My husband says I should call this Freedom Bread. But I just can’t do it. French bread is a classic. One of the foods I would want if I was ever on a deserted island (and cheese/butter please). I made this quickly and easily in my bread machine, but you can do this recipe even if you don’t own one. Instructions for non-bread machine users are at the bottom of the post. I found a neat tip today for giving homemade bread a crispy crust. Throw a couple of ice cubes in the bottom of your oven at the start of the baking time. Then, for a crispier crust, put a couple more in there halfway thru. I did this with these loaves today and it worked like a charm! I love odd ideas that actually work.
1 1/4 cups water (110-115° F)
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon cornmeal
GLAZE:
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
Directions
- In bread machine pan, place the first five ingredients in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select dough setting (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed).
- When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half. Roll each portion into a 10-in. x 8-in. rectangle. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seams to seal.
- Sprinkle a greased baking sheet with cornmeal; place loaves seam side down on prepared pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 20 minutes.
- Whisk egg and water; brush over loaves. With a sharp knife, make four shallow slashes across the top of each loaf. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.
No bread machine? No problem.
Turn oven on to 400 degrees for 1 minute. Turn oven OFF. Mix sugar & yeast in water, let sit for 5 min. Combine the flour & salt together in my kitchen aid mixer bowl. Then, using the dough hook on the lowest speed, pour water mixture into flour & let it knead for 8 minutes. If the dough is dry & flakey after 1 min. of mixing, add a scant tbsp of water. Dough should be smooth & elastic after 8 min. Put in greased bowl, cover with a warm, damp towel & put in the slightly warm oven that is OFF. Let rise until doubled, 30-60 min. Now just follow the original recipe, returning the loaf to the OFF oven for its second rise.
Discover more from Bakerlady
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Bakerlady 
Brilliant tip about getting a crispier crust.
🙂 Mandy
Thanks! When I read it, I knew I had to try it, but wasn’t sure it would actually work. 🙂