Easy French Bread Recipes

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast, warm water, and sugar in a small bowl.
• In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine hot water, granulated sugar, salt, and oil. Add 1 1/2 cups of flour to the mixture in the large bowl/mixer and mix well. Stir in yeast mixture.
• Add 1 - 1 1/2 cups more flour and mix until well blended. (At this point your dough will still be quite sticky). Leave in bowl and let rise for 1 hour, mixing a few strokes a couple of times during the hour.
• Divide dough into 2 (or 3 if you want smaller loaves) pieces. Roll out each piece on a floured surface into the length desired then roll up length wise like a jelly roll.
• Put on a greased cookie sheet, sealed side down, and tuck the ends under. Slash the top diagonally across the top every couple of inches with a sharp knife. Brush with egg white. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Let loaves rise 30 more minutes.
• Bake for 25 - 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Add the yeast to the water in a medium-large bowl, then sprinkle the sugar over the top of it.
• Let it sit for five minutes or so, or until the yeast mixture looks frothy on top.
• Stir in the salt, oil, and flour.
• Put a bowl of water in the microwave and heat it for a couple of minutes.
• Knead the dough until it's smooth, and comes away from the sides of the bowl easily. Add a bit more flour if it's sticky.
• Remove the water from the microwave and put in the dough. Let the dough rise in the microwave, door closed, for 15-30 minutes, until dough is almost doubled in size. (it was only about 1 1/2 times bigger for me, and was awesome!).
• Now remove the dough and divide into two equal balls. Roll into rectangles, and then roll up, jelly roll style. Place both loaves next to each other ion lightly greased cookie sheet. Cover and let rise while you heat your oven to 375 degrees. Bake both loaves for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown.
• EAT!

Steps:

• Place ingredients in bread machine as shown. Set for dough.
• Form into loaf on floured board - do NOT punch down.
• Placed on greased cookie sheet and allow to rise 1 hour.
• Bake 30-35 minutes in PREHEATED oven at 350 degrees F.

Steps:

• Using an electric mixer with a dough hook, combine the yeast, sugar and warm water and mix for 2 minutes to dissolve the yeast. Add the salt and flour. With the mixer on low, mix until the dough starts to come together. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl and crawls up to dough hook.
• Grease a mixing bowl with the oil. Place the dough in the greased bowl and turn once. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft free place until the dough doubles in size about 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and invert it onto a heavily floured surface. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Pat each portion into a large rectangle, about 3/4-inch thick. Roll up the dough, beginning with the short side and stopping after each full turn to press the edge of the roll firmly into the flat sheet of dough to seal. Press with your fingertips. Tuck and roll so that any seams disappear into the dough.
• Sprinkle a baking sheet evenly with 2 tablespoons of the cornmeal. Place the loaves on the baking sheet, about 3 inches apart. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons cornmeal. Cover the loaves with a cloth and let rise until double in size, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• With a sharp knife, make diagonal slashes, about 1-inch apart, on the top of each loaf. With a pastry brush, brush the egg wash evenly over each loaf. Place a cup of hot water in an oven-proof container on the baking sheet with the loaves.
• Bake for 45 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack. Slice to serve.

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.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add salt, sugar and 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Shape into 12-in.-long loaves., Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. , Preheat oven to 450°. Sprinkle loaves with cornmeal. With a sharp knife, make four shallow slashes across the top of each loaf. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup water. Add the sugar, salt, shortening, remaining water and 3-1/2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Do not knead. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Turn onto a floured surface. Divide in half; let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each half into a 10x8-in. rectangle. Roll up from a long side; pinch to seal. Place seam side down on 2 greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal. Sprinkle the tops with cornmeal. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. , With a very sharp knife, make 5 diagonal cuts across the top of each loaf. Bake at 400° until lightly browned, 20-30 minutes. Remove from pans to wire rack to cool.

Steps:

• Dissolve the yeast in the water, add salt and sugar.
• Add flour until it forms a soft dough(not sticky!)
• Knead the dough for 6-8 minutes, until it's smooth and elastic. ( I use the dough hook on my kitchenaid mixer for about 4 minutes, then knead by hand for 4 minutes.)
• Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Place dough inside, turning once to coat.
• Cover and let rise one hour, until doubled.
• Punch dough down, and cut in half.
• Form into 2 12'' loaves. (In the pics, I did one long loaf, and two small rounds)
• Cover with damp dishcloth. Let rise for 30 minutes in a warm place, I set mine on the stove on top of my pre-heating oven.
• Cut dough with diagonal marks, about 4 down the length of the loaf.
• Bake at 450 degrees F. for about 15 mins -- If you want really crusty loaves, I pour about 1/4 cup of water into the oven just before I close the door--my improvised steaming method :-).

Steps:

• proof yeast with sugar in water until foamy.
• combine water with 4 cups flour, mix and let sit 15 minutes.
• in a mixer with a dough hook add in flour by the cup until it reaches a smooth consistency and forms a ball that pulls away from the bowl, should be about 3 more cups (7 total).
• knead by hand or in mixer until smooth and elastic, about 5-10 in a mixer.
• rise until double, about an hour. punch down, rise another hour.
• divide into pieces and form loaves (either 3 italian shape or about 5 long french loaves).
• rise one last time, 30-45 minutes, slash tops with a sharp knife and bake at 400 for about 30 minutes until the loaves sound hollow.

Steps:

• In bread machine pan, place the first five ingredients in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select dough setting (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed)., When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide in half. Roll each portion into a 10-in. x 8-in. rectangle. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seams to seal., Sprinkle a greased baking sheet with cornmeal; place loaves seam side down on prepared pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 20 minutes., Whisk egg and water; brush over loaves. With a sharp knife, make four shallow slashes across the top of each loaf. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired. Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

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.