Light and Fluffy French Loaf

I’ve been on a bread-making kick lately.  I think in part, I just realized the economical benefits of baking my own bread…and then, I obviously love the taste of warm bread, fresh out of the oven – not to mention the lovely smell that wafts through each room!  This french loaf was softer and fluffier than the last one I made.  The crust wasn’t as ‘crusty’ or hard (it was just hardly crisp), but that made it less like an actual french bread and more like wide sub bread.  Maybe if I had baked it a little longer it would have had a harder crust, but really I loved it just the way it was – I just wouldn’t necessarily call it a french bread.

French Loaf (from food.com)

• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 Tbsp salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/2 – 3 cups flour

1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in the warm water.
2. In a large bowl, combine hot water, sugar, salt and oil.  Add 1 1/2 cups of flour and mix well.
3. Add the yeast mixture and stir.
4. Add 1 – 1 1/2 cups more flour and mix until well blended; it will be sticky.  Cover bowl with a dishtowel and let rise for an hour, mixing a few strokes every 15 mins.
5. Divide the dough into 2 or 3 pieces and roll each out to desired length.  Then roll up lengthwise like a jelly roll and place sealed side down on a greased cookie sheet.
6. Slash the top diagonally every couple inches with a sharp knife.  Brush with egg white.
7. Preheat oven to 400.  Let loaves rise for 30 minutes, then bake for 25-30 mins.

About these ads