Your Own Crusty French Bread Food

CLASSIC AND CRUSTY FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast, sugar, and salt. Stir until dissolved.
• Mix in the bread flour, a little at a time, until a soft dough is formed.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead it for about 8 minutes.
• Put the dough in a greased bowl and flip the dough over so that all of the dough is lightly greased, including the dough top . Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour or until double in size.
• Punch down the dough .
• Give the dough a quick 2-minute knead.
• Divide the dough into 2 equal halves. Shape each half into a long loaf.
• Place the loaves on a lightly greased baking sheet. Make about 5 diagonal slits, 3/4 inch deep, into the top of each loaf.
• Cover loaves with a clean towel or greased plastic wrap and let them rise for 45 minutes or until double in size. Heat the oven to 400 F.
• If you'd like, brush the loaves with the beaten egg white for a shiny crust, and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds. Bake at 400 F for 5 minutes.
• Remove the loaves from the oven and use a mister or spray bottle to lightly spray the tops of the loaves with cold water. Turn the oven down to 350 F and bake the loaves for another 25 minutes or until done.
• Remove the loaves from the baking sheet and let them cool on a rack.

CRUSTY COUNTRY STYLE FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the warm water and sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
• Add the yeast and stir gently to mix.
• Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine 4 cups of the flour and the salt. Beat on low speed just until combined.
• Slowly add the yeast mixture and beat just until incorporated about 1 minute.
• Increase the speed to medium low to medium and beat for 10 minutes adding more flour, about 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough is elastic and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. (I used speed 4 on my Artisan when I still had it and now use speed 2 with my P600).
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 1 minute.
• Form into a ball and dust lightly with flour.
• Sprinkle a little flour into a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk. 45-60 minutes.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
• Punch down the dough and knead for a few seconds.
• Form the dough into a ball and return to the bowl again.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk. 20- 30 minutes.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and punch down.
• Cut the dough into 2 equal pieces and shape each into a ball.
• Let rest 5 minutes.
• Line a french bread pan with a clean kitchen towel (a large flour sack towel works well) and sprinkle with a little flour.
• Roll each ball into a log with tapered ends, about the length of the pan, and place on the towel in the pan. Cover with the overhanging edges of the towel and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.
• Position an oven rack in the lowest position of the oven, and place a baking pan 1/3 full of boiling water on the rack.
• Preheat oven to 425 F (220C).
• Gently lift the towel holding the loaves off of the pan, taking care not to let the loaves touch each other and set on a work surface.
• Spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray and using the towel as a guide gently flip each loaf into a well in the pan.
• Brush off excess flour.
• Using a sharp knife, make 3-5 diagonal slashes in the loaves about 1/4 inch deep (6mm).
• Brush with the beaten egg white mixture.
• Bake on center rack until the bread sounds hollow when tapped, about 30-35 minutes.
• Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool the loaves in the pan until room temperature.

FRENCH BREAD ROLLS TO DIE FOR

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
• To the yeast mixture, add the oil, salt, and 2 cups flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. Turn 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. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces, and form into round balls. Place on lightly greased baking sheets at least 2 inches apart. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Bake for 18 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

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.*.

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.

CRUSTY FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• In mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup water.
• Add sugar, salt, shortening and remaining water; stir until dissolved.
• Add flour and stir until smooth (do not knead). Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled.
• Turn on to a floured surface. Divide in half; let rest for 10 minutes.
• Roll each half into 10-inch by 8-inch rectangle. Roll up from a long side; pinch to seal.
• Place seam side down on 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 five diagonal cuts across the top of each loaf. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

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.

YOUR OWN CRUSTY FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in very warm water.
• Stir well.
• Let proof for 10 minutes.
• Stir in 2 cups of the flour, sugar and salt until mixture is smooth; gradually beat in enough of the remaining 5 cups flour to make stiff dough.
• (Kitchen Aid is perfect for this).
• Turn out onto lightly floured pastry cloth or board and knead 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic, adding only enough more flour to keep dough from sticking.
• Return to bowl; brush top with soft shortening or oil and cover with clean towel or plastic wrap.
• Let rise till double in bulk in warm place away drafts (approximately 45-60 minutes).
• Punch dough down; cover; let rise again for 30 minutes (again in warm place away from drafts) or until double in bulk.
• While dough rises, make boat shaped baking pans as follows:.
• Tear off 3 twenty-inch-long sheets of heavy aluminum foil.
• Fold in sides of foil approximately 1"-1 1/2" on all 4 sides to form baking pan, this will allow the bread to rise up and not spread out into a flat shaped loaf by folding the short ends together to seal, pressing thumb inside to round slightly (shape into boat)with shortest ends slightly rounded.
• Spray with PAM and sprinkle lightly with corn meal.
• Punch dough down, knead 1 minute on lightly floured pastry cloth or board.
• Divide dough into thirds.
• Roll out with the palm of your hands to a rope approximately 18 inches long; place in prepared foil pan.
• Repeat with remaining two-thirds dough.
• Make 3-4 evenly spaced shallow cuts diagonally in the top of each loaf; brush with warm water and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Cover with clean towel and let rise in warm place away from drafts till double in bulk (approx. 30 min).
• Preheat oven to 450º.
• Place dish (I use an old aluminum pie plate) on lower shelf of oven and fill half way with hot tap water.
• Slide loaves on shelf above water.
• Bake for 15 minutes in 450º oven; reduce heat to 350º and bake 30 minutes longer.
• Bread is done when tapped and gives a hollow sound.
• Remove immediately from pans and let cool on cooling racks.
• Slice bread- spread each side with garlic butter- reassemble bread loaf and return to foil pans.
• Unfold edges to cover and warm in low oven (325º) till butter melts into bread.
• Serve warm.

CRUSTY FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water (110 degrees) and sugar in large bowl; allow yeast to proof or foam (about 10 minutes).
• Add salt, oil, and 3 cups flour; beat for 2 minutes.
• Stir in 2 cups flour to make a stiff dough.
• Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
• Place in oiled bowl, turn dough to coat all sides, cover and let rise until doubled.
• Punch down and divide in half.
• Shape dough into two long slender loaves.
• Grease and sprinkle with cornmeal either a french bread pan or large cookie sheet.
• Place loaves in pan and cut diagonal gashes on top of each loaf (I use scissors).
• Cover and let rise until doubled.
• Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes.
• Note: You can sprinkle or spray water on the loaves during baking if you want a really crunchy crust.