How To Make French Bread

Making authentic French bread at home is simple with this easy to follow recipe.

Before beginning, gather all equipment needed for completing the recipe.

Equipment:

• Heavy-duty standing mixer with a paddle attachment
• Small bowl
• Large bowl
• Wire whisk
• Pastry brush
• Pastry scraper
• Baking sheet lined with parchment paper

After gathering the equipment, prep the ingredients required for the recipe.

• 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 ¼ cup lukewarm whole milk
• 2 cups unbleached bread flour
• 2 cups All-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting work area
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ¼ cup unsalted butter at room temperature or ½ a stick
• 1-teaspoon canola or oil olive for greasing bowl

Instructions:

1. Line pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Cooking spray, butter or grease are other options to prevent bread from sticking.
2. Pour ¼ cup lukewarm milk into a small bowl. Lukewarm milk is best to help dissolve the yeast. Add 2 ½ teaspoons of active dry yeast to milk and whisk to dissolve. Lukewarm milk is best when activating yeast. If milk is too warm, the yeast will not activate. If milk is too cold, the yeast will activate too slowly.
3. After yeast has fully dissolved, add ¾-cup lukewarm milk to the mixture. Whisk together until the mixture is foamy and forms bubbles on the top. Properly activated yeast will foam. If the yeast does not foam, then the yeast is not working. Check the expiration date to make sure the yeast has not expired. Pour the yeast and milk mixture into the standing mixer.
4. Add bread flour, All-purpose flour, salt, and sugar into the mixer with the yeast mixture. Turn the mixer on low and began slowly mixing the ingredients. The ingredients begin to resemble a dry, coarse meal. Add the room temperature, unsalted butter into the mixer. Continue to mix the ingredients on low to medium speed. After dough comes together and begins to form a ball, turn off the mixer.
5. Lightly flour work surface with All-purpose flour. Use less flour rather than more since too much flour changes the consistency of the dough. Tour dough out onto floured surface. Dough should not be wet or overly sticky. Work dough into a ball with hands. After dough forms a ball, lightly flour the top of the dough. Lightly flour palms of hands and push them into the center of the ball pushing away from the body. Then, fold dough over back towards the body. After every sequence of motion, turn the dough a quarter turn and repeat. This is the kneading process. Continue to follow this process and knead the dough for 8-10 minutes. Kneading the dough gives the bread a light, airy texture. Under kneaded bread is dense and heavy. Dough becomes smooth and elastic after about 8-10 minutes of kneading.
6. Lightly oil large bowl. Place dough into bowl and turn it several times to coat the dough with the oil. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the bowl containing the bread. Set bowl aside for two hours and let dough rise until doubled in size.
7. After dough doubles in size, deflate dough with hands then turn it out onto lightly floured surface. Cut dough in half with pastry scraper. Set half aside for later use. Slightly flatten remaining half of dough. Gently roll dough back and forth to form a baguette shape about 8 inches long. Dividing dough into smaller portions before rolling will yield smaller loaves. Place loaves on baking sheet and cover with oiled plastic wrap. Allow dough to rest for 20 minutes. While dough is rising, preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
8. After 20 minutes, remove plastic wrap. Make horizontal lines through tops of loaves with a sharp knife. Do not cut too deeply into dough. Take pastry brush and apply the remaining milk on tops and sides of loaves.
9. Place baking sheets with dough into preheated oven. Bake loaves for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. When loaves become golden brown, remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing. Bread will be crisp on top, crunchy on bottom and soft and chewy in the center.