finish it off.

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Do the exact same thing for the second ball of dough. Then, cut five or six slashes diagonally across the top of the loaves and lightly cover with a piece of plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.

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Let the bread rise for about half an hour. A few minutes before you expect it to be done rising, move the oven rack back to the middle position and preheat to 375° F. When the loaves have doubled, remove the plastic wrap and pop them into the hot oven.

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Bake until they’reall pretty and golden and you think you can’t take the lovely smell for one more minute without tasting them.

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If you can muster any self-control, let the bread cool for a few minutes on a wire rack before slicing. Then, eat half a loaf before your children come in and begin begging for samples. Just a suggestion.

If you decide to save some for the rest of the family, this French Bread goes great with this Easy Vegetable Soup, my family’s absolute favorite Navy Bean Soup, and pasta dishes like this cheesy Baked Rigatoni. Yum!

Now, here’s the printable recipe…

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Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Food Processor French Bread

This food processor French Bread recipe is so easy to make and tastes better than anything from a store. With just a few ingredients you can have fresh homemade bread tonight!

Ingredients

  • 5-6 cups all purpose flour
  • 3 tsp. salt
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 2 pkg (or 4 1/2 tsp.) active dry or instant yeast
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

  • Move top oven rack to its lowest position and preheat to 200° F.

  • In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a dough hook, put 5 cups of the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. Turn on the machine to combine the dry ingredients.

  • Heat the water to 120 to 130° F. Add the oil to the measuring cup of water. With the food processor running, pour in the water and oil mixture very slowly through the spout in the lid. Continue pouring until all of the liquids have been added. Allow to spin a couple more times. The dough will be very wet at this point.

  • Remove the lid and add some of the remaining flour, a quarter cup at a time, until the dough comes together into a somewhat smooth ball. The dough should not be tacky, but also should not be too dry.

  • Pour a small amount of olive oil into a large bowl and spread around the bottom and sides with your hand. Using the oiled hand, remove the dough from the food processor and shape into a ball. Place the ball into the oiled bowl, smooth side down, and flip it over once so the entire dough ball is oiled and the smooth side is up. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap.

  • Turn off the oven! Place covered bowl in warm oven for about 30 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size. Meanwhile, grease a large baking sheet.

  • Once doubled, punch down the dough and turn out onto a floured surface. Divide dough into two pieces. Working with one piece at a time, roll into a large rectangle, approximately 12-inches wide. To make a loaf, roll up the dough with your hands, pinching it together after each turn. Place the loaf on the greased baking sheet and tuck under the ends of the dough. Repeat with second loaf. Using a sharp knife, slash the tops of the loaves 5 or 6 times. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise for approximately 30 minutes, or until doubled.

  • While the dough is rising, move the top oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 375° F. When the loaves have doubled, remove plastic wrap and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.

  • Allow to cool on wire racks.

The Easiest Food Processor French Bread (2024)

FAQs

Can I use my food processor to make bread? ›

Making dough in a food processor can be a time-saver and the end results are similar to other dough-making methods. Breads, pastries, pasta and pie crusts can all be made in a food processor.

What size food processor for bread dough? ›

10–13 cup food processors also provide enough space to knead dough, then let it rise right in the work bowl.

What is the difference between French bread and a baguette? ›

French bread is wider and longer than a baguette, with a much softer crust. It doesn't require any special equipment to make and it's just as versatile as a baguette, but its soft outside makes it perfect for toast or garlic bread.

What is the best food processor for dough? ›

Our favorite food processor for kneading dough (and every other use) is the Cuisinart Custom 14 Cup Food Processor, which has a bowl capacity of 14 cups. Here are a few tricks we've discovered for making and kneading doughs in your food processor.

Should I use a mixer or food processor for bread dough? ›

KNEADING DOUGH: WHO GETS THE EDGE? Both types of appliances offer powerful help with bread. If speed is your thing, using a food processor for kneading dough edges out the stand mixer ever so slightly because of its lightning-quick speed. If you're making pizza dough for dinner, the food processor is a great go-to.

Can I use a KitchenAid instead of a food processor? ›

A KitchenAid® stand mixer can perform some of the same tasks as a food processor using one of the included beater accessories. Mix, whip, knead and even mash potatoes or avocados in your stand mixer bowl.

What is the secret of French bread? ›

One of the secrets of a great baguette is to start with a sponge (a mix of flour, water, and yeast), which gives the yeast time to mature and combine with the other ingredients, creating the mildly sour and nutty flavors and chewy texture.

What are the three types of French bread? ›

Types of Breads
  • La baguette: A long cylinder-shaped bread made of flour, salt, yeast and water. ...
  • La Boule: A round, crusty loaf (literally a « ball »)
  • Le Bâtard: a rounder baguette-like loaf that weighs 500 grams.
  • Le pain aux figues: bread with figs.
  • aux lardons : with bacon.
  • aux noix : with nuts.
  • aux olives : with olives.

Why does French bread taste different? ›

First and foremost, the flour used in France is of very high quality. But the major difference between French and an American baguette is the fermentation process. Most French bakers use a poolish process, which consists of a mix of yeast and water that's allowed to ferment overnight.

How much should I spend on a food processor? ›

How much should I spend on a food processor? The food processors we recommend cost between $55 and $400. We noticed that the more expensive models tended to perform better and operate quieter in our testing. So, if you can afford it, we recommend budgeting at least $200.

What attachment do you use to make dough in a food processor? ›

While you can use the metal blade that comes with your processor, it's better to use a food processor dough blade if your product comes with one. This plastic blade with dull edges encourages mixing instead of chopping the dough. The plastic does not transfer heat, which can kill yeast and cause your dough not to rise.

What can I use if I don't have a food processor for dough? ›

Whether you're using a hand mixer, a stand mixer, or an immersion blender, your mixer can function as a useful substitute for a food processor.

Can you grind bread in a food processor? ›

Step 3: Process the chunks into crumbs

Fill food processor about half full of bread chunks (work in batches if all the chunks won't fit). Pulse the bread chunks in 5 to 10 second bursts until you reach the desired crumb size. You shouldn't have to open the food processor to scrape down the sides or stir.

Do you really need a bread maker to make bread? ›

An oven can bake your bread, but what it can't do for you is knead your dough. Removing the onerous task of kneading is perhaps the biggest appeal of a breadmaker. That said, if you already have a benchtop mixer with a dough hook, you can simply use this for the hard work, saving you money and space.

Can you use a food processor for baking? ›

Like other baking methods mentioned, food processors can help save the amount of time you spend in the kitchen. They can combine flour, butter and other ingredients in a matter of seconds, which is more efficient than your hands.

Can a food processor make flour? ›

While you might think a food processor is only meant for mixing and chopping, you can also use it to grind grains into flour using the highest speed.

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