French Bread

This one is for you, Kelsie!  This recipe is the quickest, best tasting french bread recipe I have made, and I've made a few!  I like that I can decide to make the bread at 4:00 in the afternoon and it's ready by dinner time.  This also makes amazing breadsticks. 

French Bread

2 1/2 cups hot water 

2 Tbsp shortening

2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp yeast

about 6 1/2 cups flour

1.  I start out with my 4 cup measuring cup.  You may also use a bowl.  Put the salt, sugar and shortening into the measuring cup.  Add 2 1/2 cups of HOT water.  (I let my tap water get as hot as it can.  Don't worry about killing the yeast with the hot water because you will cool the water before adding the yeast.)  Mix ingredients to dissolve salt and sugar.  Let sit until water cools to lukewarm.  About 105 is perfect.  Once the water is cooled a bit, add the yeast and mix a few times.  Let sit to allow yeast to proof.

2.  While the yeast is proofing, put 3 cups of flour into the bowl of a mixer with dough hook.  (You may also use a large bowl if you plan on mixing by hand.)

3.  Add the yeast mixture to the flour and mix for 2 minutes. If you are using a mixer, add remaining flour by the 1/2-cup full until the dough cleans the side of the bowl.  This is all of the flour you will need.  It may not be the full amount.  If you are doing this by hand.  Add 2 more cups of flour and mix with a wooden spoon.  Turn out dough onto counter and work in remaining flour until the dough is no longer sticky.  

4.  Knead in mixer for 6 minutes or by hand for 8-10 minutes.

5.  Grease a bowl.  Put the dough in the bowl, turning to coat all sides with the oil.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit on the counter for 30-45 minutes or until doubled.

6.  Punch down dough and turn out to a counter.  

7.  Cut dough in half.  With 1/2, roll it out to a rectangle. (I just press with my hands.)

8.  Roll up lengthwise and pinch seams.

9.  Put loaf on a lightly greased baking sheet and cover.  Preheat oven to 375 F.  As soon as the oven is preheated, make 3 diagonal slits across the top of the loaf about 1/4 inch deep.  Use a sharp knife so you can do the slit in one motion.

10.  Bake at 375 F for 30-35 minutes.

11.  Cool on a wire rack.

12.  Enjoy!

To make breadsticks...I can usually get 16-20 out of one batch of dough.  Do the same as you would the french bread but with a smaller amount of dough.  

I glaze before baking with a mixture of butter and garlic salt.  Then after they are done baking, I put a second coat of the butter/garlic salt mixture. These are melt in your mouth good!