I received a request yesterday to give you the easy French bread recipe I shared in my old blog. I've been making this bread ever since I was a little girl. If a kid can make it, anyone can!
No kneading required.
FRENCH BREAD RECIPE
In a large bowl, add 1 packet of yeast to 1 1/2 cups rather warm water
The water will be hotter than you would make a baby's bottle but not so hot that it would make you say, "ouch" to stick your hand in it. It feels hot, but not hot enough to make your hand turn red. Following me?
If you get the water too hot, you will kill the yeast. If it is too cool, the yeast will take a long time to grow - or won't grow at all.
Man. I wish I could have you in my kitchen so that I could let you feel it yourself. That's how I learned. But my description ought to work. I thought about it when I was getting the water today - meaning, how could I describe how this feels to you.
Add 1 tablespoon sugar. The sugar is required because yeast needs food to grow.
Add 1 tablespoon shortening and gently stir. Don't worry about the shortening getting mixed up. It will melt a little bit and then when you do the next part, it will get mixed up with the ingredients.
Let the mixture rest for a few minutes until the yeast starts to grow. It will be bubbly. If it doesn't get bubbly, then your yeast is either bad or you killed it with water that was too hot. Be patient and wait, though. It doesn't immediately start to bubble. The yeast has to have time to start growing.
Add 4 cups of flour and stir in well with a big spoon. Cover.
Set your time for 10 minutes. Once the 10 minutes is over, stir the mixture down with the spoon again. Do this 5 times in all. (10 minutes... stir...)
Divide the dough in half and let sit for ten minutes on the counter. (Lightly, of course, so the dough won't stick to the counter.)
Roll out and roll up like a jelly roll.
Put the loaves on a greased cookie sheet and score with a knife.
Let raise for 1 1/2 hours, covered. These loaves raised a little bit too long. I had my office door closed and didn't hear the timer go off. But the bread is wonderful, so no harm done.
Bake at 350% until light brown on the top and oh, so yummy looking. (It took me 20 minutes today.) Thump it with your finger and it it sounds hollow, it is done. Brush the top with butter.
It just occurs to me that this might make a good pizza dough recipe. I may try it out in the future. If I do, I'll report back.
