Fool Proof French Bread

20 Jun 2012

3 Comments

Today I made french bread for the first time ever! I’m not all that great at making things involving dough, so I thought it would be super complicated, but it actually ended up being one of the simplest, most fool-proof things I have made on my Blog so far, and it was SO GOOD!! I don’t think I will buy french bread in the store again now I know how easy, inexpensive, and just better it is to just make it! I love this recipe–mostly because I just love the smell of bread baking in my house, and eating bread warm right out of the oven too! This is such a great recipe to have on hand, because French bread is a good side to just about anything!! So here it is:

Recipe adapted from dealstomeals 
Ingredients:
2 1/2 c. warm water
2 T. yeast
3 T. sugar
2 T. white vinegar
Add the above ingredients together and let sit until bubbly (about 3-5 minutes).
Then add:
1 T. salt
1/3 c. oil (I use Canola)
6-7 c. flour

Knead for 2-5 minutes in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook Heat the oven to its lowest setting (170degF), then turn it off. Put the dough in the oven with a small pot of boiling water. (The water will keep the dough moist and help it rise faster). Watch the dough and punch it down when it gets to the top of the mixing bowl. Do this 2-5 times [if you have the time to! I did it just once, and my bread turned out perfectly!]

Put the dough on a greased countertop, rolled into a nice ball, and cut in half (for two large loaves)  Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and sprinkle a thin layer of cornmeal on the bottom of the sheet. Shape the dough halves into rectangle/long French bread shapes. Slash tops of bread diagonally 3-5 times and cover with a beaten egg. Heat the oven to 170degF, (but don’t turn it off this time), place the dough inside the oven and wait until the loaves are the size you want to cook them at. Once they are the right size, turn the temp to 375degF (without opening the door) and let them bake for about 15 minutes, or until done.They should be golden brown on top I’m serious! If I can make French bread–you can too!

Enjoy this recipe guys! It’s a keeper!
<3 Sarah