Homemade French Bread {Easy Recipe}
Ingredients
- 400 g four
- 30 cl warm water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 g dehydrated baker's yeast or 20 g of fresh one
Instructions
- Pour the flour, water and salt into a bowl and mix by hand or with the hook of your food processor. When the dough begins to form, knead it until a ball forms, then leave it in the bowl and cover it with a clean cloth. Let it rest.
- Meanwhile, rehydrate the baker's yeast in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of warm water and let stand 10 minutes.
- Then add the yeast to the previous mixture in the bowl and start kneading by folding the dough over itself and pressing with your fist (or with the hook of your food processor). Don't hesitate to work the dough until you can feel and see that it is transforming. This will take about 10 minutes.
- Then add the yeast to the previous mixture in the bowl and start kneading by folding the dough over itself and pressing with your fist (or with the hook of your food processor). Feel free to work the dough until you can feel and see that it is turning. This will take about 10 minutes.
- Then place it in your bowl and cover it with a clean cloth. Leave it at room temperature or near a radiator (about 25°C) and free of drafts, for at least 2 hours (3 hours would be better). The dough should double in size.
- Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet and lightly flour it.
- For shaping, you can choose different shapes for your breads (ball, baguette, crown, etc.). This time, I chose an elongated shape, between a loaf and a baguette.
- Gently pick up the dough to avoid tearing it. Gently loosen it with your fist and shape the dough into the desired shape by placing it on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Lightly flour the top of the dough. Using a sharp knife, make slits in the dough.
- Place a cloth over the bread and let it sit for another 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Preheat your oven to 210°C with a pie pan filled with water at the bottom.Put your tray in the oven at half height for 30 minutes.
- Then turn your bread over and continue cooking for another 5 minutes at 180°C without water.
- Then let your bread cool on a rack outside the oven.
Notes
Feel free to double the quantities if you want to make a large loaf or 2 loaves.
You can also use other types of flour if you wish.
You can also use other types of flour if you wish.