Saturday, November 1, 2014

French Bread

Ingredients:

 

Servings: 5 (210 cal each)
 
Instant yeast-1.5 tsp
Bread flour-2 1/4 + 1/4  cups (1000 cal)
Warm water-1 cup
Eggs-1 white for glazing (20 cal)
Salt-1 tsp
Sugar-1 tsp (16 cal)

Method:

 

Yeast preparation


1. Heat water and make sure the temperature is close to your body temperature. It should not be too hot or too cold.
2. Add yeast, sugar to a bowl and then add water. Let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes or until the mixture becomes frothy. Sugar makes the mix more frothy. Meanwhile work on the other ingredients.

Dough preparation 


1. Mix flour and salt and transfer to food processor. Using dough blade, add water slowly and mix everything. Let the dough rest for 5-7 min. Then mix again for 2 min. (If you do not have food processor use hand to knead and follow the same process. Knead, rest and knead).
2. Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and knead into a smooth ball.
3. Transfer again to a deep oiled bowl. Make sure there is enough space for the dough when it gets doubled.
4. Coat the dough with oil properly and cover the bowl with damp cloth or a plastic wrap.
5. Let the dough rest for 1.5-2 hr (I use oven to rise because oven is always warm and cozy). The dough should atleast double its original size.
6. Transfer the dough back to floured surface. Gently roll the dough with a rolling pin into a 6'' circle and roll it up. Pull the roll and extend along its length. Punch the ends and make into a tight and close cylinder.
7. Make 1/2" cuts on the top of the dough.
8. Transfer onto an oily surfaced baking sheet and let it rise for an other 1.5-2 hr.
9. After the rise, pre-heat the oven to 410 F.
10. Brush the outer surface of the dough with egg-white.
11. Keep a bowl with water at the bottom of the oven. The steam makes the crust of the bread crispy.
12. Immediately place the dough in the oven and let it bake for 15 min.
13. Brush the dough again with egg white and bake it for 10-15 more min or until the bread becomes crispy.
14. Enjoy the bread with crispy outside and fluffy inside with butter, chilly olive oil or hot soup.



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