Simple and delicious French bread
This recipe is so simple that even I can make it! The recipe makes for some wonderfully fresh and yummy bread. The approach below is inspired by other recipes but I wanted to capture my unique version here to share and also for myself not to forget!
Love to learn how you end up making it - or if you have other bread recipes, tweaks, or tips on this one. Happy baking!
Quick note: It may look like there are a lot steps to making the bread, there really isn't! - it's just that I've tried to callout everything that I would need to remember! :)
Time
- Actual work time: 15 minutes
- Wait time: 180 minutes / 3 hours
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (tbsp) active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon (tbsp) sugar
- 1 1/4 tablespoon (tbsp) salt
- 2 cups of warm water at 100°F
- 5 to 6 cups bread flour
Equipment
- Dutch Oven (you might be able to bake the bread without one, love to learn about your approach and we can update here if you want)
- Parchment paper
- Bowl (large)
- Measuring tablespoon (tbsp)
- Measuring cup
- Woodenspoon or similar to stir with (I stir with the spoon upside down)
- Basting pastry brush (optional, used for brushing water on dough before baking for crispy crust)
- Oven
Steps
- Mix the dough
- In the large bowl start by adding the 2 cups lukewarm water and check the temperature (water temperature should be between 98°F and 104°F) - I was messing this part up until I started using a thermometer
- Then mix together in the 1 tbsp yeast, 1 tbsp sugar, and 1 1/4 tbsp salt
- Let this stand for 7 minutes until the yeast is dissolved (the top of the mixture will be bubbly/foaming)
- Slowly add the 5 to 6 cups of flour, one cup at a time, to the bowl and mix thoroughly until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl
- Knead the dough
- Empty mixed dough onto a floured surface to knead (it will still be a bit sticky, and your fingers are going to get messy!)
- Press into the dough with the heels of your hands from the lower part and up to the top of the dough
- After each push, rotate the dough a bit
- Repeat this process in a rhythmic motion over and over for 5 minutes
- Add small amounts / sprinkles of flour to your surface and dough every now and then
- Rest the dough
- Form the dough into a loaf
- Clean the big bowl
- Lightly grease the big bowl with 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- Place the dough into the big bowl
- Cover the top of bowl with 1 or 2 tea towels
- Let the dough rest for 2 hours at room temperature (approximately 70°F). You could shorten the rest time but I find that the longer I let the dough rest the lighter is the texture of the bread
- Bake the bread
- Place Dutch Oven with lid in the middle of your cold oven
- Heat oven to 450°F (depending on how fast your oven is, you can start heating your oven when the dough has rested for 80 minutes)
- When the oven is ready 450°F take out Dutch Oven (carefully as it will be super-hot of course) and close the oven again
- Place dough on parchment paper (paper should be oversized so that you later can confidently grab it within the Dutch Oven without burning yourself)
- Make cut into dough with a sharp knife (an X or 2 lines parallel - make your personal mark!)
- Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of water on top of the bread (you can sprinkle, spray or brush it on. The water will help make the top of the bread crispy)
- Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of flour on top of the bread (will make it look artisan!)
- Grab sides of parchment paper and transfer and lower paper + dough in side of your very hot Dutch Oven
- Put the hot lid on Dutch Oven again
- Transfer Dutch Oven into oven
- Bake for 30 minutes with the Dutch Oven's lid on
- Remove the lid from the Dutch Oven and bake for an extra 10 minutes
- Check if your bread is golden brown, consider leaving for 2 - 5 minutes longer depending on desired crispiness/goldenness
- Cool the bread and eat!
- Wait 5 minutes while you set the table with butter, your favorite toppings, etc.
- Invite everyone!
- Enjoy! :-)