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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes |
Ready In: 30 Minutes Servings: 6 |
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For a more authentic French bread, try this handmade recipe. The resulting loaf has a hard crust with a soft, rich inside. This loaf is excellent with Italian food or for dipping in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups water |
3 1/2 cups unbleached flour |
1 1/2 teaspoons salt |
2 teaspoons yeast |
Directions:
1. Place dough ingredients in a bread maker, select dough setting, and press start. (If you don't have a bread maker, use a kitchenaid type mixer or mix by hand until well-mixed.)
2. When the dough cycle ends, the machine will beep. You can leave the dough in the machine or put it in a mixing bowl. Either way, the dough needs to be covered (if in a bowl, with a wet dish towel) and put in a warm place - about 90° F. (I usually put the bowl in another bowl filled with hot water to raise the temperature.) Set a timer and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour.
3. After an hour, punch the dough down and knead a few times. Reset the timer and let the dough rise for another hour.
4. After the second hour, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured baking stone. Form into a smooth round ball then flatten it with your hands.
5. Lightly butter the dough. With a very sharp knife held almost parallel to the loaf, carefully slash the top of the dough at sharp angles in a # pattern.
6. Preheat oven to 450° F. Place a small pan on the bottom shelf of the oven and add at least 1 cup of water to the pan. Place dough in oven and bake for 30 minutes (or until complete).
7. (Note: To preserve the crisp crust, do not store in plastic wrap or bag. Bread can be loosely covered or left out for up to two days before it dries out completely.)
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