Making your French bread at home is not only cheaper but also simpler than most bread. This simple recipe produces a perfect loaf of French bread with a super easy tip for getting that crisp outer crust and soft, fluffy inside. Start with two cups of warm water in a stand mixer bowl then add instant dry yeast. Instant yeast is much better since it does not require any proofing.
Add in salt and all-purpose flour, you will need to add about four and a half to 5 cups of all-purpose flour. Start mixing the mixture at low speed and watch it if you need to add more flour. You will want to wait until all flour is mixed into the batter before adding more if the dough looks sticky.
Mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl then transfer the bowl into a lightly oiled bowl cover it and let not proof for about an hour or until it doubles in size. The rising process will depend on how warm your house is so make sure you place the dough in a warm environment. Once the dough has sat for enough time, transfer it to a lightly floured surface and divide the dough into half then roll each half into a large rectangle.
Your rolled dough should be about 18 inches long and 11 inches wide. Roll the dough as lightly as you can from the long end, you want it to be nice and tight. You can leave the bread the way it is or cut it into smaller sizes. This is the technique part of French bread making, it’s quite simple. Next, you are going to place the dough into a baking tray, you can use a regular baking tray or a French bread pan.
Let them rise for about 40 minutes then take a sharp knife and score the top of the loaves with a little diagonal cut that is about a quarter an inch deep. Take beaten eggs and brush the top of the loaves to give them a shine once baked. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes, your French bread should be golden brown on top once baked. This bread is beats eaten within the first 24 hours.
Ingredients;
- 1½ tablespoons instant dry yeast
- 2 cups warm water
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 5½ – 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg, beaten
Instructions;
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add yeast, water, salt, and 5 cups of flour. Knead on a slow speed until the flour has started to combine.
- Increase speed to medium and gradually add in remaining flour until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Transfer to a lightly greased mixing bowl, cover with a towel and let rise until double in size, about 1 hour.
- Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a large rectangle. Roll up tightly from the long end.
- Place onto a lightly greased baking sheet or into a French bread pan. Cover and let rise for 30-45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Use a sharp knife to cut diagonal slashes on the top of each bread loaf, about 1/4 inch deep. Brush loaves with beaten egg.
- Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown.
