French bread is crafted using white wheat flour, salt, yeast, and water. Its crust is delightfully crispy and chewy, while the texture is characterized by a roughness and numerous air pockets. French bread comes in various shapes and sizes, including the iconic baguette, which is a long and slender loaf. Although a bread maker may not be able to replicate these unique shapes, it can certainly recreate the crust and texture, resulting in a loaf with a pan shape. If you’re looking to make French bread at home, there are several popular options to consider when selecting a bread machine.
What is French bread?
French bread is known for its crunchy outer layer and soft interior. It is typically baked in a long, slender baguette shape and made from wheat flour, water, yeast, and salt. Although it is often leavened with sourdough starters, French bread can also be made using baker’s yeast. To achieve the perfect crust and texture, it is important to shape and proof the dough correctly.
While traditional baguettes require special proofing pans, French bread can also be baked in the square loaf pan of an automatic bread machine. By using the right ingredients, techniques, and bread machine, you can make delicious homemade French bread with a crispy crust and tender interior.
Cheap Bread Machine For Basic French Bread
The 2-pound bread machine from Amazon Basics comes with fourteen different settings to help you make various types of breads, dough, gluten-free options, jams, and more. Depending on your preference, you can select light, medium, or dark crust settings. This bread machine has a vertical design and can accommodate a two-pound loaf.
If you’re in the mood for some crusty French bread, the French bread setting will take about three hours to complete and produce a delicious loaf. It’s quite easy to use, but if you’re new to bread making, it’s recommended to closely follow recipes, especially when making French bread.
The dough cycle is also capable of preparing dough for baking French baguettes, resulting in a loaf with a crispy exterior. However, you may experience some vibration and movement from the machine during the kneading process due to its lightweight construction, so it’s a good idea to check on it occasionally.
Overall, this budget-friendly bread maker is dependable and can handle basic recipes that require a thick crust, such as French bread. Just keep in mind its smaller size and the potential for shaking around the counter when kneading dough. With its affordable price and positive reviews, the Amazon Basic bread machine is a popular choice among customers (check price on Amazon – paid link).
Small Bread Maker With French Bread Cycle
The Zojirushi BB-HAC10 is a small bread maker that can be used for making French bread. It can bake a 1-pound loaf and offers two crust settings: regular or light. Additionally, you have the option to choose the texture of your bread, whether you prefer it soft, firm, or regular. The menu provides various settings for Basic, Soft, French, Dough, Cookie/Pasta dough, Cake, Jam, and Quick breads, allowing you to make a variety of delicious treats. This versatile machine can even make pasta dough!
Some other convenient features of the Zojirushi BB-HAC10 include a 13-hour delay timer, a viewing window, and a nonstick pan for easy cleaning. To achieve the best results when using the French bread cycle, make sure to accurately measure your ingredients, use bread flour, and keep the lid closed during rising and baking. You can find a basic French bread recipe in the manual to guide you.
The 1-pound size of the loaf is perfect for individuals or couples who enjoy fresh French bread daily. However, it’s important to note that the French cycle takes a total of 5 hours. Unfortunately, you can’t adjust the crust with this setting, so it may turn out too hard or dark for your liking. Nevertheless, the French setting still produces a tasty loaf of bread.
If you’d like more information about this compact Zojirushi bread maker, feel free to read my BB-HAC10 review.
Dual Blade Bread Machine With French Bread Setting
I briefly considered the popular and pricey dual-blade Zojirushi bread machines like the BB-CEC20 Home Bakery Supreme and BB-PDC20 Home Bakery Virtuoso Plus. However, both of these models lack a specific setting for French bread. That’s why I decided to take a look at the West Bend 47413 Hi-Rise bread maker instead. It comes with a dedicated French bread setting.
The West Bend 47413 Hi-Rise boasts a horizontal baking pan with two kneading paddles, allowing you to make a loaf of up to 3 pounds. The dual kneading blades ensure thorough dough kneading, resulting in a lighter texture and better rise.
