How To Make Real French Bread Recipes

EASY FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• In a large plastic mixing bowl combine warm water, yeast and sugar, allow to proof for 5-10 minutes or until yeast gets foamy and bubbly. If using instant yeast you don't need to wait for it to proof.
• Next, add the salt and olive oil. Mix together with a fork and then add 2½ cups of flour. Mix really well with a fork or whisk, until there are no lumps of flour.
• Add three more cups of flour and stir it in with the fork. It will get very thick. Once you've stirred it as much as you can with the fork, use your hand to begin kneading the bread. You may need to occasionally sprinkle the dough with a small amount of flour to keep your hand from sticking to the dough. Try not to exceed adding more than ½ cup total as you sprinkle when needed.
• Knead by hand for about 5-6 minutes or until dough has a nice springy and smooth consistency.
• Form the dough into a ball at the bottom of your bowl and cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap.
• At this point you can do one of two things. Let the dough rise for 30 minutes and knead it down and let it rise for 30 more minutes. Or, you can knead it down every 10-15 minutes for an hour. Both methods yield great results. It is also okay if you let it rise the whole hour before kneading down but the gluten will be broken down a little differently if you do it multiple times in the hour and the dough will have a less yeasty taste.
• Once you have reached an hour of total rise time you are ready to roll out the dough and form it into loaves.
• Divide the dough in half and roll one piece out into a 9x13 type shape. Follow the step by step pictures above to see how this is done. Once it is a 9x13 you roll it up and place it on a prepared baking sheet. (I use a silpat sprinkled with corn meal. You can use parchment paper or cooking spray as other options). There are also these cool French Bread Pans.
• Once the loaf is on the baking sheet take a sharp knife or a bread baker's lame and put slits on the top of the loaf. Repeat for second loaf.
• Cover the two loaves loosely with a hand towel or a piece of plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking spray. You don't want the plastic to stick to the bread as it rises. If it sticks you risk the loaf deflating when you peel off the plastic wrap. Once covered allow bread to rise for 30 minutes before baking.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. If you want to do an egg wash you do that right before baking. To do the egg wash you whisk together an egg and 1 tbsp of water. Use a pastry brush to very gently brush it onto the risen loaf.
• Bake bread for 25-30 minutes at 425 degrees.
• **To give a nice crust to the outside of the bread you can place a small pan of hot water in the bottom of your oven or a few ice cubes. I usually use ice cubes. It's a great trick for adding steam to the beginning of the baking process.

HOME-STYLE FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• Using an electric mixer with a dough hook, combine the yeast, sugar and warm water and mix for 2 minutes to dissolve the yeast. Add the salt and flour. With the mixer on low, mix until the dough starts to come together. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and crawls up to dough hook.
• Grease a mixing bowl with the oil. Place the dough in the greased bowl and turn once. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft free place until the dough doubles in size about 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and invert it onto a heavily floured surface. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Pat each portion into a large rectangle, about 3/4-inch thick. Roll up the dough, beginning with the short side and stopping after each full turn to press the edge of the roll firmly into the flat sheet of dough to seal. Press with your fingertips. Tuck and roll so that any seams disappear into the dough.
• Sprinkle a baking sheet evenly with 2 tablespoons of the cornmeal. Place the loaves on the baking sheet, about 3 inches apart. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons cornmeal. Cover the loaves with a cloth and let rise until double in size, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• With a sharp knife, make diagonal slashes, about 1-inch apart, on the top of each loaf. With a pastry brush, brush the egg wash evenly over each loaf. Place a cup of hot water in an oven-proof container on the baking sheet with the loaves.
• Bake for 45 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack. Slice to serve.

FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, yeast and salt. Stir in 2 cups warm water, and beat until well blended using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.
• On a lightly floured surface, knead in enough flour to make a stiff dough that is smooth and elastic. Knead for about 8 to 10 minutes total. Shape into a ball. Place dough in a greased bowl, and turn once. Cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled.
• Punch dough down, and divide in half. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover, and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each half into large rectangle. Roll up, starting from a long side. Moisten edge with water and seal. Taper ends.
• Grease a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Place loaves, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly beat the egg white with 1 tablespoon of water, and brush on. Cover with a damp cloth. Let rise until nearly doubled, 35 to 40 minutes.
• With a very sharp knife, make 3 or 4 diagonal cuts about 1/4 inch deep across top of each loaf. Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) oven for 20 minutes. Brush again with egg white mixture. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until bread tests done. If necessary, cover loosely with foil to prevent over browning. Remove from baking sheet, and cool on a wire rack.

CLASSIC AND CRUSTY FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast, sugar, and salt. Stir until dissolved.
• Mix in the bread flour, a little at a time, until a soft dough is formed.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead it for about 8 minutes.
• Put the dough in a greased bowl and flip the dough over so that all of the dough is lightly greased, including the dough top . Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour or until double in size.
• Punch down the dough .
• Give the dough a quick 2-minute knead.
• Divide the dough into 2 equal halves. Shape each half into a long loaf.
• Place the loaves on a lightly greased baking sheet. Make about 5 diagonal slits, 3/4 inch deep, into the top of each loaf.
• Cover loaves with a clean towel or greased plastic wrap and let them rise for 45 minutes or until double in size. Heat the oven to 400 F.
• If you'd like, brush the loaves with the beaten egg white for a shiny crust, and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds. Bake at 400 F for 5 minutes.
• Remove the loaves from the oven and use a mister or spray bottle to lightly spray the tops of the loaves with cold water. Turn the oven down to 350 F and bake the loaves for another 25 minutes or until done.
• Remove the loaves from the baking sheet and let them cool on a rack.

