FRENCH BREAD

In fairness, a baguette is usually thinner than the way we make this French bread, but it still does the trick. Bread is one of those necessary items for a decent meal and often a perplexing mess or a total time suck to make. In this recipe, you get delicious bread without all the fuss and muss.  Plus, it is the perfect compliment to the Minestrone Soup or just slathered with butter while piping hot. 
Ingredients
  • 2 TBSP dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 2 cups warm water
  • 3 TBSP sugar
  • 1 TBSP sea salt
  • 5 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 cups of flour
  • 1 egg (if brushing the bread)
Directions
  1. Get a couple of bowls out.
  2. Put in the yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water.
  3. In the second bowl, combine warm water, sugar, salt, oil, and 3 cups of the flour.  Stir it well.
  4. Add the yeast / water mixture to the other mixture and mix it together with a  paddle attachment of if you have big forearms, a wooden spoon. 
  5. Add the last 3 cups of the flour, one cup at a time, mixing it well after each addition. Beware on how much flour you add, too much and it will be stiff.
  6. Once it's all mixed in, let it sit for 10 minutes and let it rise.
  7. When it has risen, punch it down or mix it on low if using the sacred Bosch or Kitchenaid so that the dough is deflated. 
  8. Repeat this every 10 minutes (5 more times) for a total of 60 minutes. If you have kids, let them punch it down.  It's kind of fun, just make sure their hands are clean. When they punch it, they have to make a "poof" sound, or else it doesn't work as well.
  9. Once done, divide the dough in half.  Roll each into a 9 x 12 rectangle on a floured surface.
  10. Roll it like a jelly roll (long way) and placed in on a greased baking pan with the seam side down. Instead of greasing it, you can also just use a silicon baking sheet.
  11. Score the bread across the top there or four times and then brush with the beaten egg if doing that.
  12. Let it rise in a warm place for 20-30 minutes.
  13. Once ready, bake it at 375 for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.  The time it will take depends on where you live.