No-Knead Brazilian French Bread

Hi everyone! Okay, I am so excited to share this recipe!!! You are going to fall backwards; it is this amazing! This No-Knead Brazilian French Bread recipe (called Pao Frances in Brazil) is no knead, can be made in one bowl, requires no fancy machines or equipment, and the dough can be kept for about a week inside your fridge.

What is Brazilian Bread?

What I’m calling Brazilian French Bread here is known as pão francês, pão de sal, or cacetinho in Brazil. It is the most common type of bread sold in bakeries all over the country. If you are wondering what it tastes like, it is a crusty bread with a soft, soft pillowy interior.

Despite its name being “pao frances” which literally translates to French bread. It is not the same, it is almost like a shorter and chubbier baguette. Although both baguettes and “pão francês” can be considered crusty breads, I feel like pão francês is more crackly when pressed, compared to the firmer crust of a baguette which doesn’t crack as easily. Additionally, pão francês tends to have a more substantial interior, likely due to its chubbier shape. Its inside is softer and more pillowy. I did my best to explain it, but you really have to try it to understand.

According to the The Brazilian Association of the Bakery and Confectionery Industry(ABIP), there are over 70,000 bakeries spread across Brazil. In 2021, the bakery and confectionery market earned R$ 105.85 billion in the country, a growth of 15.3% compared to 2020. According to CNN, it is also estimated that around 41 million Brazilians go out every day to buy fresh bread from a bakery. As you can see bread is without a doubt e a national passion. And eating bread is a national pastime.

Inspiration for this No-Knead Brazilian French Bread

The inspiration for this recipe comes, of course, from my own childhood memories of eating this bread every single day. Yes, just like rice and beans, this was another thing we used to eat daily. Not only that, but I have many memories of going for a walk and buying it with my grandfather every evening at a bakery around the corner. Clearly, we weren’t the only ones, as it is estimated that about 41 million Brazilians buy fresh bread every day.

Another source of inspiration comes from my favorite book, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, and some online videos I found on how to make Brazilian bread at home. I used all of that as inspiration to come up with this recipe, and I really do ask if you end up making it, please comment and rate! It is so helpful in order to encourage and keep this very small and tiny blog, filled with recipes that have been thoroughly tested by me, going. So, if you want the blog to be around for another year, please comment below.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Lukewarm water: Make sure your water is lukewarm. If your water is too cold, it will take forever for your bread to rise, and if it’s too hot, you will kill your yeast and it won’t rise at all.
• Bread flour: You can use all-purpose flour, but I found, and my husband agreed, that the texture resembles more authentic pão francês when I use bread flour.
• Butter: You can use salted or unsalted; I didn’t notice much of a difference, to be honest.
• Salt: I use kosher salt to make all of my breads. You can use a different kind of salt, but this will alter the amount needed in the recipe. If its your first time making it just buy kosher salt 🙂
• Sugar: Just a tiny bit of sugar is needed, but it is totally necessary as it will give the bread the right flavor.
• Bread Booster (I buy the Fleischman brand which is the one I find at my local grocery store). : Optional but highly recommended. It is the most unusual ingredient and I assume you haven’t bought it before. I always find it in my nearest grocery store in the baking aisle. Near where the bread yeast, baking powder etc are located. If you can’t find it, you can always check online. If you would like to omit it, it is possible. It’s not going to ruin the recipe. You will still get bread, and it will still taste good. However, most bakeries in Brazil use something called “melhorador” in their recipes. This, I think, would be the closest thing to “melhorador” that we have available to us here in Canada. I find it does help the bread rise and obtain the proper texture of pão francês.

Additional Advice

I live in Canada, which is where I tested this recipe. There is a difference when it comes to flour from different countries. If you are not in Canada, you are going to have to test it out. If you are in the US, my guess would be for you to include more flour, maybe 1/4 cup extra flour. If you are in Brazil, I think you would also need more flour, maybe like 1/3 cup extra. These are just guesses, so you are going to have to test it out to find what works best. If you need help just send me a message and I will be happy to troubleshoot it with you!

Results to be Expected

Is there anything more annoying than trying a recipe just to find out it doesn’t work or it didn’t turn out like they said it would?! I will never do that to you.

So here is the whole truth. The biggest difference between a bread baked in a bakery and bread we make at home is their oven, which is better able to trap steam inside so that the bread can rise. I don’t have a professional bakery oven and you probably don’t either.

With this recipe, you can expect the same taste and texture, but keep in mind yours, just like mine, will most likely not rise quite like the ones made in a bakery. As you can see from the picture these are smaller than the bakeries. If you are wondering if it would help to just use more dough to make them bigger. You can certainly experiment, but I didn’t find it gave the best results in terms of texture. Keeping them smaller in my opinion gives you the right balance between crispy and airy that will resemble a store bought pao frances (brazilian french bread).

