French Bread

I can't take the credit for this recipe, but I can share it with you! I originally found this recipe in a Taste of Home magazine, and then it sat on my recipe shelf for about .. oh, a year at least. But today I pulled it out and figured I'd give it a whirl.

Yum! Two amazing loaves of french bread in under 3 hours total.

French Bread

2 tbsp. active dry yeast       2 cups warm water

2 tsp. salt      1 tsp. sugar

4-1/2 to 5 cups bread flour*

1 tsp. cornmeal

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the salt, sugar and 2 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
• Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.
• Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hr.
• Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Shape into 12" long loaves.
• Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 mins.
• Sprinkle with cornmeal. With a sharp knife, make four shallow slashes across the top of each loaf.
• Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

* I used regular AP flour and they turned out great. I'm going to experiment with using actual bread flour and see what the difference is. They can only get better. I made the entire recipe in my large mixer bowl using my dough hooks. I took it out and kneaded it for maybe 2 minutes or so!

I'd invite you over for a slice or two, but in this family, homemade bread doesn't last long!