There are two types of French bread: the chewy, crusty type and the soft, fluffy type. Today, we are baking the soft and fluffy version and I have some big plans for it.
French bread is very versatile. It makes great garlic bread, french toast, croutons and it is excellent for sandwiches. At some point this week, I will be using this bread in all of these ways, so I am making two loaves and I highly recommend that you do the same. Once you taste this beautiful bread, you will be happy that you have the extra loaf… I promise.
Let’s get started…
To make two 14 inch loaves, you will need 6 cups of all purpose flour, 2 1/4 cups of warm water (between 110-120 degrees), 1 packet of active dry yeast, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 teaspoons of salt.
Begin by adding 2 1/4 cups of warm water, a packet of yeast and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set it aside for about 10 minutes or until the yeast has bloomed and the surface is covered with foamy bubbles.
While the yeast is blooming, add 2 cups of all purpose flour, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 teaspoons of salt into a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer and whisk to combine. Be sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure that all of the yeast is incorporated.
Once the yeast has bloomed, pour it into the flour mixture and whisk to combine. Place the bread hook attachment on your stand mixer or if you are combining this dough by hand, grab a flexible silicone spatula.
Add 2 additional cups of flour and begin mixing to combine. Slowly add more flour, a little at a time, until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Once the dough is smooth, soft and not too sticky, knead for 5 minutes (either by hand or on medium speed).
Once the dough feels smooth and elastic, transfer the dough into a large glass bowl that has been lightly oiled with olive oil. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and place it in a warm place to rest for about 60 minutes.
Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer it onto a floured work surface and use a pastry cutter or sharp knife, to divide the dough into two equal portions.
Roll each half out into a rectangle or oval that is about 9 inches tall and 12 inches wide. Just be close in size and shape. Perfection is definitely not required at this stage…
Next, roll the dough up as you would a cinnamon roll and pinch the seams together. Repeat with the second half of the dough and place both loaves, seam side down, onto either a parchment lined baking sheet or one that has been dusted with flour or cornflour. You can place both loaves on a single baking sheet, as long as there is room to keep them about 3 inches apart.
Cover the loaves with a light kitchen towel and let them rest at room temperature for 45 minutes. Once the loaves have puffed to about twice their original size, cut diagonal slices across the surface of the dough every 2-3 inches and then brush the loaves with an egg wash.
Bake at 375 degrees on a middle rack for 25-30 minutes. The bread is finished once the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees and the crust is a deep golden brown. If you don’t have a thermometer to check the temperature, a fully baked loaf should sound hollow if you knock on it a bit.
Once the bread is finished, transfer it onto a cooling rack. If you want your crust on the crisp side, let it cool as is, but if you prefer a softer crust, brush the surface of each loaf with melted butter as soon as you remove it from the oven. The butter will soak into the crust as the bread cools and not only soften it up nicely, but give it the most delicious buttery flavor. I love both methods! I leave the crust as is when I am using the bread for croutons or garlic bread, but I add butter to the crust of loaves I am using for sandwiches, french toast or just serving with dinner.
Allow the bread to cool on the rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing it up. This will help the moisture in the freshly baked bread have enough time to equally re-distribute throughout the loaf. Cutting into a hot loaf of bread too soon after bringing it out of the oven can create a gummy texture inside your loaf, so give it some time to relax before digging in…
This bread is just lovely. It is dense, but soft and tender inside with a beautiful flavor and perfect crust. I love it smothered in butter or dipped into a bowl of warm soup. It is also perfect for making french toast, croutons and petite sandwiches.
Store leftovers in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in foil at room temperature. It stays nice and soft for a few days and reheats wonderfully after just a few minutes in a warm oven.
I hope you enjoy this french bread as much as I do!
French Bread
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups of water, warm (between 110-120 degrees)
- 1 packet of active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 6 cups of all purpose flour
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 packet of active dry yeast into 2 1/4 cups of warm water and whisk to combine. Set aside for 10 minutes or until the yeast has bloomed
- Add 2 cups of flour, 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 teaspoons of salt into the bowl of your stand mixer
- Add the bloomed yeast and whisk until fully incorporated
- Attach the dough hook and add 2 additional cups of flour
- Begin mixing on medium speed
- Gradually add more flour until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl (you may not need all 6 cups)
- Once the dough is pulling away from the sides of the bowl, continue kneading for another 5 minutes
- Transfer the dough into a large glass bowl oiled with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cover tightly with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel
- Let the dough rest in a warm place for 60 minutes
- Transfer the rested dough onto a floured work surface and divide into two equal portions
- Roll one portion of dough out into a large rectangle (roughly 9"x12")
- Roll the dough up as you would a cinnamon roll and pinch the seam closed
- Repeat with the second portion of dough
- Transfer both loaves (seam side down) onto a parchment lined baking sheet spacing them out by about 3 inches
- Cover the loaves with a kitchen towel and rest for 45 minutes or until they have puffed to about double their original size
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
- Uncover the loaves and carefully slice diagonal marks every 2-3 inches across the top of each loaf
- Whisk 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of water together and brush over the surface of each loaf
- Bake at 375 degrees on a middle rack for 25-30 minutes
- The bread is finished when the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees and the top is golden brown
- Transfer the loafs onto a cooling rack and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing
- (Optional) - Brush the surface of each loaf with melted butter as soon as you remove it from the oven (this will result in a softer crust)
- Store in an air tight container at room temperature
