Yield: 12 small loaves

Copycat Jimmy John's French Bread Recipe

Three loaves of bread on a cooling rack.

Learn how to make your own Jimmy John’s bread! This delicious copycat recipe is made with flour, yeast, olive oil, sugar, and salt. It’s an easy soft-bread recipe that's also great for sandwiches and subs. Not only is it cheaper than going to the restaurant, but it is also customizable.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Rise Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups warm water
  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 4½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus a little extra for greasing

Instructions

  1. Use a wooden spoon to combine the water, yeast, and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Let it stand for 5 minutes. 
  2. Combine 1 cup flour with the olive oil in a second small bowl. Mix well until evenly combined.
  3. Add 3½ cups flour and salt to a large mixing bowl. Then, stir in the flour and oil. Combine well. Finally, open a well in the center of the flour and pour in the activated yeast sugar water. Mix well with the wooden spoon. Continue mixing until a smooth dough forms.
  4. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for about 8-10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.
  5. Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean, damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
  6. Once the dough has risen, punch it down gently to release any air bubbles. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 12 equal portions.
  7. Take one portion of the dough and roll it into a rectangular log. Repeat with all portions of dough.
  8. Place the loaves on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover again and let them rise a second time for about 15-20 minutes. While they are rising, preheat the oven to 400F.
  9. Bake the bread for about 20-25 minutes or until the crust turns golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
  10. Remove the loaves from the oven, transfer to a wire rack, and leave to cool completely.

Notes

  • Do not use old or expired packs of yeast. If your yeast doesn't show any activity in step one, then in all likelihood, it won't work.
  • The water should be warm to the touch, not too hot and not too cold because that won’t activate the yeast.
  • If you need to quicken the proof time, aka rise time, place the bowl with the dough in a warm water bath or warm oven at the lowest temperature.
  • Conversely, if you want to slow down the proofing, place the bread dough in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours and take care of it at your convenience.

Serve: Make your favorite sub sandwich or try the popular combinations listed in the post above.

Store: Keep the bread in an airtight container or bag in the refrigerator. Jimmy John's bread has a shelf life of three days.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1 loaf
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 218Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 355mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 5g