Basic Machine French Bread

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!!!

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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

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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!!

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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!

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

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I used the flour I had lingering in the back of the pantry. You know the one: you think it came with the house. It was 3g of protein a serving but I used it because that's what I had. I cooked it in the bread maker instead of rolling it out and it was great. For the record, my order was: water first, flour, salt and yeast on top. I set it for french, rapid (I was in a hurry), and light on the crust. The hardest part of this was getting it out of the breadmaker's tray. The second hardest part was trying to cut it without smooshing it down. Very good. Very easy. No eggs or milk (which the mixes had). Fantastic! Thank you so much for posting it! Served this with minestrone soup (#77585).

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Good bread. I subbed some wheat and added a little vital wheat gluten to compensate for that. Made it in the ABM on dough cycle. Brushed with melted butter. Baked at 350 for about 35 min. Next time will use water to get a crisp crust and will make into sub rolls for sandwiches.

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This was a really good loaf of French Bread! I followed Miss Diggy's instructions and it came out very nice. Great texture. I brushed a little melted butter on top and it was a nice non-fattening touch for flavoring the crust! Thank you! I will be making this again! Jelly :)

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My dog LOVED your bread. She ate more than I did. I baked this wonderful loaf, left it cooling on the kitchen table, ran some errands, and when I came home, the crust was gone and the bread was on the floor. I had a slice before leaving and my dog looked so guilty when I walked in, I couldn't be mad at her. Take that as a compliment. :) The only problem I had is this bread broke the motor on my bread maker during the kneading cycle. It was really heavy and thick and kept pulling the kneading blade out of place. Now, the machine motor is not working. Just wanted to warn others, if your machine has a hard time kneading this bread, pull it out before it's too late.

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I made 2 of the most beautiful loaves of bread from this recipe, I set the timer on the dough cycle, then shaped them, let them rise, sliced a few slits and brushed with egg and water and baked for 30 min. The results were fantastic, no more buying french bread for me! Thankyou so much for this simple but great recipe

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I make this all the time following Diggy's recipe. It comes out nice and crispy. Well, yesterday I ran out of eggs, so I used half and half as the prebake wash. I baked it for 20-25 minutes, and when I took it out of the oven, I melted butter on top of it. Then I returned it to the oven, placing it directly on the oven rack, and left it for 3-5 more minutes. This is the softest bread ever! So if you want a soft bread, I would suggest the cream wash, if you want a crispy crust, go with the egg wash. They are both great.

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I concur with all the other reviewers! This bread is fabulous! Excellent texture and flavor for a French Bread! I baked as directed, but next time, I will follow Diggy's excellent instructions! Thank you Ricky, for posting this on Zaar for all of us to enjoy!

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Perfect!

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Quite simply awesome! The first time I made this....my picky daughter said-I don't like this-I LOVE this! I knew then that this is a keeper! I have made this bread several times...always good never lasts! I do make mine on the dough cycle then bake...yummmmm

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I am a bread novice. I made the dough in my bread machine, subbing 1/2 of the flour with whole wheat pastry flour & baked in the oven. Beautiful texture & delicious flavor. The shape was more like biscotti so I need to work on that. Delicious & easy!

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LOVE IT! I make this recipe several times a week. I use the dough setting on the breadmaker and finish it off in the oven. I live in a camper. I set my small oven on 375 and let the bread bake for about 30 minutes. I get great tasting loaves every time. Crispy relatively thin crust, and slightly chewy insides. Just the way my family likes.

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Unbelievably good bread!
I didn't think this would actually come out good because of the limited ingredients.
After reading the reviews, I figured I would give it a try.
I used bread flour and fast rising yeast and it came out great on the fast bake setting of my bread machine in just one hour. It has a nice crust and a soft inside.
I have made it three times in three days. This is my new favorite bread and it is so simple.

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Love this bread!!!

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So easy and delicious! I used 2c whole wheat flour and 2c bread flour, put it on the dough cycle and then finished it in the oven per Diggy's instructions (minus the egg whites).

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I can't believe I haven't rated this yet! I've been making it for years and it's the best. Especially since every other bread I try to make never turns out. The first time I made it my husband didn't believe I made it myself. I believe his exact words were, "Yeah, right!" I follow the recommendations of Miss Diggy and bake it in the oven.

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