Crusty French Bread – a delicious recipe with active dry yeast, salt, bread flour. Easy to follow and perfect for any occasion.
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1
In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1 1/2 cups warm (105 to 115F) water.
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2
Let stand until the yeast bubbles.
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3
Stir in the salt and half the flour.
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4
Let stand for 5 minutes, until bubbly.
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5
Stir in the rest of the flour a little at a time until a soft dough forms.
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6
If necessary, you may need to add more flour, a tablespoon at a time (depending on the climate: in warm, moist conditions, youll need a bit more flour; in very dry, arid places, like Minnesota in the winter, you may need to add a bit more water).
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7
Cover, and let the dough stand for 15 minutes until it begins to rise.
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8
Turn out onto a very lightly floured board and knead until the dough is smooth and feels as if all the lumps of flour are gone.
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9
Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about an hour.
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10
Divide the dough into three parts to make baguettes.
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Shape each into a long, narrow loaf.
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Place on a lightly greased, dark, rimless cookie sheet (not one that is insulated), with the smoothest side of the loaf up.
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Cover and let rise again for 45 minutes, until puffy.
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Position the oven racks on the very bottom, the center, and the upper center of the oven.
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Place a rimmed cookie sheet filled with lake or river rocks on the very bottom level.
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Preheat the oven at 465F (regular bake) for at least 20 minutes.
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Center a baking stone or 6 unglazed tiles on the center rack (place the tiles 1 to 2 inches apart for air circulation).
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When the dough has risen until puffy, slash the loaves with a sharp, serrated knife diagonally across the top in three or four places, about 1/4 inch deep.
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Reduce the oven temperature to convection bake at 450F.
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Using a spray bottle filled with plain water, spritz the loaves generously.
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Pour 3/4 to 1 cup cool water into the pan of rocks beneath (a sport water bottle works well).
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Bake on the center rack (on preheated tiles) for 15 minutes, until the loaves are browned and crusty.
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Remove the bread from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
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Bread machine: Measure all the ingredients into the container of a bread machine and program the machine for the dough setting.
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When the dough is ready, continue with step 6.
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Food Processor: Measure the yeast and dry ingredients into the container of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.
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Turn the processor on and slowly add the water through the feed tube; process until the dough is smooth and shiny and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
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Cover, and let rise until the dough is doubled.
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29
After rising (step 8), snip the loaves with scissors at a 45-degree angle, pulling each snipped piece outward on opposite sides so that the loaves resemble sheaves of wheat.
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30
Soak 1/2 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes in hot water for 10 minutes.
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Drain well and pat dry.
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Knead into the dough in step 4.
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Proceed as directed.
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34
Pit and chop 1/2 cup well-drained Kalamata olives and add to the dough in step 4.
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35
Shape the dough into a round loaf and place on a lightly greased, dark, rimless (noninsulated) cookie sheet.
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Cover and let rise for 45 minutes, until puffy.
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37
Preheat the oven as directed in step 7.
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Before baking, slash the loaf diagonally with a serrated knife or razor blade across the top in three places.
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Bake at the temperature given in step 8 for 20 to 25 minutes or until crusty and browned.
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Cool on a wire rack.
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Chop 1/2 cup walnuts and 1/2 cup dried figs.
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Knead into the dough in step 4.
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43
Shape the dough into a round loaf and place on a lightly greased, dark, rimless (noninsulated) cookie sheet.
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Cover and let rise for 45 minutes, until puffy.
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45
Preheat the oven as directed in step 7.
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Before baking, slash the loaf diagonally with a serrated knife or razor blade across the top in three places.
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47
Bake at the temperature given in step 8 for 20 to 25 minutes or until crusty and browned.
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Cool on a wire rack.
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There are a few important things involved in getting a crusty baguette or a rustic bread to turn out perfectly:
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First, the doughits a simple mixture of flour, salt, yeast, and water.
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It must be moist rather than dry and stiff.
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Ive found that I can get beautiful results whether I mix the dough by hand, with a steel blade, in the food processor, or in the bread machine.
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The trick is to create a dough that is moist enough to form big bubbles inside so that the baked loaf has an open texture.
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Moistness also contributes to a crunchy, chewy crust.
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The second important thing is to produce steam in the oven.
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I do this by preheating a pan of 1-inch rocks on the bottom shelf of the oven.
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I use a 12 1/2 x 17 1/2-inch rimmed pan filled with river rocks or landscape rocks.
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To create the steam, I squirt about a cupful of water onto the hot rocks, creating a burst of steam after I place the loaves in the oven.
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Third, hot air in the convection oven circulates the heat and steam around the baking loaves to create a crunchy crust.
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Rustic loaves require stabilized high heat.
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This can be accomplished by preheating tiles in the oven (on a rack in the center) to mimic a brick oven.
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The tiles help to maintain a high heat.
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Plain unglazed tiles from a flooring supply store work well.
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You can also place a baking stone into the oven if you have one.
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A kit called the Hearthstone kit works beautifully but is expensive.
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Because it is sometimes difficult and messy to transfer loaves directly onto preheated tiles or stones, I simply place the shaped loaves on a dark, noninsulated, rimless cookie sheet to rise and then set the cookie sheet right on the preheated tiles to bake.
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If you do not have the pan of rocks or tiles, at least be sure to use a dark, noninsulated, rimless cookie sheet for baking the bread and spray the oven and risen loaves with plain water before and during baking.
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This does not produce as nice a crust as outlined in step 4 but is a good compromise.
* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.
No additional tips available.
No specific allergen information. Please check the ingredient list for possible allergens.
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Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe makes 4 servings. You can adjust the portion size directly on this page.
You need 3 ingredients. The key ingredients include: 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast, 2 teaspoons salt, 4 cups bread flour.
Yes, Crusty French Bread falls under the General category and is a great choice for this type of meal.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3–5 days. For longer storage, freeze for up to 3 months — no need to refrigerate or reheat.