French Bread Recipe

1      Reviews by:    Pansy Maddox   French Bread Recipe makes a very tasty, yet very easy French bread with great crunch and fantastic flavor using unbleached all-purpose flour, yeast, sugar, salt and water. Food Category:    Bread Cuisine Origin:    French    Servings:3 Calories per Serving:846 Print Preview Rate This Recipe Prep Time:   1 Hour 57 Minutes Cook Time:   30 Minutes Total Time:   2 Hours 27 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 2 cups warm (105 to 115°F) water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 5 1/2 to 6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS

• Sprinkle yeast over 1/4 cup of the warm water in large bowl of electric mixer. Add sugar. Let stand until yeast is soft (about 5 minutes).
• Stir in remaining 1 3/4 cups water and salt. Add 4 cups of the flour. Mix to blend; then beat at medium speed until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes).
• Gradually beat in about 1 cup more flour to make a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a board or pastry cloth floured with some of the remaining 1/2 to 1 cup flour. Knead until dough is springy and small bubbles form just under surface (10 to 15 minutes), adding just enough more flour to prevent dough from being sticky.
• Turn dough in a greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel; let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour). Punch dough down; knead dough lightly into a ball. Cover with inverted bowl and let rest for 10 minutes.
• Divide dough into three equal portions. Shape each into a slender oval loaf 16 to 18 inches long by rolling the ball of dough under palms of hands to elongate it. Place in greased baguette pans or well apart on a large, greased baking sheet. Let rise until puffy but not quite doubled (20 to 25 minutes).
• Preheat oven (see Baking Directions). With a razor blade make three diagonal slashes, about 1/2 inch deep, down center of each loaf.
• BAKING: Preheat oven to 450° F. Before baking use an atomizer filled with cold water to spray shaped loaves with a fine film of moisture. Place in oven, then spray twice more at 3 minute intervals. Bake until bread is well browned (25 to 30 minutes in all. Slide onto wire racks to cool.

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