4-Ingredient French Bread… it sounds too good to be true! Did you know that you can make fresh, hot, delicious french bread using just four simple ingredients and about five minutes of “effort”? And by the effort I mean, a 5-year-old could make this.
First, to make this delicious 4-ingredient french bread you’ll need flour, honey, salt, yeast, and of course, water. I don’t count “water” as an ingredient. Yes, you need it, but if you don’t have water already, you have bigger issues than making bread. Water is something you already have on hand, always, regardless of circumstances. Therefore, it’s not an ingredient. Moving right along…
Choosing the Yeast
Two different types of yeast are commonly found at the grocery store these days. Back in the day when a person made bread they needed to proof the yeast first. What this meant is that you combine the liquid with a sweetener of some sort, such as honey or sugar and then add the yeast. It was allowed to rest for 5-10 minutes until doubled in size.
However, these days there is a rapid rise yeast that does not need to “proof,” in fact, you’re not supposed to mix it directly with liquids at all!
So, with that bit of information out there, we’re going to give you two different sets of directions, dependent entirely on the type of yeast that you opt to use.
4-Ingredient French Bread Video
You’ll notice that we don’t flour the counter & make a mess with this recipe, instead, we overturn the dough directly onto a Silpat. If you’re unfamiliar with that item, a Silpat is a silicone baking mat that turns just about any pan into a non-stick surface.
Simple French Bread Recipe
You’ll Need:
1½ cups warm water 120-130F
1 Tablespoon honey
1½ teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon Active Dry Yeast
4 cups flour
Combine water, honey, and yeast. Let sit for 5-10 mins until there is foam on top.
Measure the flour, stir in the salt and add the mixture to the yeast, mixing until all flour is incorporated and no longer sticky.
Cover with a towel and let it rise for 20 minutes.
Use a spatula to scrape down the bowl, then overturn it onto a pan lined with a Silpat and gently shape into a log. (Cover it with a clean kitchen towel while the oven preheats, remove towel before baking)
Preheat the oven to 400F. Make thin, shallow slits across the top, spacing every inch or so.
Bake 16-20 minutes.
Rapid Rise Yeast Version
You’ll Need:
1½ cups warm water 120-130F
1 Tablespoon honey
1½ teaspoons salt
1 Tablespoon Active Rapid Rise Dry Yeast (aka Bread Machine Yeast)
4 cups flour
In a bowl combine flour, salt, and yeast, mixing well. In a liquid measuring cup, dissolve the honey in the warm water and add it to the flour mixture.
Sir with dough hook until shiny and no longer sticky.
Cover with a towel and let it rise for 20 minutes.
Use a spatula to scrape down the bowl, then overturn it onto a pan lined with a Silpat and gently shape into a log. (Cover it with a clean kitchen towel while the oven preheats, remove towel before baking)
Preheat the oven to 400F, Bake 16-20 minutes or until bread is golden on top and sounds hollow when tapped.


4-Ingredient French Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1½ cups warm water (120-130°F)
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 Tablespoon Active Dry Yeast
- 4 cups Bread Flour
Instructions
- Combine water, honey, and yeast. Let sit for 5-10 mins until there is foam on top.
- Measure the flour, stir in the salt and add the mixture to the yeast, mixing until all flour is incorporated and no longer sticky.
- Cover with a towel and let it rise for 20 minutes.
- Use a spatula to scrape down the bowl, then overturn it onto a pan lined with a Silpat and gently shape into a log. (Cover it with a clean kitchen towel while the oven preheats, remove towel before baking)
- Preheat the oven to 400°F
- Bake 16-20 minutes, until loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when gently tapped.
Equipment
Video
Notes
- Combine flour, salt, and yeast in bowl.
- Dissolve the honey in warm water, then add it to the flour mixture.
- Follow the remaining directions as listed above.
If you altered the ingedients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cooking/baking time.
I want to make the 4 ingred.french bread, Im confused on the last step. It says to cover with a towel and then bake. Do u bake it with the towel on?
I don’t know if you saw, but the recipe now says to remove towel before baking. 🙂
What type of flour do you use? Bread flour, all-purpose,…?
Whichever you want, doesn’t matter. We used All-purpose in the video.
Bread or all purpose flour?
the name of this recipe needs to be changed to 5-ingredient not 4. there are 6 ingredients in this recipe
As explained in the article, we don’t consider water to be an ingredient. I’m also not sure where you came up with “6” ingredients. The entire recipe contains water, honey, salt, yeast, flour. Thanks for visiting, we hope you enjoy this delicious, super simple no knead french bread recipe.
I’ve made this several times. Yes I am an experienced bread baker but it’s far my favorite recipe for quick easy and rustic. It works with pasta dishes and with stews extremely well.
Great recipe for both new and experienced bakers.
Can you make it without a dough hook?
Yes, you can definitely make this 4-ingredient French bread without a dough
hook, but it’s not really a no-knead at that point… Here’s how:
mixing bowl and use a sturdy wooden spoon to mix them until a rough
dough forms. This might take a few minutes, and the dough will start to
come together as you mix.
floured surface. Knead it by hand for about 8-10 minutes until it
becomes smooth and elastic. To knead, fold the dough over on itself,
then push down and forward with the heel of your hand. Rotate the dough
a quarter turn and repeat.
greased bowl, cover it, and let it rise as directed in the recipe.
How does it change the recipe if instant yeast is used instead??
Any changes for high altitude . I am in Denver .
When baking at high altitudes, such as Denver, adjustments to recipes are often necessary due to lower atmospheric pressure and higher elevation. To make the 4-Ingredient French Bread recipe at high altitude, you can try the following modifications:
Increase the amount of liquid: In high-altitude baking, it’s common to increase the liquid content to compensate for the drier air. Add an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to the dough. Start with 1 tablespoon and assess the consistency before adding more if needed.
Decrease the amount of yeast: Due to lower air pressure, yeast tends to work faster at higher altitudes. Reduce the amount of yeast by approximately 25%. For this recipe, if it calls for 1 packet (or 2 1/4 teaspoons) of yeast, use around 1 3/4 teaspoons instead.
Adjust the rising time: The rising time for bread dough can be shorter at higher altitudes. Keep an eye on the dough and adjust the rising time accordingly. It may take less time to double in size, so check the dough periodically and proceed to the next step once it has sufficiently risen.
Increase the baking temperature: Since bread can take longer to bake at high altitudes, increase the oven temperature by 15-25°F (8-14°C). However, be cautious not to exceed the recommended temperature for the recipe or the bread may brown too quickly.
Check for doneness: Due to the variations in baking time, it’s crucial to rely on visual cues to determine if the bread is fully baked. Look for a golden brown crust and tap the bottom of the loaf—the sound should be hollow. If necessary, you can extend the baking time slightly until the bread is fully cooked.
Remember that altitude adjustments can be somewhat trial-and-error, so it’s a good idea to make notes and observe the results each time you bake the bread until you achieve the desired outcome.
This is a great recipe !! Simple easy quick and tastes wonderful! Thank you