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.
