French Bread

French Bread

I am always in search of a good French Bread recipe. As far as those go, this one wasn't bad. It was close to store-bought, and quick and easy to make. 

The Recipe:

6 cups bread flour

2 1/2 (0.25 oz) packages active dry yeast

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 cups warm water (110 degrees)

1 tbsp cornmeal

1. Combine 2 cups flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl or KitchenAid mixer. Stir in the 2 cups of warm water and mix well. Add the rest of the flour until you get a dough that clears the sides of the bowl but sticks slightly to the bottom.

2. Knead about 8 to 10 minutes or until dough is stiff and elastic. Spray a bowl with cooking spray or coat with oil and place dough in bowl to rise, flipping the dough or spraying it with oil before you cover it with plastic wrap. Allow to double, about 30-40 minutes.

3. Deflate dough and divide in two. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Shape two halves into a baguette, pinching the seams together, using bit of water if necessary to obtain a proper seal. For tips on how to shape a baguette: http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Forming-and-Baking-Baguettes/Detail.aspx.

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and/or sprinkle with cornmeal. Seam side down, put the loaves on the pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to nearly double, about 40 minutes.

5. With a razor blade, make 3 or 4 diagonal slashes on each loaf about 1/4 inch deep. Bake at 375ºF for 35-40 minutes. The bread is done when it is golden brown on top and sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack.

The Process:

Step 1: knead the dough. I used a KitchenAid electric mixer.

Step 2: dough kneaded and rounded into a ball to rise.

Step 2: Dough put into a greased bowl for rising.

Step 3: Dough shaped and proofed. 

The finished product. In order to get the scoring on the top, I've found that even sharp knives aren't sharp enough. Get some razor blades and slash those across the tops of the loaves quickly. The cuts are clean and don't tear at the dough.

Results:


I found this to be a pleasant bread that would go with all sorts of meals. I tested it out with beef stew, and it was perfect for sopping up the liquid. The dough was easy to work with and, as far as bread recipes go, quick to make, taking around two and a half to three hours from start to finish.