Someone please tell me how to make and bake a French Bread?!


Question: Someone please tell me how to make and bake a French Bread!?
I am not good in baking so please be gentle with me and as clear as possible with details and measurement!. All this will be done by hand , no machine!.Www@FoodAQ@Com


Answers:
Baking is something that you will master with time, many trials, errors and total failures!.!.!.this is the best I can do for you!. The most important is the yeast, make sure its fresh, the temp of milk, and the kneading of the bread, always punch down twice and let rise!.!.!.!.!.
Sesame French Bread
1 cup warm water (105-115 degrees F!.)
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons shortening
3 cups flour, divided
Sesame seeds

Dissolve yeast in water with a pinch of sugar!. Set aside for 5 minutes!. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, sugar, and salt!. Cut in shortening to resemble coarse crumbs!. Make well in center and pour dissolved yeast into it!. Draw the dry ingredients into the liquid until all the flour is incorporated!. Add up to 1 cup flour to make a stiff dough!.

Sprinkle a board with flour, turn out dough onto it, cover and let relax for 10 minutes!. Knead well!. Place in greased bowl, cover, rise until double!. Punch down, and let rise again until double!. ( DO THIS TWO TIMES)

Turn out dough onto lightly greased surface!. Let rest 10 minutes!. Flatten with a rolling pin into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick!. Roll up dough tightly, pinching the seam after each turn, to make a long, slender loaf!. Pinch final seam firmly to roll to seal!.

Sprinkle cookie sheet with cornmeal!. Place loaf on sheet and slash 1/2-inch deep with diagonal gashes!. Brush with and egg wash (1 egg white, 1 tablespoon water, 1 teaspoon salt; beat together)!. Sprinkle with sesame seeds!. Let rise, uncovered, until doubled in bulk!.

Preheat oven to 425-degrees F!. Place large pan (metal, not glass) of boiling water in the bottom of the oven; place the bread on a rack above the water!. Bake for 10 minutes!. Brush again with the egg wash!. Reduce the heat to 375-degrees F!. and bake until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow then tapped!. Remove to a cooling rack!.

Notes: The dough can be divided in half for baguettes, or made into crusty rolls, pizza, or English muffins!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

For 2 large loaves of french bread:
(cut recipe in half to make just one)

6 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 (!.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, yeast and salt!. Stir in 2 cups warm water, and beat until well blended using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment!. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can!.
On a lightly floured surface, knead in enough flour to make a stiff dough that is smooth and elastic!. Knead for about 8 to 10 minutes total!. Shape into a ball!. Place dough in a greased bowl, and turn once!. Cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled!.
Punch dough down, and divide in half!. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface!. Cover, and let rest for 10 minutes!. Roll each half into large rectangle!. Roll up, starting from a long side!. Moisten edge with water and seal!. Taper ends!.
Grease a large baking sheet!. Sprinkle with cornmeal!. Place loaves, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet!. Lightly beat the egg white with 1 tablespoon of water, and brush on!. Cover with a damp cloth!. Let rise until nearly doubled, 35 to 40 minutes!.
With a very sharp knife, make 3 or 4 diagonal cuts about 1/4 inch deep across top of each loaf!. Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) oven for 20 minutes!. Brush again with egg white mixture!. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until bread tests done!. If necessary, cover loosely with foil to prevent over browning!. Remove from baking sheet, and cool on a wire rack!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

well it depends if your trying to impress your friends or your parents because you could go to wal mart and by some sourdough bread and put butter and garlic salt on it and put it in a oven on 250 degrees and wait till it smells good then take it out!. but you wanna butter the whole inside of the bread not the crust but the actual bread itself!. only use little dashes with garlic salt!. if your trying to make it without a pre-made bread then go to the website cooks!.com and look for recipes!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

http://frenchbread!.free!.fr/
it has 3 types!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

go to allrecipes!.com or 'google ' in bread recipes!.I have heaps of bread recipes,and I got them all off the net!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

www!.foodtv!.com

www!.google!.comWww@FoodAQ@Com

Recipe for French Bread:

