homemade french bread.

There are few things in life that I think I do well enough to toot my own horn about.  Making French bread is one of them.

Guys, I make really, really amazing French bread.  And it turns out, having this skill is actually very useful because, A. French bread is really ridiculously delicious, B. It’s a very versatile bread- it’s great standing alone, and it pairs beautifully with a myriad of meals, and C. there are some really amazing recipes you can make with a great loaf of French bread.

I thought since it’s now post-labor day and we can say that even if we aren’t fully into fall we are at least rounding the corner in that direction, a great bread recipe was in order.  And this is a great bread recipe, plus it’s relatively simple, and turns out beautifully.

Homemade French Bread:

2 cups of hot water

2 TBSP shortening or butter (I always use butter)

2 TBSP sugar

4 tsp. salt

2 pkgs yeast (rapid rise works best)

1 cup lukewarm water

7 to 8 cups flour

evaporated milk

Combine hot water, butter, sugar, and salt, in a large bowl or mixer.  Stir to melt shortening and dissolve sugar and salt.  Set aside and cool to lukewarm.

Dissolve yeast in 1 cup of lukewarm water.  Add to cooled butter/sugar mixture.  Mix in 4 cups of the flour and beat until blended.  (I do all of this in my kitchen aid stand mixer.)  Change beater to a hook.  Add remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough.  Knead until it’s smoother than a baby’s bottom.  ;-)

Cover and place in a warm spot to rise until it doubles in size. (about 1 hour.)

Punch down and divide into 3 balls.  Let them rise for 10 minutes.  Roll each ball into a rectangle then roll up as a jelly roll.  Shape and seal ends, then score with a sharp knife down the top of the loaf.  Place on a greased cookie sheet.  Brush with evaporated milk.  Let rise in a warm spot 1.5 hours.

Bake at 400 deg. for 25 minutes.  Brush with butter, and

Mmmmm…

Tip: warmth is a friend to yeast.  If you want your dough to rise nicely, find a warm spot in your kitchen and let it be.

Post baking confession:  I really want this kitchen aid ice blue mixer, (you all know how I feel about mint) like so much that I’m actually wishing for the death of my current (white) kitchen aid mixer which I’ve had and used almost weekly since Craig and I were married 11 years ago.  That’s how awesome these mixers are.  Cookies, rolls, bread dough, you name it, at least once a week for the past 11 years and this mixer just. won’t. quit.  And I really want it to quit so I have an excuse to buy myself a new one in that perfect shade of blue.  I suppose I could just go ahead and buy it anyway, but then–waste not, want not and all that… and I just can’t bring myself to do it when I know that my white kitchen aid is still kicking-er-mixing it’s bad self just fine.

Okay.  Confession over.  Go forth and bake bread.

xo,

Cori.