The simplest recipes are often the most delicious. We found the perfect crusty French loaf you can easily bake in your kitchen. It’s rustic texture and taste makes it a marvelous accompaniment to meals or as a versatile snack, terrific for sandwiches or a base for savory tapenades.
Ingredients
- 2.2-lb French Wheat Flour Type T55 (1 pack)
- 22 fluid ounces of water (a little over 2.5 cups)
- 3 teaspoons of salt
- 3 teaspoons of SAF-Instant Yeast (red label preferred but gold works too)
Directions
- Set up your mixer with the dough hook attachment. Begin adding to the bowl of your mixer, a half a cup of water, the yeast, and half the flour. Then add the remaining water and flour. Finish by adding the salt. Turn the mixer on low and allow the ingredients to combine. The mixing/kneading process will take approximately 5 minutes. Stop mixing once the ingredients form a ball of elastic dough.
- Leave the dough in the bowl of your mixer, cover and let sit in the warmest place in your home. Wait for the volume to double before moving to the next step.
- Once the bread dough doubles in volume, work out the air bubbles by pressing out the dough on a floured work surface.
- Once the dough degasses, form a ball by folding the ends of the dough towards the center several times.
- Place the bread roll on a baking sheet covered with greaseproof paper or saran wrap. Flatten it slightly with the palm of your hand. Cover with film paper and let it grow again in a warm place. Condensation should form, which indicates the dough remained moist and didn’t crust over during this resting period.
- Score 3-4 lines across the dough with the blade of a knife so air can escape and allow the bread bake up airy. Sprinkle flour on top for a rustic look.
- Preheat the oven to 410 ° and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until crusty.
Optional but helpful: When preheating the oven, place a small empty (oven-safe) pot in the oven, optimally on the rack beneath the rack for baking bread. Add water into the pot and then place the bread into the oven. Because the pot is already hot, the water will instantly evaporate. Closed the door and let the dough bake. This is a neat trick we learned from professional bakeries as their ovens often can infuse humidity inside their ovens during the baking process. This improves baking quality, especially for bread. It’s an easy tweak for home ovens that don’t have a humidifying option.
Enjoy this bread at your table and do share your pictures and tips to eating this delicious loaf. Happy baking!
Crusty T55 Flour French Bread Loaf
Ingredients
- 2.2 French Wheat Flour Type T55
- 22 Fluid Ounces of Water
- 3 Teaspoons of Salt
- 3 Teaspoons of SAF-Instant Red Yeast
Instructions
- Set up your mixer with the dough hook attachment. Begin adding to the bowl of your mixer, a half a cup of water, the yeast, and half the flour. Then add the remaining water and flour. Finish by adding the salt. Turn the mixer on low and allow the ingredients to combine. The mixing/kneading process will take approximately 5 minutes. Stop mixing once the ingredients form a ball of elastic dough.
- Leave the dough in the bowl of your mixer, cover and let sit in the warmest place in your home. Wait for the volume to double before moving to the next step.
- Once the bread dough doubles in volume, work out the air bubbles by pressing out the dough on a floured work surface.
- Once the dough degasses, form a ball by folding the ends of the dough towards the center several times.
- Place the bread roll on a baking sheet covered with greaseproof paper or saran wrap. Flatten it slightly with the palm of your hand. Cover with film paper and let it grow again in a warm place. Condensation should form, which indicates the dough remained moist and didn't crust over during this resting period.
- Score 3-4 lines across the dough with the blade of a knife so air can escape and allow the bread bake up airy. Sprinkle flour on top for a rustic look.
- Preheat the oven to 410 ° and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until crusty.
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