In the realm of French culinary traditions, the classic French bread, known as pain de campagne, stands as a testament to the craftsmanship and artistry that has shaped French cuisine. This rustic yet elegant loaf, often weighing around 15 pounds, embodies the essence of French bread, with its crispy crust, chewy crumb, and rich, nutty flavor. Whether served as a simple accompaniment to cheese and wine or used to create delectable sandwiches and gourmet toast, the classic French bread has earned its place as a national treasure and a beloved culinary icon.
Here are our top 7 tried and tested recipes!
CLASSIC AND CRUSTY FRENCH BREAD
Steps:
- Gather the ingredients.
- In a large bowl, combine the water, yeast, sugar, and salt. Stir until dissolved.
- Mix in the bread flour, a little at a time, until a soft dough is formed.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead it for about 8 minutes.
- Put the dough in a greased bowl and flip the dough over so that all of the dough is lightly greased, including the dough top . Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour or until double in size.
- Punch down the dough .
- Give the dough a quick 2-minute knead.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal halves. Shape each half into a long loaf.
- Place the loaves on a lightly greased baking sheet. Make about 5 diagonal slits, 3/4 inch deep, into the top of each loaf.
- Cover loaves with a clean towel or greased plastic wrap and let them rise for 45 minutes or until double in size. Heat the oven to 400 F.
- If you'd like, brush the loaves with the beaten egg white for a shiny crust, and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds. Bake at 400 F for 5 minutes.
- Remove the loaves from the oven and use a mister or spray bottle to lightly spray the tops of the loaves with cold water. Turn the oven down to 350 F and bake the loaves for another 25 minutes or until done.
- Remove the loaves from the baking sheet and let them cool on a rack.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 142 kcal, Carbohydrate 29 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Fiber 1 g, Protein 5 g, SaturatedFat 0 g, Sodium 18 mg, Sugar 1 g, Fat 1 g, ServingSize 2 loaves (20 servings), UnsaturatedFat 0 g
2LB BASIC WHITE/FRENCH BREAD FROM BREADMAN
Make and share this 2lb Basic White/French Bread from Breadman recipe from Food.com.
Provided by motown chef
Categories Breads
Time 3h35m
Yield 2 lb loaf
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Add all ingredients to Bread Pan in the order given.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 1045, Fat 16.3, SaturatedFat 2.2, Sodium 1755.2, Carbohydrate 192.7, Fiber 7.8, Sugar 0.7, Protein 27.7
FRENCH BREAD
A crisp, crunchy crust and slightly chewy center make this bread as traditional as the breads served in France.
Provided by Jenn Hall
Categories Bread Yeast Bread Recipes White Bread Recipes
Time 2h40m
Yield 30
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- 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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 94.3 calories, Carbohydrate 19.5 g, Fat 0.3 g, Fiber 0.8 g, Protein 2.9 g, Sodium 119.4 mg, Sugar 0.1 g
CHEF RICK'S CLASSIC FRENCH BREAD
Provided by Food Network
Time 1h20m
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- In an standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the flour, salt and honey. Whip until combined.
- Add the yeast and the water to a small bowl and allow it to sit for 15 minutes. Add the yeast water to the flour mixture and beat until well mixed. Put the mixing bowl in a warm place, cover and let rise until doubled in size. Punch the dough down and divide it into 6 equal parts. Form into 6 (6-inch) loaves, cover and allow them to double in size.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. arrange the loaves on a baking sheet and bake until light brown.
- Enjoy!
CLASSIC FRENCH BREAD
Steps:
- Do ahead
- Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. If using a mixer, use the paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed for 1 minute. If mixing by hand, use a large spoon and stir for 1 minute, until well blended and smooth. If the spoon gets too doughy, dip it in a bowl of warm water. The dough should form a coarse shaggy ball. Let it rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
- Switch to the dough hook and mix on medium-low speed for 2 minutes or knead by hand for about 2 minutes, adjusting with flour or water as needed. The dough should be smooth, supple, and tacky but not sticky.
- Whichever mixing method you use, knead the dough by hand on a lightly floured work surface for about 1 minute more, then transfer it to a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then immediately refrigerate overnight or for up to 4 days. If the dough feels too wet and sticky, do not add more flour; instead, stretch and fold it one or more times at 10-minute intervals, as shown on page 18, before putting it in the refrigerator. (If you plan to bake the dough in batches over different days, you can portion the dough and place it into two or more oiled bowls at this stage.)
