My Favorite French Bread
These fantastic French Bread loaves can be whipped up in just a few simple steps and incorporated into so many different meals. Your family will be cheering and begging for another bite!
Equipment
- Kitchen Aid mixer
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons dry yeast I always use SAF-instant
- 1/2 cup warm water Make sure it's not too hot or it will kill your yeast
- 2 cups Hot water
- 3 Tablespoon sugar
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
- 5 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 6 cups all purpose flour You may substitute 2 cups bread flour for a chewier texture! I like this
- 1 egg beaten (for glazing pre-baked bread)
Instructions
- Dissolve yeast and 1/2 cup of warm water.2. In a separate large bowl, mix 2 cups hot water, sugar, oil, salt and 3 cups of flour.3. Check to make sure your yeast has become frothy/foamy and activated. If so, add hot-water flour mixture. Mix for 2 minutes to incorporate everything well.4. Switch to dough hook attachment and add the remaining 3 cups of flour, one at a time so the dough can absorb all the flour. Let the dough hook mix for 5 minutes until flour is incorporated and dough is smooth and elastic.5. Turn off the mixer and allow the dough to sit for 10 minutes (just leave the dough hook attached and cover the mixer with a tea towel).6. After 10 minutes the dough will look puffy. Stir dough down with a wooden spoon or simply turn on your mixer to low and allow the dough hook to deflate the dough (10 seconds or less). 7. Repeat this step 5 times more so the dough has a total of 60 minutes to rise (and be deflated every 10 minutes). This will allow the gluten to develop and create a wonderful, soft chewy texture.8. Dump dough onto a floured counter top. Cut in half and roll each piece into a roughly 9x12 rectangle. Roll up lengthwise like cinnamon rolls and tuck the ends under. 9. Place loaves onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with non-stick spray. You can also bake the loaves separately if you want! 10. Allow your loaves to rise again for 20-30 minutes. About 10 minutes into this rise I like to "score" my loaves (use a bread lame or serrated knife). Brush a thin layer of egg wash on the rolls to glaze for a shiny baked finish. This really makes them beautiful!11. Bake loaves at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Notes
Loaves can be baked separately OR together on the same sheet. If baked together, the edges will be touching.
I would highly recommend using a parchment sheet under the loaves for baking.
Bread can be frozen in a gallon ziplock bag and stays VERY fresh! Just allow them to thaw to room temperature before enjoying. I would NOT recommend microwaving to thaw.