Bread Machine Crusty French Bread
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The Spruce / Christine Ma
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving) | |
---|---|
453 | Calories |
10g | Fat |
64g | Carbs |
26g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 12 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 453 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 10g | 13% |
Saturated Fat 2g | 11% |
Cholesterol 1mg | 0% |
Sodium 3179mg | 138% |
Total Carbohydrate 64g | 23% |
Dietary Fiber 4g | 15% |
Protein 26g | |
Calcium 277mg | 21% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
This bread machine French bread is mixed and kneaded in the machine on the dough cycle then baked to crusty perfection. The key to the crust is the hot water on the lower oven rack as well as baking it at a higher temperature for the first 15 minutes.
This bread machine French bread recipe makes 2 medium-sized loaves (or 1 large loaf) of wonderful, crusty bread. Serve fresh crusty bread with soup, salad, or stew, or top slices with cheese or dunk in dip. Slice any leftover bread at a slight angle and use for crostini or bruschetta or season and oven-toast for delicious homemade croutons.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups room temperature water
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or olive oil; plus more for baking)
- 2 tablespoons dry milk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups bread flour
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons medium-grind cornmeal (for baking)
- 1 egg white
- 1 tablespoon cold water
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
The Spruce / Christine Ma
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Add the room temp water, oil, dry milk, all-purpose flour, bread flour, sugar, salt, and yeast to the bread machine in the order listed.
The Spruce / Christine Ma
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Use the French Bread setting of your machine but remove the dough after the last kneading cycle before the baking cycle begins. Or, use the dough cycle, punch down to let air escape, let rise again (45 minutes to 1 hour), knead lightly, and let rise again before forming into loaves.
The Spruce / Christine Ma
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Spray or lightly oil a large cookie sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal.
The Spruce / Christine Ma
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To form the loaves, transfer the dough (it will be soft) to a lightly floured board. Sprinkle with a little flour.
The Spruce / Christine Ma
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Cut dough into 2 portions and roll each portion into a rectangle about 12 to 15 inches wide (add more flour as needed).
The Spruce / Christine Ma
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Starting at long end, roll up, pinching the seams well. Repeat with next roll.
The Spruce / Christine Ma
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Place the loaves on a prepared cookie sheet; cover with a clean dishtowel, and let rise another hour.
The Spruce / Christine Ma
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While the loaves are rising, preheat the oven to 400 F. Place a pie plate on the lower rack of the oven and add about 1 inch of boiling water to the pie plate. Bake the bread for 15 minutes.
The Spruce / Christine Ma
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Lower the heat to 350 F and bake for another 25 minutes until golden brown.
The Spruce / Christine Ma
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About 5 minutes before loaves are done, mix the egg white with the cold water in a small bowl and brush the loaves with the egg wash.
The Spruce / Christine Ma
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Once baked, remove from the oven and let cool. Serve and enjoy!
The Spruce / Christine Ma
Glass Bakeware Warning
Do not use glass bakeware when broiling or when a recipe calls to add liquid to a hot pan, as glass may explode. Even if it states oven-safe or heat resistant, tempered glass products can, and do, break occasionally.
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