French bread recipe
Ingredients
2 packages dry yeast
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
2 cups warm water
6 to 7 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
Recipe
- Put yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup very warm water and stir to dissolve and allow to "proof."
- Measure salt and 2 cups of flour into mixing bowl.
- After yeast has "proofed," add enough very warm water to bring level to 2 cups. Add to flour and salt and mix with a spoon.
- As dough begins to form, add 2 more cups flour and 2 tablespoons oil.
- Add 1 or 1 1/2 cups more flour, mixing by machine or by hand to get a stiff but pliable dough.
- Knead vigorously 10 minutes, finishing by kneading by hand on floured board, working up to 1/2 to 1 more cups flour into dough until it is smooth and elastic.
- Scrape out mixing bowl, wash and dry, and coat inside of bowl with oil.
- Turn dough around in the bowl several times to coat the entire surface with oil. Cover with towel dampened in warm water, and place in draft-free place to rise until double in bulk, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Return dough to lightly floured board and punch down to remove as much trapped air and gas as possible.
- Using a knife, cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. Shape each into an elongated loaf about 15 inches long and 1 inch wide, rolling back and forth to smooth out the loaf.
- Place loaves on a lightly greased and dusted baking sheet.
- Using a very sharp knife or razor blade, make slashes in loaves diagonally about 4 inches apart.
- Place baking sheets in cold oven and allow to rise again until doubled or more in size, about 30 to 45 minutes.
- Turn on oven to 400 degrees F, but do not remove bread from oven.
- After 5 minutes brush bread with mixture of egg white mixed with 2 tablespoons water and, while damp, sprinkle with salt.
- Turn heat to 350 degrees F and continue baking 40 minutes. Test loaves by tapping on bottom - if they sound hollow the bread is done.
- Remove from oven and place on racks to cool.