Rustic French Bread Food

TRADITIONAL ARTISAN STYLE BAGUETTE - RUSTIC FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• Place the yeast, honey and warm water in a large bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the salt and the flour. Use a wooden spoon to stir 2 cups of the flour mixture into the yeast mixture; stir in the remaining flour mixture (dough will be stiff).
• Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead with floured hands until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5-7 minutes. Add a little flour, 1 tablespoon at a time as necessary, to prevent dough from sticking.
• Place in an oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap (or a clean kitchen towel) and leave to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
• Gently punch dough down to deflate it and shape into two oblong baguettes. Dust tops lightly with flour and place on a lightly greased baking sheet; let rise uncovered for 30 minutes.
• Use a serrated knife to cut 3-5 small diagonal slits across the tops of the baguettes, and lightly sprinkle with cool water.
• Bake in the middle of oven for 25-30 minutes, until golden. Transfer to a rack to cool.
• Best eaten the same day.

CRUSTY FRENCH BREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• In the bowl of a mixer (or by hand), whisk together 1 3/4 cups warm water and 1/2 tsp molasses until dissolved.
• In a large glass or plastic bowl, whisk together 2 1/3 cups bread flour, 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/4 tsp yeast and 2 tsp salt. Add water mixture to flour mixture and mix until you have a single mass of dough. Using a dough hook or clean hands, knead dough 4 minutes. Dough should be soft and feel sticky to the touch but should not stick to clean and dry finger tips. If your dough is too sticky after kneading, add more flour a tablespoon at a time.
• Cover dough loosely with plastic wrap and let rise at room temp (69-75˚F) for 4 hours. Every hour while it rests (3 times total), with a wet hand, punch the dough down and fold it over onto itself a few times (a wet hand will keep the dough from sticking to you without adding any unnecessary flour).
• After rising a total of 4 hours, draw dough edges into the center, turn over and place in a large well-floured bowl, sprinkle the dough with flour, cover with a tea towel and let rise 1 1/2 hours at room temp.
• Meanwhile, place a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet in the center of your oven. Place a cast iron pan on the bottom rack and preheat with both in the oven to 500˚F (for safety, don't use glass baking dishes at those high temps).
• Sprinkle the back of a baking sheet generously with fine semolina flour and invert your risen dough over the top of the semolina. Score the top of the dough several times. Slide dough onto preheated baking stone with the help of a spatula if needed and add 1 cup of ice cubes into the preheated cast iron pan below (making sure not to drip on any glass oven surfaces). Bake at 500˚F for 10 minutes then reduce temperature to 400˚F and continue baking 30-35 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Turn oven off, crack door open with a wooden spoon and leave bread in the oven another 10 minutes. Remove bread to a wire rack to cool and let it rest at least 15 minutes before cutting into it.

MARIANNE BAGUETTE - TRADITIONAL RUSTIC FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• Put the ingredients into the bread machine. Set to the dough programme and start. Grease a large baking tray & Pre-heat oven to 220C/400°F.
• Once the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured surface and punch it down to deflate it. Shape dough into two long "baguette" shaped loaves and place on the baking sheet. Cover loosely with lightly oiled cling-film and leave to rise for about 30 minutes until doubled in size.
• Meanwhile, place an oven proof bowl containing water on the bottom of the oven to heat up. (About 250mls).
• Sprinkle top of dough with flour, then using a sharp knife cut 5 diagonal small slits across the tops of the baguettes.
• Bake for 15 minutes then reduce temperature to 190C/375F and bake for a further 10 - 15 minutes. (If they start browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil on top.).
• Transfer to wire rack to cool.
• Eat immediately.

RUSTIC FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• Plan on making sponge first.
• I use active yeast and mix with water first to proof it. After 5 minutes, mix in flour with plastic or wood utensil until starter leaves side of bowl. I like to use a glass mason jar with lid. Let sit at least 6 hours in warm place until it triples, refrigerate if not using right away(take out and leave at room temperature for an hour before use).
• Mix in 4 1/2 cups of flour (I used 2 cups whole wheat and the rest white), water, sponge starter, salt. Knead for about 10 minutes. Dough should be sticky, but not stick to your hands. Place in lightly oiled bowl and turn over once to coat.
• Let rise until double in bulk (about 2-3 hours).
• Punch down and shape into 2 loaves on 2 cookies sheets dusted with flour.
• Place in warm place (I heat oven alittle and place in it .)Let rise until double.
• Preheat oven to 450. Place a small pan on lower shelf to hold 2 cups of boiling water. Score top of loaves with and x.
• Place boiling water in pan on lower shelf, place loaves on center shelf and bake for 40 minutes. I baked mine for 30. Bottom of bread should sound hollow. I agree as stated by reviewer, 450 degree was too high a temperature for full 40 minutes. I baked until golden brown all over for 30 minutes, turned off oven with bread inside for last 10 minutes directly on rack.
• Turn off oven and let sit for 10 minutes to develop crust. Take out and let cool off on cooling rack. I served with my recipe for roasted garlic.

