French Bread Loaf (Print-Friendly Version)
Crispy on the outside and soft inside, this French loaf is great for any time you want fresh bread.
# Ingredients List:
→ Dry Stuff
01 -
1.5 teaspoons active dry yeast
02 -
1 teaspoon salt
03 -
410 grams plain flour
04 -
1 teaspoon sugar
→ Wet Stuff
05 -
300 ml warm water (about 38 to 46 degrees Celsius)
# Detailed Cooking Steps:
01 -
Mix the yeast with warm water and sugar in a bowl. Let it chill for five minutes until it's frothy on top.
02 -
Put in half the flour and salt into the yeast mix. Hook up your dough hook on the mixer and knead at a medium-low pace. Slowly add the rest of the flour while kneading till the dough is sticky and starts to come together.
03 -
Drop the dough into a bowl dusted with flour and cover with a clean towel. Let it hang out at room temp for two hours until it doubles in size.
04 -
Put dough on a floured surface or parchment paper. Shape it into a smooth ball, sprinkle some more flour, cover it with a big bowl flipped upside down. Let it rest for 30 minutes.
05 -
Turn your oven on to 220 degrees Celsius. Put a Dutch oven with its lid inside to heat for 20 minutes. Slash the top of the dough with a sharp knife. Carefully slide the dough on parchment into the hot Dutch oven. Bake covered for half an hour then take the lid off and bake for another 10 minutes till it’s a golden color. Using a baking sheet? Bake for 35 minutes. Make sure the inside hits roughly 99 degrees Celsius.
06 -
Take the bread out, put it on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Keep it fresh in an airtight box at room temperature for 3 to 5 days.
# Helpful Hints:
01 -
Don’t worry if the dough stays sticky through it all, that’s how it should be with this much water.
02 -
The Dutch oven traps steam so the crust gets nice and crispy, like you’d get from a fancy bakery.
03 -
Check the inside temp and make sure it’s about 99 degrees Celsius to bake it just right.