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Crusty French Bread
 
recipe image
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 120 Minutes
Ready In: 130 Minutes
Servings: 6
I adore this recipe for it's simplicity and versitility! I have added everything from cinnamon sugar to garlic and cheese to this bread, and it still turns out beautifully every single time! If you have the time, this bread really benefits if allowed one single, overnight rise covered in the fridge. The yeast flavors develop perfectly, and the texture is much nicer.
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups water, lukewarm
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast
Directions:
1. Proof the yeast in the water and sugar.
2. Knead in salt and flour until dough is well-developed.
3. Let rise until double in size.
4. Knead down gently, and allow to rise again.
5. Form dough into two loaves and drop into greased bread pans. Allow to rise again.
6. Bake at 400* until the loaves pull away from the pan edges, and sound hollow when tapped.
7. *For really beautiful loaves, egg wash each toward the end of baking time with 1 well-beaten egg plus 1 TB of water.*.
By RecipeOfHealth.com