Basic French Bread Recipe
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Category: |
Category: |
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Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 1 1/2 c. Water at 115ºF-125ºF
1 T. Sugar, Honey or Syrup
1 packet/sachet or 1 T. of dry/instant Yeast
1 T. Salt
2 T. Olive or other cooking oil
3-4 c. Bread Flour
(Optional)
All-Purpose Flour mixed with 4 T. Vital Wheat Gluten in place of bread flour. Add Gluten first, then add rest of flour.
1 well beaten egg for egg washing
A few tablespoons of seeds such as poppy or sesame for putting over the egg wash for garnish
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Directions: |
Directions:Note: This makes dough for two medium pizzas, several bread rolls, bagels, baguettes, sandwich bread or calzones.
In a mixing bowl large enough for all ingredients, add the water, yeast and sugar. Stir to combine and allow to sit until yeast has "proofed," that is, frothy, beige, and fluffy, with lots of good bubbles. This will ensure a proper rising. Mix in salt and oil, then stir to combine. Add, one cup at a time, flour and stir with a stiff, large spoon until it pulls away from the sides and is able to be kneaded. Knead, adding 1/4 cup of flour to each time it becomes too sticky to work with, but do not add so much that the dough becomes unworkable and heavy.
Knead the dough on a workable surface dusted with flour, vigorously, until elastic, soft, and no longer mottled. This process should take at least ten (10) minutes.
Place back into mixing bowl, so as not to add to your clutter, after rolling dough into a large ball. Add one (1) tablespoon of oil on top and take care to cover the entire surface of the exposed bread. Cover with a damp, warm cloth and place in a warm place to rise, until doubled in bulk, approximately one hour. This is the first rise.
Push down the dough and shape into desired shapes (two boules, two loaves, baguettes, rolls),
and allow to rise again for another hour, or until doubled in size again. This is rise two.
Preheat your oven shortly before the bread has finished rising to 425 ºF. If using, apply desired wash and toppings. Bake for 20-25 minutes for loaves, 15-20 for rolls. Bread should be golden brown to warm brown, with a hollow sound when tapped or thumped underneath. Cool on racks before slicing. If making rolls, turn out onto a plate and then flip over onto a rack to cool. |
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Number Of
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Number Of
Servings:Varies |
Preparation
Time: |
Preparation
Time:20 minutes prep, 2 1/2 hours for total time. |
Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: For boules, which are large circular loaves shaped much like a ball, I recommend a well greased 8 or 9 inch cake pan, preferably non-stick.
For rolls, use also a greased cake pan, but make small balls instead of loaves, and place into the pans with some space to rise, typically about 12 per cake pan. If desired, ground fresh garlic mixed with olive oil and herbs or butter makes an excellent topping to place on top after baking. I frequently make half of the dough into a pizza and the other half into garlic rolls. Makes an excellent dinner.
For baguettes, roll dough into a large rectangle, pushing out all the air, roll into a log and place seam-side down onto a greased or oil sprayed parchment paper or non-stick pan.
For beauty, taste and presentation:
Any dough could be dusted underneath after shaping with corn flour or corn meal to give a rustic look. Brushing egg wash right up to where the corn meal ends makes for an excellent, shiny, rustic looking bread.
To make slashes for presentation, use a substantially razor sharp knife and gently make 1/2 inch cuts into the dough, using whatever pattern you like, after egg washing and topping or dusting with flour, just before baking. Do not do so during the second rise, as the dough will become grossly misshapen and not work. Take care, as cutting too vigorously will result in deflation of your bread.
Steam is essential for a quality end bread. If possible, spray your loaves or rolls with a misting bottle of water, every two minutes, for the first 10 minutes of baking time, or throw in approximately 1 cup of water against the sides of your oven just before closing and after placing bread into the oven. This will ensure a proper steaming.
Earthenware pans will always make the best tasting bread. I highly suggest using them, soaking them in clean water, and greasing well, prior to use. For excellence, use a quality baking stone placed in the middle of your oven during the preheating.
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