Homemade French Bread Recipe

Homemade bread gives me a great amount of joy during these bitter cold days in the dead of winter.

I love the smell of fresh bread that fills the house and the cozy feeling in the kitchen.

I have a number of bread recipes I've tried and this one is fairly straightforward, even for a beginner bread baker!  Yeast breads often take a good amount of time to make, but fresh bread straight from the oven is well worth it!

Homemade bread of all kinds is commonly found in our kitchen this time of year!

You know the loaves are done when you see a golden brown on the outside

and they sound hollow when you tap on the crust.

Homemade French Bread

1/2 cup lukewarm water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 Tablespoon (or 1 package) dry, active yeast
2 cups lukewarm water
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 Tablespoons oil
5+ cups all purpose flour
1 egg mixed with 1 teaspoon cold water for egg wash

Directions
1. In a small bowl or drinking glass, combine 1/2 c lukewarm water with 1/2 tsp sugar as well as the dry active yeast.  Stir to combine and let rest for about 10 minutes, until bubbly.  Make sure the water isn't too hot as this will kill off the yeast.  I use water that is slightly warm to the touch.

2. Combine 2 c water, salt, remaining sugar, and oil in a large bowl or mixer.  Add the yeast mixture and about 2 cups of flour.  Stir to combine.  If using a mixer, make sure you are using a dough hook attachment as this will combine the ingredients easier.

3. Add the remaining flour a little bit at a time.  If using a mixer, the dough will come off the sides of the bowl on its own and that is your indication it is ready.  It should be somewhat stiff and sticky.

4. If hand-kneading, put dough onto flat surface generously sprinkled with flour and knead by hand.  Think: "fold, press turn": fold the dough in half, press out with your hands, and turn the dough 90 degrees.  Do this repeatedly until dough becomes soft and elastic.

5. Turn the dough into a greased bowl and cover with tea towel.  Let rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.  I like to set my oven onto a warm setting and put the bowl right on top of the stove.

6. When risen, punch the dough down and divide into 2 equal sections.  Roll dough into long loves, folding and pinching underneath to make it smooth on top.  I find if my dough doesn't stay put, I wet my fingers to pinch it and it will hold in place better.  Use sharp knife to score 3 slits in the top of each dough.  Cover with towel and let rise for 30-35 minutes.

7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Beat 1 egg with 1 teaspoon of cold water.  Brush it on top of the loaves.  If desired you can sprinkle poppy seeds, sesame seeds, herbs, etc. on top of the glaze.  Let loaves rise, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

8. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped.