The Best French Bread (bread Machine)

Submitted by Chris from Kansas

"This recipe comes from Fleishmann's Yeast and is absolutely the best french bread recipe I have found. The texture is wonderful and it tastes and looks great. I always get rave reviews when I make this."

 

• Ready In: 2hrs 40mins
• Ingredients: 11
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 3⁄4 cup water
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1⁄4 cups bread flour
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
• 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• cornmeal
• vegetable oil
• 1 large egg white
• 1 tablespoon water
• sesame seeds

directions

1. Add 3/4 cup water, salt, flour, parmesan cheese, garlic powder and yeast to bread machine pan in order suggested by manufacturer.
2. Select dough/manual cycle.
3. When cycle is complete, remove dough from machine to a lightly floured surface.
4. Roll dough into a 15x10 inch rectangle.
5. Beginning at long end, roll up tightly as for jelly roll.
6. Pinch seams and ends to seal.
7. Taper ends by gently rolling back and forth.
8. Place loaf, seam side down on a greased baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal.
9. Lightly brush loaf with oil.
10. Cover and let rise in warm draft-free place until almost double in size, 10 to 15 minutes.
11. With a sharp knife, make 3 or 4 diagonal cuts about 1/4 inch deep across the top of loaf.
12. Lightly beat egg white and 1 tablespoon water; brush some of egg white mixture over top of loaf.
13. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.
14. Brush again with remaining egg white mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
15. Bake 5 to 10 minutes more or until done- bread should sound hollow when tapped.
16. Remove the bread from the baking sheet and cool on a wire rack.

Reviews

[BakinBaby]

The texture was great, outside nice and crunchy, inside nice and moist. The flavor just wasn't quite right, I will try again with more salt.

 

[jbriz]

This was awesome!!!! I made it just as directed except I, too, had to add about 3 or 4 tablespoons of water to the dough. Mine also took about 30 minutes to raise after forming instead of 10-15 minutes. (That may have been because I had the AC on...) Anyway, it had such a wonderful texture and great taste. The overall flavor of the bread with the garlic powder and parmesan together was absolutely delightful! Much better than other french bread recipes I've tried before!!!! My DH loved it and this will definitely be a recipe I'll use over and over...Thanks so much!!!

 

[CindyMarie]

I forgot to rate this after I first made it. Excellent!

 

[children from A to Z]

I really enjoyed this bread. The only thing I will change next time is to make the slashes in the bread before I let it rise, when I slashed it after, my bread deflated like a balloon. I will also just do a wash with a little water. The egg white ran down a little so the bread was stuck to my pan. Great flavor, super easy recipe. Why buy bread when it's this easy to make homemade. Thanks so much for posting Chris!

 

[Chef Gary]

Oh my!!! I have never tried french bread...my family thought this was store bought! It was absolutely great. It was so easy to make, I will definately make it again and again!