French Bread
- Brigid "Corny" Cornelius
- May 4, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: May 7, 2020
Making your own bread is simply satisfying. The smell, the finished product and the taste of course!
French Bread
Makes approx 4-5 loaves
Ingredients
5-5 ½ C Bread flour
2 tsp salt
1TBSP sugar
2 tsp Active yeast
2 C hot water (120°F-130°F)
1 egg white
1 TBSP water
Cornmeal for dusting pan
Combine all ingredients in a bowl with a rubber spatula until a dough forms. It does not need to be smooth. Let rest for 1 hour.
Lightly dust the bench with bread flour. Release dough from the bowl with a scraper.
Stretch the dough to a rectangle and fold over on itself in thirds. Return the dough to the bowl. Rest for 30 minutes.
Repeat step 2 three more times over . the next two hours.
Place dough in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let ferment for 1 hour at room temperature.
Divide dough into thirds (roughly 260-270g pieces). Roll into balls and cover with plastic wrap for 5 minutes (this is called benching).
Take one of the round balls of dough and place on your un-floured bench round side down. Stretch into a rectangle and fold top into the middle and seal with the heal of your hand. Repeat with the bottom, and seal with the heal of your hand. Horizontally fold in half and seal with your thumb. Complete the seal with heal of your hand. Shape into desired baguette shapes. (**refer to photos below**)
Proof shaped doughs over the next 1 hour on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal, covered with plastic wrap until doubled in size. Do not put the doughs close together. Leave at least 3-5 inches between doughs.
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Slash the loaves right before baking.
Bake until golden, 20-25 mins
In a small bowl add one egg white and 1 TBSP water to make an egg wash.
Take out of the oven, brush with egg wash and bake for other 2 minutes.
Cool completely on a wire rack.
Below 3500 ft:
4 C Bread flour
1 ½ tsp salt
1TBSP sugar
2 ¼ tsp Active yeast
1 ⅔ C hot water (120°F-130°F)
1 egg white
1 TBSP water
Cornmeal for dusting pan
You will follow directions above except:
You will allow your bread to ferment for 2 hours.
You will proof for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size
You will bake at 450°F, for 25-30 minutes (or until golden) then egg wash and bake again for 2-3 minutes
**photos above are reference for step 6**
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