There’s nothing quite like simple, fresh out of the homemade French bread. To prepare it is a labor of love, but the effort will be greatly rewarded. This bread is crusty, with a soft and delicate center. It’s delicious by itself. It’s heavenly with a little butter or honey. It’s an excellent accompaniment to a hearty stew or saucy pasta dish. If you put it on the dinner table it will be devoured. It’s a slow process, but you don’t have to hover over it the whole time. I like to make it on a Sunday and in between steps accomplish other tasks. If you’re new to making bread at home, when it’s finished you will want to raise you hands in the air and yell victory!
Homemade French Bread:
- 3⅓ cups bread flour
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup warm water (105° F)
- A packet of rapid rise instant yeast
- ½ tablespoon kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 egg white, beaten
- In a small bowl, combine the yeast, sugar and water.
- Allow to rest for 5 minutes until foamy.
- In a large bowl, whisk flour with salt until mixed evenly.
- Pour into bread machine.
- Add the remaining water and olive oil, then add the proofed yeast mixture.
- Set the bread machine to the dough setting and start (about 80 min.)
- After cycle done, punch the dough down and transfer it to a lightly floured surface.
- If you would like two loaves, divide dough and follow process for each loaf.
- Form the dough into a rectangle shape with a rolling pin.
- Then, roll the dough like a Swiss roll and seal the edges by pinching them together.
- Cover with a tea towel and allow to rest (at least 1 hour).
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Lightly beat an egg white in a small bowl then brush on to the surface of the loaves.
- Take a very sharp knife and slit the top of the loaf about a ½ inch deep.
- Bake for 3 minutes, then lightly mist with water.
- Bake another 3 minutes, then mist with water again.
- Finally, allow to continue to bake for another 28 to 30 minutes.
Proving Yeast:
In a small bowl, proof the yeast by combining the packet of rapid rise yeast, 1/2 tablespoon of brown sugar and 1/4 cup of warm water (about 105° F). It’s important to get the temperature right – if it’s too cool or too hot the yeast won’t activate. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. The mixture should become frothy and bubbly. With this type of yeast it’s not 100% necessary to proof it and it’ll work out just fine. I like to watch the process though – I like to KNOW!
Using the Bread Machine:
In a large bowl, whisk 3 1/3 cups flour with 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt to make sure the salt is mixed evenly with the flour. Pour into bread machine. Add the remaining 3/4 cup of warm water and 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then add the proofed yeast mixture. Set the bread machine to the dough setting and let it do it’s thing. On my machine, this takes about 80 minutes. I use the bread machine for this part to cut down on “supervision” time. Break #1 – now, go do something fun for awhile!
Form Loaf (or Loaves):
Once the bread machine has done it’s thing, punch the dough down and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. You can make one large loaf, or two smaller loaves depending on your preference. I usually make two smaller loaves, so I cut the dough in half. Form the dough into a rectangle shape with a rolling pin. Then, roll the dough like a Swiss roll and seal the edges by pinching them together. Then cover with a lightly floured tea towel (the flour prevents it from sticking to the dough) for at least 1 hour, but up to 2 if you have the time. Break #2! Resume the fun thing you were doing during the last break or take up something new!
Prepare Loaf (Loaves) For Baking:
After the dough has risen in loaves for 1-2 hours, preheat oven to 400°F. Then, beat an egg white in a small bowl then brush on to the surface of the loaves. This gives the crust a shiny, golden finish to your homemade French bread. Then, take a very sharp knife and slit the top of the loaf about a 1/2 inch deep.
Bake the homemade French bread for 2-3 minutes, then mist with water. Allow the bread to bake another 2-3 minutes, then mist with water again. Finally, allow to continue to bake for another 28 to 30 minutes. Allow the bread to cool for 5 minutes then enjoy!
