Basic French-Style Bread | Baked Bread In The Oven/Baking Recipes

Home

Mar

2009

1 ¼ cups warm water

3 cups bread flour

2 teaspoons salt

½ ounce fresh yeast or ¼ ounce dry

1. Mix all ingredients until the flour is completely hydrated and the ingredients uniformly distributed.

2. Knead by hand, 10-15 minutes, or in a stand mixer with a dough hook, 3-5 minutes. The dough is properly kneaded when it passes the "windowpane test": Take a small piece of dough and press it flat. Hold the top of the dough circle between the thumbs and index fingers of both hands. Rotate the dough, pulling to stretch it. If you can stretch it thin enough so that it's translucent when held up to a light without tearing, it's done.

3. Form dough into a ball; place in a large bowl. Cover with a damp cloth. Let rise until doubled in size, 1½-2 hours.

4. Punch down dough; divide into two pieces. Form into balls; spray tops lightly with vegetable oil spray. Cover with plastic; let rest 10 minutes.

5. Press dough flat; fold in half. Press down to seal the seam. Place the dough seam side down on your counter and, using the palms of both hands, roll the dough to form a rough football shape (wider in the center, tapered at the ends).

6. Place the dough seam-side down on a floured baking sheet. Spray tops again with oil; cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

7. Place pizza stone, if you have one, in oven. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Transfer bread to pizza stone, or leave on baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 25-35 minutes.

Makes: 2 loaves (12 slices each)

Recipe adapted from Chef Tom Beckman of the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago