HOMEMADE FRENCH BREAD

The only downside to fresh, homemade bread is that it can take a bit of time. Proofing, rising, rolling, rising etc. Today’s recipe is a quick and easy one. 

It may not be quite as quick as the 30 Minute Roll recipe I have on my blog, but it is pretty close. And the results are two delicious loaves of French bread that are crusty on the outside and soft on the inside.

The dough from this recipe is mixed in your stand mixer with a dough hook or you can mix by hand.

Combine 1/4 C water, yeast and 1 tsp sugar into a bowl. Allow to stand for five minutes or until yeast is bubbly. (You can skip this step if using rapid rise yeast.

Into the bowl of the stand mixer, add flour, 1 Tbsp sugar, salt and remaining water.

Add in yeast mixture. Mix well and knead for 5 minutes or until dough is smooth.

Cover and allow to rise until double (about 15-20 minutes)

Place dough onto a lightly floured surface and divided into two pieces. 

Making bread at home is much simpler than you may think, and I think this recipe is a great place to start! With adding some misted water on the top of the bread, you can get a crusty bread with a soft inside for a classic loaf.

French bread is a classic dinner bread. Whether it's served in a basket with butter or olive oil, presented alongside a meal, or used to make garlic bread, stuffed sandwiches, or French bread pizza, a freshly baked loaf of French bread is always welcome. 

French bread has a long and narrow shape with rounded edges; the most common type of French bread is a baguette, which means "stick." By law in France, French bread cannot contain any fat such as butter or oil.

1 teaspoon sugar

7 grams of dry yeast

1 cup of warm water

2 ½ cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

Combine the yeast with the sugar in a cup. Add the warm water, mix and let stand until it doubles in volume.

2. In a large bowl or on a clean table, mix the flour with the salt; make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture.

3. Knead until a homogeneous dough is obtained.

4. Develop the gluten in the dough: transfer the dough to a clean, floured table. Knead it and tap it lightly against the table, do this until, when stretching the dough very thin, it does not break.

5. Place the dough in a lightly greased glass bowl, cover it with a clean cloth and let it rest in a warm place until it doubles in volume.

6. Portion the bolillo dough into medium-sized balls and shape each one. To do this, flatten the balls with the palm of your hand, stretch them a little to the sides and bring two opposite sides to the center, stretch the corners to make them longer.

7. Rest the bolillos on a baking sheet, cover them with a cloth and return to ferment until they increase in volume.

8. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 30 minutes or until golden brown on the outside and cooked inside.

9. Take out your bolillos and let them cool a little before enjoying them.