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.

EFFORTLESS RUSTIC BREAD

Steps:

• Mix water, yeast, and salt together in a large bowl until mixture becomes foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir flour into yeast mixture until well incorporated. The dough will be loose and look wet. Cover bowl loosely with a damp towel and let sit for about 5 hours.
• Shape dough into 2 loaves using damp hands. Place loaves on a cornmeal-dusted work surface and score the tops a few times with a sharp knife. Allow loaves to double in size, 30 to 60 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place loaves on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven, spraying the surface of the dough occasionally with water, until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

FRENCH HEARTH BREAD

Steps:

• Dough Starter:.
• In a mixer bowl combine the 1 cup bread flour,1/4 cup wheat flour, 1/2 tsp yeast, honey and water.
• Whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes.
• Scrape down bowl. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let ferment at room temperature for 1 hour up to 4 hours.Starter will have bubbled up and risen in the bowl.
• Flour Mixture:.
• Combine the 1 3/4 cups bread flour and the yeast.
• Add to the risen sponge in the mixing bowl.Do not add salt at this time.
• With the dough hook installed mix on low speed (# 2 on a Kitchenaid) for about one minute until you have a rough dough.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle on the salt at this stage and knead with dough hook (#4 speed) for about 7 minutes. Instant read thermometer plunged into the center should read 78 to 80 degrees.
• The dough should be very elastic, smooth and slightly sticky;If too sticky,add a little flour up to 1/4 cup. You can knead in any extra flour by hand after you remove the dough from the bowl.
• Let the dough rise in an oiled covered bowl until double at room temperature.
• Press the dough down, fold it over and let rise again for another l hour.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
• The dough may be formed into a ball or,placed in an 8 X 4 greased bread pan or rolled out to an oblong loaf.
• Free form loaves should be placed on a cookie sheet that has been sprinkled with flour or cornmeal.
• Cover the shaped dough and allow it to double. The freeform oblong loaf should be 8" by 3"inches high. In the loaf pan the center should be 1" higher then the sides of the pan.
• Preheat the oven to 475 1 hour before baking. Adjust oven shelf to lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on it before preheating the oven.
• At this stage I like to mist the loaf with water and roll it in sesame seeds, poppy seeds or other whole grains.
• Slash freeform bread diagonally with a sharp knife or razor blade making 1/2" deep slices.
• If using a loaf pan, make 1 slash down the center or leave unslashed.
• Bake for 10 minutes at 475 then turn oven down to 425 and continue to bake for 20 to 30 minutes more or until Instant Read Thermometer reads about 200 degrees. Cover halfway through baking if loaf becomes too brown.
• Let bread cool thoroughly before slicing.

PAIN DE CAMPAGNE - COUNTRY FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• To make the sponge, whisk the 1/2 teaspoon yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Stir in the whole wheat flour until the mixture resembles a thick batter. Beat for about 100 strokes to form longs strands of gluten. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let sit at room temperature for 2 to 8 hours (longer is better for flavor development). You can also let the poolish ripen in the refrigerator for 12 to 15 hours, bringing it back to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe.
• When the poolish is ready, it will be bubbly and loose, with a yeasty, sour aroma. Scrape the poolish into a bowl and stir in the 2 1/2 cups water and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon yeast. Stir well to combine. Add the bread flour 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition, until the dough becomes too difficult to stir.
• Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead for 10 to 12 minutes, adding more flour only when the dough becomes too sticky to handle. Sprinkle the salt over the dough and knead it for an additional 5 to 7 minutes. The dough should have a smooth surface and spring back to the touch. Shape the dough into a round and cover with a damp cloth for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turning to coat the surface of the dough with oil. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 2 to 3 hours.
• Deflate the dough and cut it into two pieces. Shape the dough into two rounds, cover them with plastic or a damp cloth, and allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
• Shape the dough into baguettes. Place a heavily floured cloth on a baking sheet, arranging a fold down the center to separate the loaves. Place the loaves, seam-side up, on the floured cloth. Dust the tops of the loaves with flour, cover with a damp towel, and let rise until doubled in bulk again, about two hours.
• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal. Gently transfer the risen loaves to the baking sheet, placing them seam-side down on the cornmeal. Make several diagonal slashes in the loaf with a serrated knife or razor blade.
• Immediately place the scored loaves in the preheated oven. Bake the bread until the loaves are golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool the loaves on wire racks.

