French bread
Also known as: loaf french bread
A long, crusty white bread loaf with a chewy, open crumb inside a firm, crackling crust. Eaten as a side, sliced for sandwiches like a po'boy, or torn into cubes for stuffing and bread pudding.
Buying guidance
Buy it the day it's needed, or plan to freeze it -- French bread stales within a day at room temperature since it has no fat or preservatives slowing that down. For sandwiches, look for a crust firm enough to hold together without shredding the bread when bitten. A day or two of staleness is actually an advantage for garlic bread or croutons, since stale bread crisps up more readily than fresh.
Substitutions
- Baguette -- thinner and crustier; cut on a sharper angle for sandwiches to get comparable surface area.
- Italian bread -- softer crust and crumb, a close everyday substitute.
- Sturdy hoagie or sub rolls -- already portioned, a practical swap specifically for sandwiches.
Tips & common mistakes
Slicing a loaf while it's still warm compresses the crumb and can make it seem gummy -- letting it cool most of the way first gives a cleaner slice, since the crumb structure is still setting while the loaf is hot.
Storage
Refrigerating French bread actually speeds up staling rather than slowing it, even though it feels like the safer choice -- for anything beyond a day or two, the freezer keeps it fresh far better than the fridge does. Wrapped well and frozen, a loaf can be thawed at room temperature or crisped straight from frozen in the oven.