1 package of active dry yeast (found in the baking section of your local grocery store, usually come in a 3-pack)
1 1/4 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees) This is warm to your touch but not Hot!. If in doubt cooler is better than too hot!. Too much heat will kill the yeast!.
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
2 3/4 cups of flour
1 tablespoon of corn meal
1 egg white
2 tablespoons of cold water

Dissolve 1 packet of yeast in the warm water in a large bowl!.
Stir in the sugar, salt and 2 cups of flour!. Beat until smooth!. A large type of wisk can work for this or even a fork!.
Turn the dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface, like your counter top!. Sprinkle plenty of flour on your countertop before dumping the dough out!. This will prevent your dough from sticking to your surface!.
Knead until smooth!. Kneading is the action that adds more flour to the dough!. It also prepares the dough for rising!. You place both your hands over the dough!. You push the dough forwards with the heals of your hands, then use your fingers to pull it back over the top part of the dough!. Continue the push and pull!. Your dough might get stretched out and longer!. Just turn in 90 degrees and continue the above steps!. (it really isn't that hard, once you are doing it, you should see what I mean!.)
You should knead your dough for about 5 minutes!.
Then take a large bowl, or wash out the one you mixed the dough in, and grease the inside of the bowl with vegetable oil!. Then place the dough back in the bowl and put it in your oven!. Your dough needs some warmth at this point!. I usually turn on my oven for just a minute or two, let the heat only get to about 110, no higher!. Again too much higher and you will kill the yeast!. To add heat I will take a small kettle and boil some water in it!. Once the water boils, you can place the kettle in the oven with the dough!. This is the rising stage, and will take about 1 to 1 1/2 hours!. You will know you are on the right track if your dough expands in size!. Once it has approx!. doubled in size you are ready for the next step!. Take the bowl out of the oven!.
Punch the dough down!. Meaning your take your fist and press it onto the dough!. The air will escape and you will see the dough shrink down in size!. Now is the time to get your cookie sheet ready!. I use one of those larger baking sheets, that has a lip to it!. (like a brownie sheet)
Grease the sheet and if you want official french bread, you sprinkle the corn meal right down the middle of the sheet!. (right where your loaf will go)
(You can eliminate the cornmeal step if you don't want to bother with it!.)
Dump your dough back out on that floured surface you had earlier!. (just a tip, but I don't clean up the flour off the surface I used for kneading!. I wait til I am done with this, then clean up) Now you need to get your dough in that classic french bread long shape!.
Use your hands to gently spread the dough into a rectangle!. (try to be gentle here, it will spread, try not to rip the dough if possible)
Approx 10" x 15" (doesn't have to be perfect)
Then roll the dough up the long way!. By doing this you will end up with a long loaf!. Transfer your loaf to your baking sheet!. You can roll it a little to get the tapered ends if you want to!.

Now you take a sharp knife and either make about 1/4" deep slashes, approx 2 " apart diagonally in your loaf, or a 1/4" deep slice down the middle, depending on how you want the loaf to look after it is baked!.
Brush the top of the loaf with cold water!. Put the loaf back in the oven (with another kettle of boiling water if that is working for you) Let it rise til it is doubled in size!.
Once doubled in size remove from the oven!.

Then pre-heat your oven to 375!. Again brush your loaf with cold water!. Mix beaten egg white with cold water!. Brush this mixture on your loaf after it has been baking for about 20 minutes!.
The total baking time is about 25 minutes!.

**** now this turns out just fine for me with skipping the corn meal and skipping the cold water and the egg white thing!.
I just wanted to give you the official recipe and some of my pointers!. While the loaf is still hot, a nice touch is to rub butter, olive oil, or even margarine over the top!. This will soften the crust!.


I really hope this all didn't sound too complicated! It really isn't once you get started!. This bread is just so yummy I usually double the recipe when I make it!.
also this is a great recipe to turn into a homemade pizza crust or even bread sticks!.
FYI for pizza crust or bread sticks, form after the first rising!.
Good luck!
I really hope you will give it a try!Www@FoodAQ@Com





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