Homemade French Bread (abm)

Marie's Note:

Chewy and crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. Recipe found on the internet.

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 1 loaf

Bread Dough

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Topping

• 2 tablespoons cornmeal
• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon water

Directions:

1. Place all bread dough ingredients in bread machine and select dough cycle.
2. When cycle is complete, remove dough and roll into a 12"x15" rectangle on a lightly floured board.
3. Roll up from long side and pinch seam to seal.
4. Fold ends under.
5. Place seam side down on greased baking sheet that has been dusted with cornmeal.
6. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes.
7. Make 4 diagonal cuts with a sharp knife across top of bread.
8. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes.
9. Beat egg white and water; remove bread from oven and brush with egg wash.
10. Return to oven and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Reviews

[ohgal]

My 3, 6, and 8-yr. old grand-daughters had a lot of fun making their own small loaves of bread. I cut the batch of dough into 3 pieces and they each formed their own. I was so surprised how few simple ingredients made such good tasting bread. I did have to add quite a bit of extra flour to obtain the right consistency in my machine. I know we will make this bread often in the future.
Thanks for posting this recipe.

[3vegkids]

fantastic bread!! i followed the directions exactly and it came out perfectly. i was a little disappointed in myself because i forgot to do the egg wash - it would have looked so good! anyways, turned it into a loaf of garlic bread and the family couldn't get enough of it. i made it last weekend, and i'm going to make it again today. its a snowy day here, so i'm making some broccoli soup and this bread (but i think i'm going to try sprinkling some grated cheddar on the dough when i roll it out. thanks for a great recipe!!

[Marg (CaymanDesigns)]

This is INCREDIBLE bread!! I have made a lot of bread over the years, but this one is definitely one of the best! 10 stars, all the way! Yes, the dough was rather sticky at the end of the dough cycle, but it baked up beautifully. This makes a huge loaf and the four of us ate almost all of it with our supper. The rest was used for sandwiches the next day and it was still excellent. I highly recommend you serve it with Parmesan and Garlic Dipping Oil. The combination was sublime! This is our new favorite French bread and the ease of making the dough in the bread machine is another huge plus. Thanks for sharing this divine bread recipe!