Saturday, November 21, 2009

Best French Bread


Found this recipe online.....

It is FANTASTIC!

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups Water
3 cups Bread (not all-purpose) flour
2 Tbsp Gluten flour
1 1/2 tsp Salt*
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Bread yeast

Corn meal
Cooking oil

* salt is recommended but is optional for those on low-salt diets


DIRECTIONS:

This recipe calls for 3 risings and takes about 3 hours total to complete. If two loaves is too much to use in 24 hours, you can cover the dough and refrigerate half after the first rise.

The dough holds well for up to 12 hours, though it will take about one hour to bring it and the pan back to room temperature before the second rise.

1. Put yeast in 110o (43o C) water for 8 minutes. (Tap water that is hot to the touch – but not scalding – works well). Mix well.

2. Mix gluten flour, sugar and salt, setting it aside until yeast preparation time is done.

3. Add bread flour and gluten flour/sugar/salt mixture to bowl.

4. For the bread machine, mix using the ‘Dough’ setting on bread machine. Scrape down the bowl, if portions of the flour doesn’t absorb. If your flour mixture is having trouble picking up all of the dry ingredients, add 1 Tbsp water.

5. For a stand mixer, mix on lowest until all dry material is blended. You may find yourself scraping down the bowl to get everything mixed. If your flour mixture is having trouble picking up all of the dry ingredients, add 1 Tbsp water. After blending, raise your Kitchen Aid to setting #2 and mix for an additional 7 minutes.

6. Let dough rest for five minutes.

7. Flour a cutting board with 1 Tbsp flour – and 1 Tbsp standby, as the dough will be tacky.

8. First, flour your hands to ease handling of the sticky dough. Then pull the dough out of the bowl and onto the cutting board for hand kneading – it should be folded over 75 times to stretch the glutens and cool the dough. If you tire during the process, walk away for five minutes, then return to resume the kneading.

9. Place in rising pan, cover with plastic wrap (like Saran Wrap) for first rise. Allow to double in size – 30 to 40 minutes should be enough but judge by the size of the rise.

10. Prepare your bread pan with a very light oil and powder lightly with corn meal. Spraying the pan with a cooking oil like Pam works well. Set aside on your cooling rack.

11. Remove from dough onto a re-floured cutting board and deflate. Fold it over three or four times until there is strong cohesiveness to the dough. Allow to rise a second time, until it is 2-3 times its original size. This second rise should be about 60 to 75 minutes.

12. Heat oven to 450o (232o C) at least 30 minutes before planning to bake (especially if you have a baking stone, which is recommended).

13. Remove and cut dough into two pieces upon completion of the second rise. Each should be folded lengthwise 3 times, sealed with your finger tips, and rolled out into 2” diameter loaves. Place into bread pans.

14. Give bread a final rise of one hour. Before placing into the oven, slash the top with a single-edge razor blade (a utility knife with a fresh blade is another option).

Toss 1/2 cup (125 ml) water into hot oven as the bread pan and dough goes in. The steam helps form the outer crust of the bread.

Bake bread for seven minutes – then crack oven door to let out steam and heat -- and reduce temperature to 400 o (205o C) for about another five minutes. Remove to cooling rack.

ENJOY!


http://knol.google.com/k/andrew-czernek/baking-french-bread/o4q327ykmzte/12#

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