Storage

This bread is best eaten fresh. Remember the Brazilian obsession with fresh bread? The crust will be perfect for about 4 to 5 hours after it is made; eventually, the crust will start becoming less crusty. I recommend then reheating it in your oven or air fryer so it gets crusty again. It will keep for about 3 days or so when stored in a plastic bag (but it will lose its crustiness, but you can use your oven to make it crispy again), or you can keep it inside a linen or paper bag, and it keeps for about a day or so until it starts to harden. You can also wait for your bread to completely cool after you bake it and then freeze it.

How to Serve Pao Frances

This bread is eaten for breakfast and dinner in Brazil. If you think its weird to eat bread for dinner, then remember that the main meal in brazil is lunch not dinner. So during dinner people like to have lunch. Hope that makes sense! You can eat it with butter, use it to make a sandwich, or spread some jam or cream cheese! It’s a staple in all households.

Instructions:

Mixing the Dough:

1. In a large 5 or 6-quart bowl or lidded dough bucket, pour in the lukewarm water.
2. Add the yeast, salt, melted butter, sugar, and bread booster (if using).
3. Dump all the flour in at once and stir with a long-handled wooden spoon or a Danish dough whisk until the flour is fully incorporated into a wet, rough dough. It won’t look pretty.

Initial Rise:

1. Cover the container with the lid, but do not snap it shut completely. This allows gases from the yeast to escape.
2. Let the dough sit at room temperature for about 2 – 4 hours to rise or more if necessary. The dough will expand significantly during this time. The dough can hangout outside of your fridge for 8 hours max until it needs to be refrigerated.

Refrigeration (Optional but Recommended):

1. After the initial rise, you can use the dough immediately, but it’s easier to handle when chilled.
2. Place the dough in the refrigerator for use over the next two weeks. For the first two days, keep the lid slightly open to allow gases to escape. After that, you can close the lid but avoid airtight seals, especially with glass containers.

Preparing the Dough for Baking:

1. When ready to bake, dust the dough surface with a little flour to prevent sticking.
2. Cut off an 80-90g piece of dough using kitchen shears and shape it into a ball.
3. Stretch the dough ball into a long rectangular shape, then roll it tightly at least 10 times to form a tight roll.
4. Place the shaped rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Preheating and Preparing the Oven:

1. Preheat your oven to 410°F (210°C) with a metal broiler tray on the bottom shelf. This tray will be used to create steam.
2. While the oven is preheating, let the dough rest.

Baking:

1. Spray the dough rolls with water and make a single slashes on top with a knife.
2. Place the baking sheet in the oven and quickly add a cup of hot water to the broiler tray to create steam. Be careful not to burn yourself.
3. Bake for 5 minutes, then carefully remove the broiler tray from the oven to stop the steaming.
4. Continue baking for another 25 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown and have a hollow sound when tapped underneath.

Cooling:

1. Allow the rolls to cool on a rack until they reach room temperature. Cutting into the bread too early can result in a tough crust and a gummy interior.
2. Use a sharp serrated bread knife to avoid crushing the bread while slicing.

FAQ

Q: Can I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour? A: Yes, you can use all-purpose flour, but the texture may not be as close to authentic pão francês.

Q: What if I can’t find bread booster? A: You can omit it. The bread will still turn out well, but the texture might be slightly different and not as close to an authentic pao frances.

Q: How do I store the dough? A: Store the dough in the refrigerator for up to a week. Leave the lid slightly open for the first two days to let gases escape.

Q: Can I freeze the bread? A: Yes, wait for the bread to cool completely before freezing.

Q: Can I use a baguette pan to bake these buns? While I haven’t gotten one myself I imagine this would make the buns turn out even better! So if you already have one I would definitely give it a try. If you don’t, don’t stress it though since I have been making mine without it, so can you.

Troubleshooting

Issue: Dough is too dry and breaks instead of stretching.

• Solution: Add a few tablespoons of water to the dough and let it sit until the water is absorbed.

Issue: Bread is not rising properly.

• Solution: Ensure your yeast is active and that your water is lukewarm, not hot or cold. Adjust flour amounts depending on your location.

Issue: Crust is not forming properly.

• Solution: Make sure to remove the broiler tray with water after the first 5 minutes of baking.

Issue: Bread is dense and not airy.

• Solution: Allow adequate rising time and ensure proper shaping techniques. Also make sure not to make your buns too large, as I found that this may happen when they get too large. Stick to the measurement I gave you.

Hi Friends!

This recipe has taken me quite awhile to develop, take pictures and share it with you all. In fact, it has taken me months. If you do try it please leave a comment below. Every comment helps, and without it there isn’t really a chance google may show it to others. So please leave a comment, a rating and share with your friends! It does help the blog and myself quite a bit when you take a few moments to do it. This is a completely free blog, that is also, in case you haven’t noticed add free! If you do like this experience please help me keep going by leaving a comment below! If you have any questions about the recipe or would like to troubleshoot any issues with me, please feel free to also leave a comment and I will reach out to you!

Until next time,

Claudia