Homemade French Bread

Don't you just love the aroma of homemade bread bread baking in the oven? Last week when the weather was cold and snowy, I had the urge to bake this French Bread to go with a big pot of soup. It's been quite awhile since I have made this, but this tasty bread is one of my family's favorites. Chewy and deliciously crusty on the outside, and soft, but yet dense on the inside, this bread is perfect with soups and stews or used to make garlic toast. I've been working on this post for several days and happy to finally have it posted as Blogger has been giving me fits. But we've been savoring our French Bread. If you like to bake your own bread, I think you will enjoy this one. Let me show you how.

After the dough is all stirred up it will be rather sticky looking, but will smooth out as it is kneaded. I like kneading the dough; I find it very therapeutic!

After a few minutes of kneading it should be a nice smooth, elastic ball. Then it needs to rise.

Isn't it pretty? It will double in size in about an hour.

After it has risen you "punch it down", which deflates the air out of the dough. Then It has to rise a second time, only about 30 minutes this time around. Deflate it again and divide the dough into three equal pieces.

Each piece of dough is rolled out a bit and then rolled up into individual loaves, and placed on baking sheets that have been greased and dusted with corn meal.

Cover each loaf with a kitchen towel and let rise until doubles again. This is the last rising. Preheat your oven at this time.

When the dough has doubled, take a sharp knife and gently score each loaf of bread. don't cut too deeply. Then brush each loaf with beaten egg white. Bake in the oven till golden and you will have some fantastic looking bread! Try not to cut it right away and let it cool-yea, right! When my kids were all home everyone was standing around like vultures waiting for a hot slice to slather with butter. The first loaf was gone in a matter of minutes! It's a good thing this recipe makes 3 loaves. Or sometimes I make two larger loaves. Here's the recipe.

CRUSTY FRENCH BREAD

from a Family Circle cookbook

1 envelope active dry yeast- 2 1/4 teaspoons

2 cups very warm water

6 cups sifted all purpose flour-you may not use all of it

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons salt-Recipe calls for 3 tea.

2 tablespoons shortening-I sometimes use olive oil

cornmeal for dusting the pans

1 egg white

1 tablespoon cold water

1. Pour the very warm water in a large bowl. (The water should feel comfortably warm when dropped on your wrist). Sprinkle the yeast into the water. Stir until the yeast dissolves.

2. Stir in 3 cups of the flour, the sugar, shortening and salt; beat until smooth. Slowly beat in enough of the remaining 3 cups of flour to make a stiff dough. It will still be somewhat sticky in appearance.

3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead for about 5 minutes. I find this rather therapeutic! Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, using only as much of the remaining flour to keep dough from sticking. Like I said, you may not end up using all the flour.

4. Place the dough in a large greased bowl and turn to coat all over with the shortening. Or, brush very lightly with oil. Cover with a clean towel and place in a warm place to rise. It should double in 45-60 minutes.

5. When dough has doubled, punch it down (deflate it), and cover and let it rise a second time, until doubled in size. This will take around 30 minutes.

6. Punch down the dough again and knead 1 minute on a lightly floured surface. cut the dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into about a 12x9 inch rectangle. Roll up jelly roll fashion and pinch the seam together. Tuck the ends underneath. Grease baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal.

7. Place the bread on the prepared baking sheets: cover and let rise until doubles again, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. at least 15 minutes before loaves are ready to bake.

8. Make several evenly placed diagonal cuts on top of each loaf. Beat together the egg white and the 1 tablespoon of cold water: brush over each loaf of bread gently with a pastry brush.

9. Place a pan of hot water on bottom shelf of the oven. Place baking sheet with loaves on shelf above the water.

10. Bake in a hot 400 degree oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from baking pans and cool on wire racks. Enjoy!

NOTE: If your baking sheet is very large you may be able to bake all three loaves on 1 sheet. But you don't want the loaves too close together. Since I made one round loaf, I baked it on a second baking pan.
Another NOTE: I usually freeze 1 or 2 loaves of this bread. Double wrap it in plastic wrap and then in foil or a heavy freezer bag. It will keep for a couple of weeks.