French Bread

Updated at: Tue, 12 Nov 2024 18:30:50 GMT

Step 1

1. Sprinkle yeast and sugar over water in a large bowl. Stir until combined. Let stand until dissolved and foamy, about 10 minutes.

Step 2

2. Add 2 cups bread flour and salt. Beat hard with a whisk for 3 minutes, or until smooth. Add remaining bread and un- bleached flour ½ cup at a time with a wooden spoon. The dough will form a shaggy mass and clear sides of bowl.

Step 3

3. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead, adding flour 1 tablespoon at a time as necessary, until dough becomes soft, silky, and resilient, about 5 minutes. It will not be sticky.

Step 4

4. Place dough in a greased bowl and turn once to grease top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a cool area of the kitchen until tripled in bulk, 1½ to 2 hours. If you have time, punch dough down and allow it to rise again, about 1 hour. The dough may also rise in the refrigerator overnight.

Step 5

5. Gently deflate dough, turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into portions for desired loaves. Knead in more flour now, if necessary. Place 4 inches apart on a greased or parchment- lined baking sheet sprinkled with corn- meal.

Step 6

6. Quick Method: Directly after forming loaves, slash tops diagonally with a ser- rated knife and brush with glaze. Place in a cold oven on the middle or lower rack. Turn oven temperature to 400° oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until crusty.

Step 7

7. Standard Method: Loosely cover loaves with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy and doubled, about 30 to 40 minutes. Preheat a baking stone at 450° for at least 20 minutes, if desired. Reduce heat to 400° to bake, or preheat at 400° if not using a stone. Slash of loaves diagon- ally and brush with glaze. Spray a mist of water into oven or throw a few ice cubes onto oven floor to crisp crust, if desired. Bake until crusty (see time chart, below). Eat immediately or cool on a rack.

Step 8

6 ficelles - 20 minutes : 4 baguettes - 25 to 30 minutes : 1 pain de campagne - 45 to 50 minutes : 6 champignons - 20 to 25 minutes : 2 bâtards - 35 to 40 minutes : 4 l'épis - 30 to 35 minutes : 4 petits pains - 15 to 20 minutes : 4 boules - 25 to 30 minutes

Step 9

Cut dough into 4 or 6 even pieces. Flatten each into a rectangle with the palm of your hand. Start- ing at long end, roll up jelly-roll fashion, using your thumbs to roll tightly. Pinch seams to seal. Roll back and forth on work surface to adjust dough to a length that will fit your baking sheet. Slash tops 3 or 4 times diagonally. Ficelles, or "strings," are about 1½ inches thick in diameter when baked. Baguettes, or "rods," are about 2 inches in diameter and about 16 inches long.

Step 10

Roughly pat dough into an uneven circle. Pull up sides and knead into center of loaf to create a tight round ball. Slash top in a tic-tac-toe pattern.

Step 11

Divide dough into 6 even pieces. Divide each piece into 2 uneven portions. Form larger piece into a tight round. Form smaller piece into a round and place atop larger ball. With a floured finger, poke a hole in center of 2 rounds to help them adhere to each other. Let rise only about 15 to 20 min- utes, as the mushroom shape becomes less defined the more it rises.

Step 12

Divide dough into 2 even portions. Pat each into a rectangle and roll up as for baguettes, but shape each loaf into a 12-inch-long elongated oval with tapered ends. Slash top 3 times diagonally or make one long slash down the middle of each loaf.

Step 13

Cut dough into 4 even portions and form each into a 12-inch baguette. Holding kitchen shears at a 45-degree angle, cut halfway into dough from top. With other hand, turn cut piece to one side. Cut at 3-inch intervals, turning pieces to alternate sides to resemble a head of wheat. Let rise 25 minutes before baking.

Step 14

Divide dough into 15 equal portions. Form each into small rounds or ovals. With ovals, pinch ends to form an almost spindle shape. Slash top once down middle. Let rise 15 minutes before baking.

Step 15

Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Form each into a tight round loaf as for Pain de Cam- pagne. Slash an X on top.

Step 16

Please read the section on making bread in the food processor on pages 21-22. 1. Using plastic yeast blade, dissolve in processor bowl: 1 cup warm water (105° to 115°) 1½ packages (12 tablespoons) active dry yeast 1 tablespoon sugar 2. Let stand 10 minutes. 3. Add 1 cup cold water (processor will heat up dough). 4. Add 1 tablespoon salt and 2 cups flour. Process 15 seconds. 5. Add the remaining 4 cups flour and process just to form a ball of dough. Test dough and add more flour or water if necessary. Process 60 seconds. Remove dough from work bowl and knead by hand just to form a smooth ball, about 10 times. Proceed as in basic recipe

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