by As I was making soups last weekend during our snowstorm, I thought that French Bread would be delightful with Moroccan Lentil and Crockpot Chicken Noodle soups.
It’s been years since I have tried to make French Bread, but I thought I would give it a try. It turned out wonderful…. the crust was crispy and the inside was soft and fluffy! The perfect complement to the soups. 😋
You do have to plan a bit ahead, though, since it takes about 2 1/2 hours to make the bread. 🕰
French Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ Cup Warm water
- 1 Tablespoon Sugar
- ½ Tablespoon Active dry yeast (1 package)
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 3 Cups Bread or All-Purpose Flour
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the water, sugar, and yeast. Allow the yeast mixture to activate for about 3-5 minutes. It should be bubbly and foamy before moving to the next step (if using instant yeast instead of dry active yeast, you do not need to wait)
- Add the salt, oil and a small amount of the flour to the bowl and mix. Gradually add in the rest of the flour. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl and form a soft ball. Knead for 2-3 minutes until the dough is smooth. (if you do not have a dough hook, you can knead the dough for about 3-5 minutes on a counter until smooth).
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled (about an hour).
- Turn the dough onto a lightly greased surface. Pat or roll into a thick rectangle (about 9×13). Roll the dough up starting from the long edge and pinch to seal. Arrange seam side down on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cut several diagonal slashes in the top of the bread.
- Cover with a clean kitchen town, and let the loaf rise until noticeably puffy and nearly doubled in size (about an hour).
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake in middle position of oven for 25-30 minutes until golden and baked through.
Notes
- Optional- I also put a baking stone on rack on the lowest level of the oven while preheating the oven. After placing the bread on the middle rack of the oven, I placed 3-4 ice cubes on the hot baking stone and immediately closed the door. The ice melts and steams in the oven to give the French Bread the delicious classic crisp crust.
