French Bread

We love French Bread. Every time I make it my husband swoons.  It is the one recipe that I have posted in my kitchen, it is well loved with flour streaks, and water spots.  The ingredient list is simple and is easy to make.
A few notes:
French bread is really meant to be eaten the day it is baked. It is great the first day, okay the second day, and not good the third day.  But it is fabulous the 2nd or 3rd day as french toast, bread pudding of stuffing.

French Bread

Printable Recipe

2 Tablespoons yeast
2 1/2 cup warm water
7 cups flour
2 T sugar
1 T salt


Dissolve yeast in water. Add sugar, salt and 2 cups flour. Mix to combine. Add the rest of the flour and knead in stand mixer about 5 minutes.  If you have time let rise 30 minutes until double. It tastes best if you let it rise.  If not let rest 5 minutes. Divide into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into ropes as long as the cookies sheet. Place on cookies sheet with AMPLE room between loafs (2 per sheet). make several evenly spaced shallow crust diagonally on the top of each loaf; brush or mist with water.  Let raise until double (about 30 minutes on the counter or 20 minutes in a warm but turned off oven) Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, until bread is nicely brown, and gives a hollow sound when tapped.