Never Fail French Bread Recipes

FAILPROOF FRENCH BREAD (BREAD MACHINE)

Steps:

• Place ingredients in bread machine according to manufacturers directions.
• Start machine on dough setting.
• When dough cycle is complete, remove dough with floured hands and cut in half on floured surface.
• Take each half of dough and roll to make a loaf about 12 inches long in the shape of French bread.
• Place on greased baking sheet and cover with a towel.
• Let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 450°.
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown, turning pan around once halfway during baking.
• Remove baked loaves to wire racks to cool.

DIANE'S NO FAIL FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• **Please read recipe notes before beginning if you live in a humid environment!**
• Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.
• In a separate large bowl combine warm water*, sugar, salt, oil and 3 cups of the flour. Stir well.
• Add the yeast mixture to the warm water-flour mixture. Mix together with large wooden spoon or paddle attachment.
• Add the remaining 3 cups of flour, a cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• After all of the flour is added and mixed in, let sit in bowl for 10 minutes.
• When the dough has risen, stir down with a large spoon. If making in a stand mixer, turn the machine on low for a few seconds until the dough is deflated, and push dough to bottom part of bowl with a spatula.
• Repeat 5 times, every ten minutes, for a total of 60 minutes of rising and then punching (or pushing) down.
• Divide the dough in half. Roll each half of dough in a 9x12 rectangle on a floured surface.
• Roll the dough up like a jelly roll (long way). Place the dough on a greased baking pan (jelly roll pan), with the seam side down. Both loaves will fit on one pan.
• Score the bread across the top 3 or 4 times, and brush with beaten egg (if using).
• Let rise for 20-30 minutes in warm place.
• Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes in lower half of oven, until golden brown. Or you may bake at 350-375 convection for 18-20 minutes until golden.

EASY HOMEMADE FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the water sugar and yeast. If using active dry yeast, let the mixture bubble and foam before proceeding (this can take 3-5 minutes). If using instant yeast, proceed with the recipe (no need to let the yeast activate).
• Add the salt, oil and 3 cups of flour and mix. Add in 2 1/2 to 3 more cups of flour gradually. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl and form a soft ball that doesn't leave a lot of dough residue on your fingers. Knead for 2-3 minutes until the dough is smooth. If the dough starts to cling to the sides of the bowl (or the center column if using a Bosch or other mixer with a center), add 1/4 cup of flour at a time until a sturdy but soft ball of dough forms.
• Rising Method 1: Leave the dough in the mixer, cover with a lid or towel, and let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Stir it down by turning on the mixer for 10 seconds or so. Repeat the "rest and stir down" cycle five more times.
• Rising Method 2: Instead of letting the dough rest for 10 minute spurts and then stirring it down, transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with a towel or greased plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled, about an hour or so, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly greased surface and divide in half. Pat each section into a thick rectangle, 9X13-inches or thereabouts (doesn't have to be exact). Roll the dough up starting from the long edge, pressing out any air bubbles or seams with the heel of your hand, and pinch the edge to seal. Arrange seam side down on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper (I use separate baking sheets for each loaf). You can slash several gashes in the top of the bread now or wait until after it has risen (to avoid the risk of the bread deflating, especially if you don't have a very sharp razor or knife, slash now - see pictures above in the post for a visual).
• Cover with greased plastic wrap or a kitchen towel, and let the loaves rise until noticeably puffy and nearly doubled in size, about an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and make sure an oven rack is in the center position. If you haven't already, with a very sharp knife or baker's lame cut several gashes at an angle on the top of each loaf (see pictures above in the post for a visual).
• Optional: Place the baking sheet in the hot oven and immediately toss 3-4 ice cubes on the bottom of the oven (this gives a delicious, classic, French bread crispness to the crust). Close the oven door quickly.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden and baked through. Remove from the oven and slather with melted butter (optional, but delicious). Repeat with the 2nd loaf (or if you have convection setting, the loaves can bake at the same time, just rotate the baking sheets halfway through baking).

NEVER FAIL FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• Mix first 4 ingredients and allow to cool to lukewarm. Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water and add to the first mixture. Mix in flour. Work down with a spoon every 10 minutes for an hour. Then divide the dough into 2 parts and roll each part until it is 1/2 inch thick and roll up like a jelly roll. Let rise until double. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until brown.