Cookbook:Easy French Bread
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Easy French Bread | |
---|---|
Category | Bread recipes |
Servings | 2 loaves |
Time | 3-4 hours |
Difficulty |
French cuisine | Vegetarian cuisine | Bread
Easy French Bread[edit]
Ingredients[edit]
Volumetric
[note 1]Grams
Baker's %
2 packages active dry yeast [note 2] 14.4 1.49% ¼ cup warm water (about 110°F) 59.25 6.12% 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 28.4 2.93% 2 cups warm milk [note 3] 488 50.37% 1 teaspoon salt 6 0.62% 7½ to 8 cups flour 968.75 100% Formula 1564.8 161.53%
Procedure[edit]
- Scald milk and butter by bringing it to at least 180 °F (82 °C) and let it cool to at least 105 °F (41 °C).
- In a large bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm water and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Stir in cooled butter and milk, and salt.
- Start adding flour and mix until dough is thick and pulls off spoon like gum.
- Knead until dough is springy and smooth (about 10 minutes-you may want to do this with dough hooks).
- Form into a ball and put in greased bowl, turning to grease top, then cover with a cloth.
- Rise until doubled (until a finger impression stays), about an hour, depending on temperature.
- Punch down dough, turn out, and divide in half.
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Shape each half of dough into a square.
- Roll dough into two 10 by 15-inch (25 x 35 cm) oblongs; roll up each, starting on the long side.
- Place each oblong on a greased baking sheet sprinkled with corn meal.
- Slash loaf tops ¼ inch (almost 1cm) diagonally with floured sharp knife or razor blade.
- Brush loaves with water.
- Bake 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 375°F (190°C).
- Brush loaves with water again.
- Bake another 10 minutes.
- Brush loaves with water again.
- Bake another 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown.
- Cool on wire racks.
Tips, Notes, and Variations[edit]
- To get a rapid initial rise, use water about 130-135°F (55-60°C), and pour into bowl with yeast mixed with initial flour and salt and start mixing.
- All rising should be in a warm place, like near the refrigerator.
- A baking stone, ceramic brick, or even an iron skillet or griddle preheated in the oven (to place the baking sheet on) will give a good "spring" or quick rise when the loaves are first placed in the oven.
Conversion Notes[edit]
- ↑ Weight conversions from USDA National Nutrient Database. Original recipe text and ingredient order preserved. Whole milk of 3.25% milkfat, and all purpose flour presumed, flour defined as 7 3/4 cups. Hydration will increase slightly with lowfat milk.
- ↑ This amount of yeast will result in a perceptible yeast flavor. To reduce this flavor, it is recommended to use no more than 0.775% instant dry yeast expressed as a baker's %, alternatively, 2.5% cake yeast (compressed) or 1.05% active dry yeast, although in all cases you can expect fermentation time to increase somewhat. Further reductions will result in less yeast flavor and longer bulk fermentation times.
- ↑ This percentage results in a low hydration (water content of milk + water). Suggest adding at least 7% water (as baker's percent).