Franskbrød (White Bread)

Homemade bread – the best!

I think we’ve mentioned plenty of times on this blog how much we love bread. It’s just one of the best things in the world! And once you get the hang of making it yourself, store-bought bread is never quite as good. So, today we’re bringing you yet another bread recipe, this time for franskbrød, or a white bread loaf. In Danish, this literally translates to “French bread,” but it’s definitely not as difficult or as complicated as a baguette or pain de campagne. This is a great recipe for beginner bread-bakers, because it doesn’t require too many ingredients and the shaping process is as straightforward as it gets.

What is franskbrød?

Franskbrød is just a simple white bread loaf, baked in a loaf tin with yeast and no pre-ferment or starter. We always loved it because it is a really flexible recipe, and if you make it enough times, you may not even have to measure the ingredients properly anymore. Many people have their own variations on franskbrød (they may add seeds or use whole wheat flour), but we are keeping it simple and straightforward with this recipe. For bread recipes with more seeds, flours, or other additions, you can check out the “bread & rolls” section of our website. You can also feel free to customize this recipe however you want! It works well as a base recipe, and you can then try adding various things, such as raisins, sunflower seeds, or chocolate, to mix things up.

Ingredients you’ll need for our white bread loaf recipe

To make this white bread loaf, the ingredients are very simple: yeast, milk, water, sugar, salt, butter, and flour. The yeast helps the dough rise and gives it structure. The milk and water add moisture, and the milk also adds some fat and flavor. Then, the sugar adds sweetness, color, and helps with the softness of the loaf. The same goes for the butter, which is also important for flavor, as is the salt. Finally, the flour helps the bread develop a gluten structure and gives it a great final texture. We also brush the loaf with some milk before baking, which makes for a golden brown, shiny, but still soft crust.

How to make franskbrød (white bread)

This white bread loaf recipe is seriously so easy. And if you’ve made bread before, it’ll be a breeze. Just combine your ingredients (you may have to follow a certain process depending on your yeast – check out our recipe below for specifics) and knead the dough. Let this proof for about 1 hour, then shape into a sandwich loaf. Again, follow the instructions in the recipe below for the specific shaping process to avoid any gaps in the loaf.

Leave this to rise for another 30 mins, brush with milk, and bake for about half an hour. Once it’s cooled a bit, you’ve got a delicious loaf of bread to use for whatever your heart desires! Eat it fresh out of the oven covered in butter (our preference), or save it for sandwiches and toast throughout the week. Once you get the hang of this loaf recipe, you’ll be making it over and over again for you and your family. We hope you try it out!

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Franskbrød (White Bread)

4.50 from 4 votes

This fluffy white bread loaf is perfect for toast, sandwiches, french toast – anything really! It’s easy to make and turns out absolutely delicious every time.

Servings 1 loaf

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Rising time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

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IMPORTANT NOTE:

We always bake using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and milliliters). We can’t promise that our cup measurements will be as accurate! Additionally, we bake and develop our recipes in a convection (fan) oven.

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 2 tsp instant yeast (2.25 tsp active dry yeast, 17.5g fresh yeast)
• 100 ml milk
• 100 ml water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 28 grams unsalted butter, melted
• 350 grams all purpose or bread flour
• Extra milk to brush on top

Instructions

 

• If using instant yeast – add the yeast, milk, and water (make sure the milk and the water are lukewarm in temperature) to a bowl and whisk to combine. Then add the rest of the ingredients (sugar, salt, butter, flour) and stir together with a wooden spoon. If the dough is very sticky, you can add more flour a little bit at a time. Once a dough starts to form, you can start kneading.
  
• If using active dry yeast or fresh yeast – Heat up the milk and water, either in the microwave or in a saucepan, until it is “fingervarm” (finger warm), meaning it should feel warm to the touch but not hot. Add the yeast and stir to dissolve. Let it rest 5-10 minutes until it begins to froth and bubble a little bit. Then, add the rest of the ingredients (sugar, salt, butter, flour) and stir together with a wooden spoon. If the mixture seems very wet and sticky, you can add a little more flour a bit at a time. Once a dough starts to form, you can start kneading.
• Knead for 10-12 minutes, either by hand or in a stand mixer, until the dough is smooth and elastic. If it sticks to your hands, add more flour.
  
• Cover and let the dough proof for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size and passes the poke test (should NOT spring back immediately when poked, should spring back slightly but leave an indentation).
  
• Oil a loaf pan (or line with parchment paper if you’re like us and your loaf pans are the opposite of non-stick).
  
• To shape the sandwich loaf, dump the dough out on a clean surface. Using your hands, stretch it out into a rectangle, with a width equivalent to the size of your loaf pan.
  
• Start rolling from one end, keeping the roll very tight.
  
• Once you have rolled it up, pinch together the crease on the bottom, then flip the loaf so it's seam-side down and roll it against the countertop gently to create surface tension and help close the crease on the bottom of the loaf.
  
• Place the loaf in the pan and cover, letting it rise for another 30-45 minutes, or until doubled in size and passes the poke test again. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 350 F (175 C).
  
• Once it is ready to go in the oven, brush the top with a bit of milk and bake.
  
• You can also score the top of the bread! This will give it a nice pattern on top, but it isn't required – the dough will still rise properly without scoring it.
  
• Bake for 30-35 minutes (make sure to check it at 30!) until the top is golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when you tap it.
  
• Let cool at least 20 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

Video

Course: Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch, Snack

Cuisine: Danish

Keyword: fluffy, hearty, loaf, sandwich, simple, soft

Difficulty: Intermediate