The West Bend 47413 Hi-Rise bread maker offers a variety of settings including Basic, Wheat, French, Sweet, Dough, Gluten-Free, and Custom breads. You can also choose between light, medium, or dark crust colors. By following the instructions precisely and using the right measurements and ingredients, you can achieve a French bread loaf with a crispy crust. The Custom Setting is perfect for experienced bakers, as it allows you to customize the bread making process according to your own recipe.
Click here to read my comprehensive review of the West Bend Hi-Rise bread makers.
Cuisinart Bread Machine For French Bread
The Cuisinart CBK-110 bread maker is designed to be compact, so it won’t take up much space on your counter or be a hassle to store. With its stainless steel exterior, it adds a touch of elegance to your kitchen. It comes with twelve pre-programmed menu options and three crust shades, allowing you to bake a variety of bread to your liking.
The vertical pan can handle loaves up to two pounds in size. You can easily monitor the baking process through the viewing window in the lid, and the interior light provides visibility as well. Once your bread is ready, a 60-minute keep warm cycle ensures it stays warm until you’re ready to enjoy it. The audible alerts let you know when it’s time to add mix-ins, making the process even more convenient.
The Cuisinart CBK-110 is not only user-friendly, but it also produces excellent bread, especially French loaves. Overall, I wholeheartedly recommend this bread maker. You may read my Cuisinart CBK-110 review for more information about its features and settings.
Oster Bread Machine For French Bread
The Oster CKSTBRTW20 Expressbake bread machine offers a dedicated cycle for French bread and can knead dough for various types of bread. It also has the added feature of making jam. The control panel is equipped with an LCD screen, a 13-hour delay timer, and buttons to select the size of the loaf (1, 1.5, or 2 pounds) and the darkness of the crust (light, medium, or dark). Additionally, there are menu and power buttons for easy operation.
With twelve preset programs including Basic, French Bread, Whole Wheat, Sweet, Ultra Fast, Quick, European, Dough, Bagel Dough, Jam, and Bake, this bread maker offers versatility. It comes with a nonstick bread pan that has a single kneading paddle, and a viewing window in the lid allows you to monitor the baking process. Before making a decision, I recommend reading my Oster CKSTBRTW20 review to understand its advantages and disadvantages.
The Oster CKSTBR9050 Expressbake is a versatile countertop appliance with a compact and user-friendly design. It offers thirteen settings, including a gluten-free option, three crust selections, and a French bread setting, allowing you to bake a variety of breads effortlessly. Thanks to the Expressbake cycle, you can enjoy delicious bread in just an hour. The large LCD and programmable 13-hour timer add convenience and flexibility, allowing you to prepare bread according to your schedule.
This bread machine has a 2-pound capacity. It’s the low-cost choice for baking a French bread loaf without breaking the bank. You can read my Oster CKSTBR9050 review to learn more about it.
Conclusion
Fresh French bread is at its best when consumed immediately. However, if you want to keep it soft for longer, it’s recommended to wrap it in plastic. For those who prefer baking fresh French bread every day, the Zojirushi BB-HAC10 with its 1-pound loaf size is a great choice. Although it may have a slightly higher price compared to its capacity, it offers good quality and takes up less counter space than other bread machines (check price on Amazon – paid link).
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly option to make larger French bread loaves of 1.5 or 2 pounds, the Oster CKSTBR9050 Expressbake is probably your best bet. Alternatively, you could also consider the Amazon Basics 2-pound bread machine, but personally, I would recommend one of the Oster bread machines over the Amazon Basics model.
Ultimately, if you’re looking for one of the best bread machines with a French bread setting, then the Cuisinart CBK-110 is likely the best choice. With its French bread setting, you can easily make a delicious and crusty French bread loaf, as long as you closely follow the recipe instructions. Alternatively, you can use the dough setting to prepare the French bread dough, which you can then shape and bake in an oven (buy on Amazon – paid link).