French Bread

Sorry I have been MIA lately. Summer vacation got the best of me, but the kids are back in school and I am back in the kitchen. Today I came across this recipe for French Bread. Despite the confusing way it is written, the bread turned out fabulous! So I'm giving you the recipe the way I put it together and hopefully it is easier to follow than the original recipe.

What you'll need:

• 1 T dry active yeast
• 1 1/4 cup warm water
• 2 T sugar
• 3 3/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 egg white 

In a large bowl (I used my kitchenaid stand mixer), combine water, sugar and yeast. Add salt. Stir in flour one cup at a time until you have a nice dough that isn't too soft or too sticky. Knead for 5 minutes. Let dough rest in bowl for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 300*. In the mean time start a small pan of water boiling. Roll dough out on counter into a rectangle. Roll up jelly roll style and tuck ends under. Place on greased cookie sheet. Make slits in the top of the loaf. Brush loaf with beaten egg white. Turn off oven. Place boiling water into a shallow baking dish on the bottom rack in the oven. Place the cookie sheet on the rack above the water. Let dough rise until double. Turn oven on to 425* and bake for 10 minutes. Turn oven down to 375* and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.