Directions: |
Directions:Combine yeast, sugar and water until foaming.
In a heavy-duty mixer or food processor -add flours and salt to bowl of processor. Stir the cup of water into the yeast. Start machine. Pour in liquid, adding dribbles more until dough balls up and rotates under the cover 6 to 8 times.
Stop machine. Let dough rest 5 minutes (if it feels damp, sprinkle on more flour). Let dough rotate 30 revolutions. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 50 strokes. Let rest 2 minutes. Knead 20 strokes more.
Lift dough into a clean, dry 4-quart bowl. Cover and let rise 40 minutes. Turn it out; pat into a 14-inch rectangle and fold into three. Repeat. Return to bowl and let rise 1 1/2 - 2 hours or more. Until almost tripled in bulk.
Shape into loaves - 3 -4 long thin loaves or 2 fat ones. Cover loosely with a lightly floured towel; let rise to more than double - about 1 1/2 hours.
Prepare the oven: Arrange your quarry tiles or baking stones on a rack in the lower third level of the oven and preheat 450 for 30 minutes. Steam the oven - toss 1/3 cup of water into the bottom and close door for 3 seconds before you slide the loaves in. (gas oven - set an iron frying pan in the bottom to preheat and toss the water into that)
Oven temperature and timing. Usually, 20-25 minutes are sufficient for loaves to brown and crust, but you'll need at least 10 minutes more at 400 to finish the baking. Large round and fat long loaves want longer for the inside to cook; underdone, they'll soften as they cool - but you can put them back in the oven again, 10 or 15 minutes at 400. |
This recipe for Dad's French Bread is from