- On baking day
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator about 2 hours before you plan to bake. Gently transfer it to a lightly floured work surface, taking care to degas it as little as possible. For baguettes and bâtards, divide the cold dough into 10-ounce (283 g) pieces; for 1 pound boules, divide the dough into 19-ounce (53 g) pieces; and for freestanding loaves, use whatever size you prefer.
- Form the dough into bâtards and/or baguettes (see pages 21 and 22) or boules (see page 20). Mist the top of the dough with spray oil, loosely cover with plastic wrap, and proof at room temperature for about 1 1/2 hours, until increased to 1 1/2 times its original size.
- About 45 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 550°F (288°C) or as high as it will go, and prepare the oven for hearth baking (see page 30).
- Remove the plastic wrap from the dough 15 minutes prior to baking; if using proofing molds, transfer the dough onto a floured peel.
- Just prior to baking, score the dough 1/2 inch deep with a serrated knife or razor. Transfer the dough to the oven, pour 1 cup of hot water into the steam pan, then lower the oven temperature to 450°F (232°C).
- Bake for 12 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 15 to 25 minutes, until the crust is a rich golden brown, the loaves sound hollow when thumped, and the internal temperature is about 200°F (93°C) in the center. For a crisper crust, turn off the oven and leave the bread in for another 5 minutes before removing.
- Cool the bread on a wire rack for at least 45 minutes before slicing or serving.
- Variation
- By simply varying the method so that the shaped loaves undergo cold fermentation, rather than the freshly mixed bulk dough, you can create a spectacular loaf with a distinctive blistered crust. After the dough is mixed and placed in a clean, oiled bowl, let it rise at room temperature for about 90 minutes, until doubled in size. Divide and shape as described above, mist with spray oil, then cover the shaped dough loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight, away from anything that might fall on it or restrict it from growing.
- The next day, remove the dough from the refrigerator 1 hour before baking. It should have grown to at least 1 1/2 times its original size. Prepare the oven for hearth baking, as described on page 30. While the oven is heating, remove the plastic wrap and let the dough sit uncovered for 10 minutes. Score the dough while it's still cold, then bake as described above.
CLASSIC FRENCH BREAD - 1.5 LB LOAF
This recipe came with an old Oster Bread Machine. Even though the bread machine is long gone, I still use this recipe in whatever bread machine I have at the time. Cook times vary depending upon your machine and crust color desired.
Provided by Kerena
Categories Yeast Breads
Time 4h20m
Yield 1 loaf, 16 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Place all ingredients into your bread pan per your manufacturers instructions. Mine says to do wet ingredients first so I follow the order they are listed above.
- Select French Bread setting.
- Select desired crust color.
- If you have the option select 1.5 lb loaf.
- Press start.
CRUSTY FRENCH LOAF
A delicate texture makes this French bread absolutely wonderful. I sometimes use this French bread recipe to make breadsticks, which I brush with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic powder. -Deanna Naivar, Temple, Texas
Provided by Taste of Home
Time 45m
Yield 1 loaf (16 pieces).
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar, oil, salt and 2 cups flour. Beat until blended. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down; return to bowl. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. , Preheat oven to 375°. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a 16x2-1/2-in. loaf with tapered ends. Sprinkle cornmeal over a greased baking sheet; place loaf on baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 25 minutes. , Beat egg white and cold water; brush over dough. With a sharp knife, make diagonal slashes 2 in. apart across top of loaf. Bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 109 calories, Fat 2g fat (0 saturated fat), Cholesterol 0 cholesterol, Sodium 225mg sodium, Carbohydrate 20g carbohydrate (2g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 3g protein.
Tips:
- Use high-quality, fresh ingredients. This will make a big difference in the final flavor of your bread.
- Make sure your water is the right temperature. The ideal temperature for water when making yeast bread is between 105°F and 115°F (40°C and 46°C).
- Knead the dough properly. Kneading helps to develop the gluten in the flour, which gives bread its structure and elasticity.
- Let the dough rise in a warm place. This will help the yeast to grow and produce carbon dioxide gas, which will cause the bread to rise.
- Bake the bread at a high temperature. This will help to create a crispy crust and a fluffy interior.
Conclusion:
Making French bread at home is a rewarding experience. With a little practice, you can create a delicious, artisan-quality loaf that will impress your family and friends. So what are you waiting for? Get started today!
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