Leidenheimer French Bread Recipe Copycat Food

"OLD RELIABLE" FRENCH BREAD (FOR KITCHEN AID MIXERS)

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed mixer bowl.
• Add salt, butter, and flour.
• Attach bowl& dough hook to mixer, turn to Speed 2 and mix about 1 minute or until well blended.
• Knead on Speed 2 about 2 minutes longer.
• Dough will be sticky.
• Put dough in large greased bowl, turning to coat.
• Cover and let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.
• Punch dough down and divide in half.
• Roll each half into 12" x 15" rectangle.
• Roll dough tightly, from longest side, tapering ends, if needed/wanted.
• Put loaves on greased baking sheets that have been dusted with cornmeal.
• Cover and let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.
• With sharp knife, make 4 diagonal cuts on top of each loaf.
• Bake at 450F for 25 minutes, then remove from oven.
• Beat egg white and water together and brush each loaf with this mix.
• Return to the oven and bake 5 minutes longer.
• Immediately remove from baking sheets and cool on wire racks.
• Serve with your favorite spread such as herbed butter, garlic bread topping, etc.

PO BOY BREAD

Steps:

• Mix the poolish ingredients well, cover, and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 9 hours until bubbly, doubled in volume, and sweet smelling.
• This can be used then or refrigerated for up to 3 days.
• Add poolish and all other ingredients except salt to the bowl of a mixer and knead with the dough hook until all dry ingredients are wetted.
• Cover bowl and let sit for 20 minutes.
• Add salt and knead for 8 to 10 minuts until smooth.
• Tip out onto lightly floured counter and stretch the doughn into a rectangle. Fold the dough letter-style, top downward, bottom upward, and sides inward until a packet is formed.
• Place in straight sided clear container sprayed with oil, cover and let rest at room temperature until doubled in volume (about 1 1/2 hours).
• Divide into 4 pieces. Roll into baguettes about 16 inches long.
• Place on a floured cloth with folds to support the baguettes. Cover with sprayed plastic film.
• Let rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour as oven heats to 400F with steam pan (skillets work well with water added just before baking).
• Score and bake in steam for 10 minutes. Remove pan, rotate loaves, and bake for 8 more minutes until 205F internally.
• Remove to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 20 minutes before slicing.

HOME-STYLE FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• Using an electric mixer with a dough hook, combine the yeast, sugar and warm water and mix for 2 minutes to dissolve the yeast. Add the salt and flour. With the mixer on low, mix until the dough starts to come together. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and crawls up to dough hook.
• Grease a mixing bowl with the oil. Place the dough in the greased bowl and turn once. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft free place until the dough doubles in size about 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and invert it onto a heavily floured surface. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Pat each portion into a large rectangle, about 3/4-inch thick. Roll up the dough, beginning with the short side and stopping after each full turn to press the edge of the roll firmly into the flat sheet of dough to seal. Press with your fingertips. Tuck and roll so that any seams disappear into the dough.
• Sprinkle a baking sheet evenly with 2 tablespoons of the cornmeal. Place the loaves on the baking sheet, about 3 inches apart. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons cornmeal. Cover the loaves with a cloth and let rise until double in size, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• With a sharp knife, make diagonal slashes, about 1-inch apart, on the top of each loaf. With a pastry brush, brush the egg wash evenly over each loaf. Place a cup of hot water in an oven-proof container on the baking sheet with the loaves.
• Bake for 45 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack. Slice to serve.

NEW ORLEANS FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast, salt and sugar in warm water.
• Gradually stir in flour, adding only until the mixture refuses to absorb more.
• On a floured board knead the dough for 3-4 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and brush the top lightly with butter.
• Cover with a damp cloth.
• Set the dough aside in a warm place to rise for 1 1/2 hours or until it is double in bulk.
• Butter a baking sheet and sprinkle it with cornmeal, shaking off the excess.
• Punch down the dough.
• Transfer the dough to a floured board and divide it into thirds.
• Roll each portion into an 8 x 13 inch rectangle.
• Roll each rectangle up from the long side, seal and shape ends.
• Place the loaves on the prepared baking sheet and with a sharp knife make several diagonal cuts across the tops.
• Brush lightly with melted butter.
• Let rise in a warm place about 45 minutes.
• Place the bread on the middle rack in oven.
• Place a pan of hot water on bottom of oven.
• Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for 30 minutes.
• Note: Cooking time includes rising times.

NEW ORLEANS FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Combine yeast, water and 1 teaspoon sugar in a large bowl, stirring until dissolved. Stir in remaining sugar, salt and 6 cups flour to form a stiff dough.
• Turn dough onto a surface sprinkled with remaining flour; knead dough for 8 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free of drafts, 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in bulk. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest 15 minutes. Knead 3 to 4 times.
• Divide dough into 4 equal portions; roll each portion into a 13x7-inch rectangle. Roll up each rectangle, jelly-roll fashion, starting at a long end. Pinch seams and ends together to seal. Place loaves, seam side down, in 4 heavily greased baguette pans or on baking sheets.
• Cut 3 or 4 diagonal slashes, 3/4 inch deep, in top of each loaf. Cover and repeat rising procedure 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Brush loaves with egg white. Bake 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 30 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped. Remove bread from pans or baking sheets immediately; cool on wire racks.