Mock Sourdough French Bread

Submitted by Toby Jermain

"I found the original version of this recipe in the Betty Crocker Bread Cookbook about 25-30 years ago and have pretty much given up on making my own sourdough, since this is a good as all but the very best sourdough breads around. Cooking time includes rising time."

 

• Ready In: 2hrs 30mins
• Ingredients: 10
• Yields: 8 small loaves
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 2 (8 ounce) cartons plain yogurt (Non-fat works great!)
• 2 packages active dry yeast
• 1 package expired dry yeast, for flavor (optional)
• 1⁄4 cup warm water (110-115 degrees F)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 -5 cups unbleached flour
• cold water
• fresh coarse ground black pepper (optional)

directions

1. Heat yogurt to lukewarm (110 degrees F).
2. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water, stir in yogurt, sugar, salt, oil and 2 cups flour, and beat until smooth.
3. Stir in enough additional flour to make dough easy to handle.
4. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes, adding more flour as necessary, to obtain a firm, non-sticky sough.
5. Place in oiled bowl, and turn to oil top of dough.
6. Cover, and let rise in warm place until doubled in volume.
7. Punch down dough, divide into 8 equal parts, knead each one, and flatten into a 4"x6" rectangle.
8. Roll up, beginning on one of the long sides, excluding any air bubbles.
9. Pinch edge of dough firmly into roll to seal, press each end firmly to seal, and fold ends under.
10. Place loaves, seam side down, on greased cookie sheets sprinkled with cornmeal.
11. Brush or spray tops with cold water, and cut three diagonal slices across top of each loaf with a sharp knife or razor blade.
12. Let rise until doubled, about 30-40 minutes.
13. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
14. Brush or spray loaves with cold water, and sprinkle pepper into slashes if desired.
15. Bake until loaves sound hollow when rapped on the bottom or when they reach an internal temperature of 190 degrees F on an instant reading thermometer, about 35 minutes, brushing or spraying with cold water every 10 minutes.
16. Cool on wire rack before wrapping.
17. Recipe can be doubled successfully, and bread freezes very well.
18. Thaw to room temperature and heat unwrapped in oven to restore the crisp crust.

Reviews

[ScrumptiousWY]

Really good! I was skeptical because I've tried other mock sourdough recipes using sour cream, vinegar, yogurt, you name it...but none ever tasted very sour. This recipe uses much more yogurt than previous ones I'd tried and you can taste the difference. It's still not SUPER-sour like the kind you get in San Fransisco (hence 4 stars instead of 5), but VERY good for a "mock" version & so much easier than traditional methods. I added 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice concentrate for additional tang, and will probably double that next time as it didn't seem to hurt the rising. Fabulous crunchy crust and nice soft yet sturdy inner texture. Reheat leftovers in a 300 degree oven for 10 minutes or so to re-create the fresh baked flavor & crisp crust. Definitely a keeper!

 

[LonghornMama]

Good! And easy to make and work with. I used plain Greek yogurt. Followed the directions and made 8 small loaves which were moist and tender inside witout being heavy, crunchy on the outside. Next time I'd try making two large loaves. My slashes were a litte too deep, next time I'll be more careful. Cornmeal was a nice touch. Seems like I always have yogurt to use up, and this is a great recipe which I'll use again. I didn't find it too sour, perfect served with dinner, and certainly easier than traditional sourdough. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

 

[Linajjac]

This bread is delicious!! Loved the taste very much. We servrd these on burgers. WONDERFUL recipe! Thanks for sharing. :) I wish I snapped a picture of the loaves. But I did get a pic of the bread on the burgers.

 

[Liara]

This bread is great! Wonderful texture and great taste. This will definitely be made often. Thanks so much!

 

[angie_pangie]

Wow! I made this tonight, it's on my counter cooling right now. My husband and I ate some within in minutes of it coming out of the oven! I made this to dress up a basic casserole I'm making for dinner guests tomorrow night, but after the kids get hold of it, I might be baking again. Thanks for the great recipe!!