HOW TO MAKE FRENCH BAGUETTES

Steps:

• Place yeast into the bottom of a large mixing bowl and stir with water; mix in salt. Beat flour into yeast mixture with a wooden spoon until dough is thick and sticky and pulls flour from the side of the bowl, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand in a turned-off oven until doubled in size, 12 to 14 hours. Dough will be bubbly and very sticky.
• Place a silicone baking mat onto a baking sheet and dust generously with cornmeal.
• Use a floured spatula to scrape dough out onto a well-floured work surface and dust dough with flour. With well-floured hands, pat dough into a rectangle and cut into 4 equal-size pieces.
• Dust a piece of dough with flour and use your floured fingers to gently roll and stretch it out into a log about 10 inches long and 1 1/2 inches around. Gently transfer to prepared baking sheet. If desired, wipe off excess cornmeal with a damp paper towel. Repeat with another piece of dough. (Reserve remaining dough to bake later or prepare 2 baking sheets to bake all 4 at once). Dust loaves lightly with flour. Dust a large piece of plastic wrap with flour and drape plastic lightly over the baking sheet with floured side down.
• Let loaves rise, covered, until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hour.
• Move oven racks to the bottom and middle positions. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C) or as high as your oven will go. Place an oven-safe baking dish full of water into bottom rack of the oven.
• Use a sharp kitchen shears to cut 4 or 5 angled slashes into the top of each loaf. Poke down the little sharp tips of dough left by the scissors. Spray loaves with water, using a spray bottle.
• Bake in the preheated oven until baguettes are browned, about 15 minutes, spraying loaves with water after 5 minutes and 10 minutes. Turn the pan around on the second spraying.
• Transfer baguettes to a cooling rack and let cool to room temperature before slicing with a serrated knife.

NEW ORLEANS FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast, salt and sugar in warm water.
• Gradually stir in flour, adding only until the mixture refuses to absorb more.
• On a floured board knead the dough for 3-4 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and brush the top lightly with butter.
• Cover with a damp cloth.
• Set the dough aside in a warm place to rise for 1 1/2 hours or until it is double in bulk.
• Butter a baking sheet and sprinkle it with cornmeal, shaking off the excess.
• Punch down the dough.
• Transfer the dough to a floured board and divide it into thirds.
• Roll each portion into an 8 x 13 inch rectangle.
• Roll each rectangle up from the long side, seal and shape ends.
• Place the loaves on the prepared baking sheet and with a sharp knife make several diagonal cuts across the tops.
• Brush lightly with melted butter.
• Let rise in a warm place about 45 minutes.
• Place the bread on the middle rack in oven.
• Place a pan of hot water on bottom of oven.
• Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for 30 minutes.
• Note: Cooking time includes rising times.

CRUSTY FRENCH LOAF

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar, oil, salt and 2 cups flour. Beat until blended. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down; return to bowl. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. , Preheat oven to 375°. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a 16x2-1/2-in. loaf with tapered ends. Sprinkle cornmeal over a greased baking sheet; place loaf on baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 25 minutes. , Beat egg white and cold water; brush over dough. With a sharp knife, make diagonal slashes 2 in. apart across top of loaf. Bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool.

SOURDOUGH FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• Put ingredients, in order listed, into bread machine pan.
• Set machine for dough cycle and start.
• At end of dough cycle, turn dough out onto a floured surface.
• If dough is too sticky, knead in a little additional flour.
• Divide dough into 2 equal portions and flatten each into a 1 1/2 inch thick oval.
• Fold oval in half once lengthwise and pinch seam to make an elongate loaf.
• Sprinkle cornmeal on a baking sheet and place the loaves on the sheet seam side down.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees F) until about doubled in bulk.
• Place a shallow pan of hot water on the lower shelf of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Make shallow slashes in tops of loaves with a razor blade or finely serrated knife, held at a 30 degree angle.
• Place the loaves in the oven and immediately spray them and the oven walls with water from a fine mister, and avoid spraying oven light.
• Repeat this spraying 3 additional times at one minute intervals.
• Continue baking for 30 to 40 minutes or until brown, but remove pan of water from oven after the first 15 minutes.
• Remove loaves from baking sheet and cool on wire racks.
• *To proof sourdough culture, start with 1/2 cup of culture and stir into it 1 1/2 cups warm water and 1 1/2 cups flour.
• Cover with plastic and let sit 8 to 12 hours (the longer it sits, the more 'sour' your bread will taste).
• At this point, measure out the 2 cups required and proceed with recipe; returning any extra to the starter pot to save in the refrigerator until you want to use it again.