CRUSTY FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup water. Add the sugar, salt, shortening, remaining water and 3-1/2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Do not knead. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Turn onto a floured surface. Divide in half; let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each half into a 10x8-in. rectangle. Roll up from a long side; pinch to seal. Place seam side down on 2 greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. Sprinkle the tops with cornmeal. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. , With a very sharp knife, make 5 diagonal cuts across the top of each loaf. Bake at 400° until lightly browned, 20-30 minutes. Remove from pans to wire rack to cool.

RUSTIC FRENCH MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 475°F with rack in middle.
• Soak bread crumbs in milk in a small bowl.
• Cook onion, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in oil in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly.
• Purée livers in a blender, then transfer to a large bowl. Add pork, veal, prunes, pistachios, thyme, eggs, bread-crumb mixture, onion mixture, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and gently mix with your hands until just combined.
• Transfer meatloaf mixture to an 81/2- by 41/2-inch glass loaf pan (see cooks' note, below) and bake, covered with foil, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 165°F, 50 to 55 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes. Cover top of meatloaf with parsley before slicing.
• Serve with:
• buttered boiled potatoes

RUSTIC BREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Mix together the flour, yeast and 1/2 tsp salt. Add the oil, then pour in the water gradually, adding enough to make a soft dough. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 4-5 mins until the dough feels strong, bouncy and has a silky feel to it.
• Cut the dough into 8 pieces, then roll out into rough rounds about 16-17cm in diameter. (Don't pile them on top of each other or they will stick together.)
• Sprinkle a baking sheet or two with semolina if you have it, otherwise leave plain. Lay the breads on the sheets and let them sit for 5 mins, then scatter with rosemary, salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in batches for 8-10 mins until puffy and golden. Can be made 3-4 hrs ahead.

CRUSTY FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• Proof the yeast in the water and sugar.
• Knead in salt and flour until dough is well-developed.
• Let rise until double in size.
• Knead down gently, and allow to rise again.
• Form dough into two loaves and drop into greased bread pans. Allow to rise again.
• Bake at 400* until the loaves pull away from the pan edges, and sound hollow when tapped.
• *For really beautiful loaves, egg wash each toward the end of baking time with 1 well-beaten egg plus 1 TB of water.*.

FRENCH COUNTRY BREAD

Steps:

• The night before baking the bread prepare this starter: In a medium sized non-metal mixing bowl dissolve 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast in 1 cup warm water. Add 1 1/2 cup bread flour and mix well. Cover and let sit overnight at room temperature.
• The next day: In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the 2 teaspoons yeast in the 2 cups warm water. Add the starter mixture, the whole wheat flour, 3 cups bread flour and the salt; stir until well combined. Add the remaining bread flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
• Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into loaves. Place the loaves into the prepared pans. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

PAIN à L'ANCIENNE RUSTIC BREAD

Steps:

