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French Bread

Prep Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings 2 loaves

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups bread flour
  • 2 tsp active quick rising dry yeast
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water

Instructions
 

  • Add 3 3/4 cups of bread flour to a large bowl. Sprinkle yeast across one half and salt across the other.
  • Slowly pour in warm water while whisking the flour.
  • Begin to whisk at a medium speed until dough beings to form.
  • Coat your hands in flour and begin to throw the dough back and forth vigorously between fingers for 2 minutes. If the dough is too wet, add a little flour.
  • Rest the dough for 5 minutes.
  • Continue to toss dough between fingers for 3 more minutes.
  • Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup flour across countertop. Begin kneading dough by hand until a smooth, tight ball is formed, about 10 minutes. Be sure to use the heel of your palm when kneading.
  • Lightly oil a large bowl, place dough in it, cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to let rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.
  • When dough is almost risen, preheat oven to 450F. Place your bread pan, pizza stone, or other baking vessel in the oven to heat as well.
  • After the dough has doubled in size, punch down the dough once and form back into a ball.
  • Cut the dough in half, covering the second half to form after the first.
  • Shape the dough into desired cooking shape; if using a bread pan, be sure it is shaped to the full length of the pan and oil the pan before adding dough.
  • Let dough rise for 30 more minutes on counter top.
  • Removing baking vessel from the oven, and place dough on/in it. Before baking, cut diagonal slits across the dough to allow steam to release while it cooks.
  • Bake the dough until an internal temperature of 200F is reached, about 25 minutes.