French Bread Recipe

• From The Spruce Eats
• Found by Natasha for Zoe
• 
  
• Total: 50 mins

• Prep: 20 mins
• Cook: 30 mins
• Rise Time: 105 mins
• Yield: 2 loaves (20 servings)

Preheat Oven: to 400*F 

Ingredients:

2 cups warm water (95 F to 110 F), 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, 5 1/2 cups bread flour (approximately) (all purpose flour works too), Optional: 1 large egg white (lightly beaten), Optional: sesame seeds or poppy seeds

Directions:
1 gather ingredients, 2 In a large bowl, combine water, yeast, sugar, and salt. Stir until dissolved. 3 Mix in flour, a little at a time, until a soft dough is formed. 4 Turn dough out onto a floured board and knead it for about 8 minutes. (or the 1st time i made it i kneaded it in the bowl…) 5 Put the dough in a greased bowl and flip the dough over so that all of the dough including the dough top is lightly greased. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour or until double in size. 6 punch down the dough 7 give the dough a quick 2 min knead 8 Divide the dough into 2 equal halves. Shape each half into a long loaf. 9 Place loaves onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Make about 5 diagonal slits, 3/4-inch deep, into the top of each loaf. 10 Cover loaves and let rise for 45 minutes or until double in size. 11 While the dough is proofing again, heat the oven to 400 F. 12 Optional: Brush the loaves with beaten egg white for a shiny crust, and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds. 13 Bake at 400 F for 5 minutes. 14 Remove loaves from oven and use a mister to lightly spray the tops of loaves with cold water. 15 Turn oven down to 350 F and bake loaves for another 25 minutes or until done. 16 Remove loaves from baking sheet and let cool on a rack.