The Best French Bread (bread Machine)

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: 2 hrs 40 mins
• 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.