Bread Baking: French Bread

 I love French bread with Italian food. Is that ironic? I thought it was time to learn how to make it.

French Bread:
2 1/4 cups (500mL) warm water
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp dry yeast
2 tbsp olive oil (or vegetable oil)
2 tsp salt
about 6 cups (750g) flour

Combine water, sugar and yeast. Allow to rest until mixture starts bubbling.
Add about a cup of flour, salt and oil. Mix with a spoon.
Gradually add flour, mixing with a spoon until you can't anymore.
Knead in the rest of the flour. You may need more or less flour. Just continue adding flour until you have a dough that is soft, but not sticky. Cover and allow to raise for about an hour.


 Form into loaves on a lined baking sheet.


Cut the top with a knife in slashes.
Cover and allow to raise for another hour.
Bake at 375°F or 190°C for 25-30 minutes or until tapping on the loaf sounds hollow. To get the lovely crust, bake with a baking dish full of water in the oven as well. Another tip I read was to drop 3 or 4 ice cubes onto the bottom of the oven right at the beginning. The bread needs humidity in the first few minutes of baking to get the lovely crust. Brush the tops with butter.

This bread is soft, crusty and gorgeous.
It tastes just like store bought French bread.
Look at those lovely, fine crumbs!

Watch us make this gorgeous bread on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/OBSmoTkT6Ao
Schaut zu wie wir dieses schöne Brot auf YouTube machen hier: https://youtu.be/72kRhRikWzc

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