Marthas Best Bread Recipe New Orleans French Bread Food

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.

LEIDENHEIMER FRENCH BREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast.
• Add the warm water and olive oil, and stir until the dough is wet and sticky.
• Place the dough on a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes.
• Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for about an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Cut the dough into 12-16 pieces, and shape into rolls.
• Place the rolls on a greased baking sheet and let them rise for about 20 minutes
• Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes, or until they are golden brown.And that's it! You have now made the perfect loaf of Leidenheimer bread. Enjoy!

FRENCH DOUGH

Steps:

• Make the starter: Stir together flour, yeast, and water with a rubber spatula in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand at cool room temperature until it has risen slightly and bubbles cover entire surface, 12 to 15 hours.
• Make the dough: Whisk together flour and yeast in a large bowl. Add water and starter, and stir with spatula until mixture comes together in a slightly sticky, loosely formed ball of dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.
• Gently turn dough onto an unfloured work surface. Sprinkle with salt.
• To knead: Gather dough, lifting it above work surface. Hold one end of dough close to you while you cast the other end in front of you, onto the surface. Pull the end of dough in your hands toward you, stretching it gently, then fold the dough in half on top of itself. Repeat. Lift, cast, stretch, and fold. Knead the dough until it is smooth, supple, and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Use a dough scraper to clean the surface as needed, adding the scraps to the dough. (Dough will be very sticky, but avoid adding more flour until the end, when it may be necessary to add a very small amount. Add the flour to your fingers, not the dough.) Form into a ball.
• Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with oiled plastic wrap. Let rise at cool room temperature for 45 minutes.
• Gently turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. (Do not punch down.) Fold into thirds, as you would a business letter. Then fold it in half crosswise. Return to bowl, cover, and let rise at cool room temperature until it has almost doubled, at least 75 minutes.
• Gently turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Using a dough scraper or a knife, divide dough into equal portions (3 if making baguettes, 2 if making boules or rolls). Cover with oiled plastic wrap, and let rest for 20 minutes.
• On a lightly floured surface, spread each portion of dough into a rectangle that's roughly 10 by 6 inches. Fold dough into thirds again, as you would a business letter, pressing seams with your fingers. Shape portions into baguettes, rolls, or boules.

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.

MARTHA'S BEST BREAD RECIPE. NEW ORLEANS FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• in a large bowl combine the butter, salt, sugar, bopiling water and stir occasionally to met the butter. Add the cup of cold water and cool the mixture to a warm temperature
• when the temperature is right, sprinkle the yeast over the liquid, let stand for 5 minutes and stir to dissolve
• gradually beat in 4 cups of flour and then add in 1 1/2-2 cups more flour to form a stiff dough
• turn dough onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in well greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover with damp cloth
• let rise in warm place for 1-1 1/2 hours, till doubled in bulk. Punch down, cover and let rise another 30 minutes until again double in bulk
• heat oven to 375 degrees. Turn dough onto floured surface, knead slightly to press out gas bubbles, shape into a 14-16 inch cylinder on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise till doubled in bulk. Cut 1/4 inch deep slashes in top of loaf with sharp knife, brush with glaze of 1 egg white mixed with 2 tablespoons of cold water
• bake at 375 degrees for 40-50 minutes till golden brow. Serve bread to your grateful family.