• Do ahead
• Combine the flour, salt, yeast, and water in a mixing bowl. If using a mixer, use the paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed for 1 minute. If mixing by hand, use a large spoon and stir for about 1 minute, until well blended. The dough should be coarse and sticky. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes to fully hydrate the flour.
• If making ciabatta, drizzle the olive oil over the dough; if making mini baguettes, omit the oil. Then mix on medium-low speed using the paddle attachment, or by hand using a large, wet spoon or wet hands, for 1 minute. The dough should become smoother but will still be very soft, sticky, and wet. Use a wet bowl scraper or spatula to transfer the dough to a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface. With wet or oiled hands, reach under the front end of the dough, stretch it out, then fold it back onto the top of the dough. Do this from the back end and then from each side, then flip the dough over and tuck it into a ball. The dough should be significantly firmer, though still very soft and fragile. Place the dough back in the bowl, cover, and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Repeat this process three more times, completing all repetitions within 40 minutes. (You can also perform the stretch and folds in the bowl, as shown on page 17.)
• After the final stretch and fold, immediately cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate overnight or for up to 4 days. The dough will rise, possibly to double its original size, in the refrigerator. (If you plan to bake the dough in batches over different days, you can portion the dough and place it into two or more oiled bowls at this stage.)
• On baking day
• Remove the dough from the refrigerator about 1 hour before baking for mini baguettes, and 3 hours in advance for ciabatta (or an hour earlier if the dough hasn't increased to 1 1/2 times its original size in the refrigerator overnight).
• To make ciabatta, about 1 hour after taking the dough out of the refrigerator, line the back of a sheet pan with parchment paper and generously dust the entire surface with flour. Use a wet or oiled bowl scraper to transfer the dough to the work surface, taking care to handle the dough as little as possible to avoid degassing it.
• Dust the top surface of the dough with flour and also flour your hands. Using your hands or a metal pastry scraper, gently coax and pat the dough into a rough square measuring about 9 inches on each side, still taking care to degas it as little as possible.
• For small ciabatta, cut the dough into 3 even strips about 3 inches wide and 9 inches long (the pieces will each weigh about 12 ounces or 340 grams). For larger ciabatta, cut the dough in half. With floured hands, gently fold the dough in thirds, like folding a letter but without applying any pressure. Gently roll the folded dough in the dusting flour to coat it, then lift the dough and place it on the parchment paper, again rolling it in the dusting flour on the parchment. Rest the dough seam side down on the parchment and repeat with the other pieces of dough.
• Mist the tops of the dough pieces with spray oil and loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap or a clean, lint-free towel. After 1 hour, gently roll the pieces over so the seam side is up, lift and cradle each piece with floured hands, and, working from the underside, gently coax it to a length of 5 inches (for small ciabatta) to 7 inches (for large ciabatta). Lay the pieces back on the parchment seam side up. Straighten the sides of each piece with your hands or a pastry scraper so that they are more rectangular than oblong, mist with spray oil again, then cover loosely and proof for 1 hour more.
• About 45 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 550°F (288°C) or as high as it will go, and prepare the oven for hearth baking (see page 30).
• Slide the dough, parchment and all, onto the stone; if you aren't using a baking stone, simply put the whole pan into the oven. Pour 1 cup of hot water into the steam pan, then lower the oven temperature to 450°F (232°C).
• Bake for 12 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes more, until the crust is a rich brown (streaked with the dusting flour). The bread should puff a little, and the crust should be hard when tapped (it'll soften as it cools). Cool on a wire rack for 45 minutes before slicing.
• To make mini baguettes, about 45 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 550°F (288°C), or as high as it will go, and prepare the oven for hearth baking (see page 30). After the dough has been out for 1 hour, generously dust the entire surface of a wooden peel with flour or line the back of a sheet pan with parchment paper (you can either dust the parchment with flour or mist it with spray oil so that you can slide and move the dough if need be). Use a wet or oiled bowl scraper to transfer the dough from the bowl to the work surface, taking care to handle the dough as little as possible to avoid degassing it.
• Dust the top surface of the dough with flour and also flour your hands. Using your hands or a metal pastry scraper, gently coax and pat the dough into a rough square about 8 inches on each side, still taking care to degas it as little as possible.
• Cut off a slice of dough about 1 1/2 inches wide and roll it into the dusting flour to lightly coat it and keep it from sticking to the remainder of the dough. Working with floured hands and tools, carefully transfer the slice to the prepared peel or parchment paper, cradling it with both hands to keep it from stretching too much. You can straighten it by spreading your hands underneath the dough as you lay it down; it should elongate slightly, to 9 to 10 inches.
• Repeat with the rest of the dough, placing the pieces 1 inch apart, until the peel or parchment is full. If you can't fit all of the pieces on the peel or parchment, bake those that are ready before cutting the remainder. It's better to work in manageable batches than to try to cram all of them in the oven, especially if your stone or oven won't easily hold all of them. Scoring the dough is an option, but because it risks degassing the dough, I advise against it until you have made these a few times.
• Slide the mini baguettes onto the baking stone using short, quick back-and-forth motions with the peel, or by sliding the parchment paper onto the stone. Pour 1/2 cup of hot water into the steam pan, then lower the oven temperature to 475°F (246°C).
• Bake for 12 to 18 minutes total, rotating the pan as needed for even browning. The crust should be a rich brown, the loaves should puff a little, and the crust should be hard when tapped (the crust will soften slightly as the bread cools).
• Cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes.
• Variation
• For an interesting ciabatta texture and a nice design on the surface of the bread, mix a small amount of coarse rye flour or whole wheat flour in with the dusting flour.

CRUSTY FRENCH LOAF

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar, oil, salt and 2 cups flour. Beat until blended. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down; return to bowl. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. , Preheat oven to 375°. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a 16x2-1/2-in. loaf with tapered ends. Sprinkle cornmeal over a greased baking sheet; place loaf on baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 25 minutes. , Beat egg white and cold water; brush over dough. With a sharp knife, make diagonal slashes 2 in. apart across top of loaf. Bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool.