Basic Machine French Bread

Name: Basic Machine French Bread
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 3 h 10 min
Total time: 3 h 15 min
Yield: 1 2lb loaf, 12 serving(s)
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups water, at about 105 degrees; 4 cups flour (a flour with at 4 grams protein per serving is best); 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (I use kosher); 2 1/2 teaspoons dry yeast

Community Pick

Submitted by rickv

"This is my winner with Tammiev and our friends. This recipe is for a 2 pound loaf and has never failed me. I think it is the lack of oil and sugar that they like in this one."

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photo by DonnaSue28

Ready In:: 3hrs 15mins
Ingredients:: 4
Yields:: 1 2lb loaf
Serves:: 12

ingredients

1 ¹⁄₂ cups water, at about 105 degrees
4 cups flour (a flour with at 4 grams protein per serving is best)
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons salt (I use kosher)
2 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons dry yeast

directions

Add to the bread pan in the order yours needs.
For mine it is water first.
Then I add half the flour and the salt followed by the rest of the flour and the yeast on top.
This will run well on the normal, rapid, and delay start cycles.

Questions & Replies

Does the machine have to preheat

Christine V.

Reviews

This is one AWESOME bread! I made it on the dough cycle, and then took it out, rolled it out into a 15x8 rectangle and then rolled it up on the 15 inch sides. Then I pinched the edges together to be "seamless" and then rolled it back and forth, gently, to taper the ends (bring to almost a point) and then put it on a greased baking sheet with a little cornmeal. I put a few slits in the top about 1/4 inch deep and brushed on a little bit of cold water all over the top of the loaf. Let it rise for another hour and then used 1 egg white to brush over the top of it, and then baked it at 350 for 25-35 minutes (when it was a golden brown and sounded hollow when I thunked it). This turned out to be one of the best tasting loafs I have ever had! I will make this again and again....no more buying french bread for me!!!

~*Miss Diggy*~
This is Tammiev, not sure why I was logged in as DH - This bread is great.. I love it hot out of the bread maker.. when I can get away with it. It is wonderful for sandwiches too. I am not kidding,the wonderful yeasty taste and dense structure takes sandwiches to another level. Try cutting it with a bow knife. It makes cutting perfect slices either thick or thin effortless

rickv
AWESOME BREAD!!! So easy to make!! Great crispy crust...nice and fluffy on the inside!! I followed Diggy's suggestion, by making the bread machine do all the kneading (hard work), and i finished it off in the oven. No more store bought french loaf for my family!!! Went really well with Mean Chef's Linguine with White Clam Sauce #42310. It really soaked up all the wonderful juices of the pasta. Wouldn't change this recipe one bit!!

KitchenManiac
Oh my gosh! Anyone with fears about making bread totaly needs to try this recipe! I will never buy store bought french bread again! I made the dough in my bread maker and then followed diggy's tip about cooking it in the oven. Thank you so much for posting this! It is soooooo good!

Loves2Teach
Just loved this....perfect 2lb loaf. Thanks

Cosmicwench

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Tweaks

Does the machine have to preheat

Christine V.
They say that bread making is a science... and I can tell you now that just THAT little bit of flour or salt... or NO oil.. makes a huge difference. I've been experimenting for a while now with different bread recipes and you'd think that just a 1/4 cup of this or a 1/4 tsp. of that wouldn't change it much... well... let me tell you.. it is a difference of great proportions in taste. This is THE recipe ........ I made 3 different recipes today (for the football playoff game) (each has been reviewed here previously) and hands down.. this is the winner. I didn't bake this in the machine.. I split it into two long loaves and baked at 400° for about 25 minutes (I sprayed the oven with a spritz of water when I put them in).. Thanks for a taste that we've been searching for. I think I need to bake it a bit longer for a crispier crust. YUM.. :-)<br/>UPDATE: 11/06/13 This is still a terrific recipe. I've replace one cup of whole wheat flour for a cup of white bread flour and added a little Vital Wheat Gluten. I made two baguettes and they turned out beautifully.

DeeBee
Perfect! Just perfect! I wouldn't change a single thing w/ this recipe. I followed the directions exactly and got a fantastic loaf of bread with a crispy, crunch crust and a luscious tender inside. Yummy! I'm looking forward to having french toast in the morning and will DEFINITELY be making this again! EDITED TO ADD: French toast made from this bread is incredible! I have just made a 2nd batch, cut in half, and subbed 2/3 c whole wheat flour for equal amt of bread flour. Very good!

Impera_Magna