So I made this last night. And although it was DELICIOUS it was very dense. Last time I attempted bread it was dense as well. How do I resolve this? Secondly, I highly recommend trying this recipe. The flavor was fantastic and it was ready in the same amount of time it took to make my lasagna.
French Bread {Quick and Easy}
Two delicious crusty loaves in under an hour. Shh, I won’t tell if you don’t.
French Bread
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 Tbsp. yeast
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. salt
5 1/2 cups flour
1 egg white (or 2 Tbsp olive oil)
Directions
Preheat oven to 450*F.
In a large bowl, mix warm water and yeast until yeast has dissolved. Next add sugar, salt and flour. Knead ingredients together till it’s a soft uniform dough.
Now place a thin towel over the bowl with the dough in it and let it rise in a warm place for 15-30 minutes.
Seperate dough into two, and begin shaping dough into long loaves, and place on a baking sheet.
Make slits with a knife and brush with egg white or olive oil. If you are garnishing with herbs or cheese, do so now.
Cover the dough with the towel once more and let rise 5 minutes or so (the longer the better).
Remove towel, and bake for 12-15 minutes or until tops are brown and crusty.
How long did you let it rise? I made crescent rolls for Thanksgiving and although they tasted great they were a little dense. I found out later that I let them rise too much.
15 minutes the first time then formed the loaf and then 5 minutes.
Quoting not-the-momma:How long did you let it rise? I made crescent rolls for Thanksgiving and although they tasted great they were a little dense. I found out later that I let them rise too much.
I buy individual packet sizes so I assume they are fresh since they are not opened...right?? I bought them about a month ago.
Quoting OliviaW.:How fresh was your yeast? It has to be as fresh as you can get it.
Not always. What type of yeast is it? Active dry yeast, instant, self rising?
To test yeast: Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to the yeast when stirring it into the water to dissolve. If it foams and bubbles within 10 minutes, you know the yeast is alive and active.
Yeast does expire. It will last longer than the date printed on the packet if it is kept in the refrigerator. It will last even longer in the freezer (for up to a year).
Quoting Kimberly954:I buy individual packet sizes so I assume they are fresh since they are not opened...right?? I bought them about a month ago.
Quoting OliviaW.:How fresh was your yeast? It has to be as fresh as you can get it.
Looks delicious! Never tried making bread or using yeast yet.
I found the recipe.
Monsieur Montfort's French Bread
Makes 2 medium round or 4 long loaves
7 cups bread or all purpose flour (a LITTLE more is allowed if the dough is very sticky)
2 packages (3 teaspoons) dry yeast
4 teaspoons salt (yes, four)
3 cups hot tap water (105-115*F)
To make, you will need one baking sheet for hearth (round) loaves or four 18" French bread pans, greased You will also need a pastry scraper (if you cannot find one, get a large wallpaper knife from the store and use it just for breads) You will also need a water spritzer with clean water. In a large bowl, measure the flour and stir in the yeast and salt. Form a well in the bottom of the bowl and pour in the water. With a wooden spoon slowly pull the flour into the liquid until it is fully absorbed. Work it into a ball with the fingers and place on lightly floured work surface or bread board. The dough should be tacky but not hopelessly sticky. Begin turning and folding the dough with the pastry scrapper or wallpaper knife (or putty knife). Sprinkle SMALL amounts of flour on the work surface and hands if you must but do so sparingly. Continue to lift, fold and turn for 10 minutes. Throw the dough down against the work surface to break the lift, fold and turn rhythm. The dough will become elastic but will continue to stick to moist fingers unless powdered by flour. (NO, you do not want to add more flour to make it less tacky.) Wash the large bowl, grease and place the dough in it. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Find a place with constant 70* F for the bowl. (Cooler than most breads) Allow the dough to double in volume. (About 2 - 3 hours) Turn back the plastic wrap, punch down the dough, re-cover the bowl and return to its 70* place. Let it rise for the second time, about 1-2 hours. Turn the dough onto the floured work surface, punch down and knead briefly to press out the bubbles. Divide the dough (which will weigh about 3 1/4 pounds), into as many loaves as you wish to make.
One fourth the recipe will make one long, slender loaf, 18X2 inches. Half the recipe will make two husky long loaves (14X4") or two round hearth loaves. Form the divided dough into balls and let it rest for 5 minutes. For a long loaf, flatten the ball into an oval. Fold over, flatten with the side of the open hand, fold again and roll with the palms. If the dough resists, let it rest for another 3 or 4 minutes while preparing the other loaves. Continue to roll under the palms until it is shaped. The seam will disappear. (This will sound odd, but your hands will know what to do if you have gotten a feel for the dough.)The long pieces of dough can be placed directly on the baking sheet to rise although they will slump somewhat because the dough lacks stiffness. They can be placed in a long basket lined with a cloth which has been liberally sprinkled with flour. The baskets will direct the dough upwards during the rise period. Let the loaves rise the final, third time, another hour.If you are really going to get into bread baking, especially French bread, it is worthwhile to spend the money on French bread pans. Place the shaped dough back in the 70* location and rest waxed paper above, on water glasses. Leave until the loaves are fully doubled. More proof (raising) is preferable to less. This will take another hour. Approximately 20 minutes before the bread has risen fully, turn the oven on to 425*. Prepare the oven by placing the broiler pan or similar vessel on the lowest shelf. Five minutes before baking, pour 1 1/2 cups of hot water in the pan. (Steam at the start of the baking cycle is what causes the wonderful crisp crust and the holes.)
If the loaf was raised in a basket, tip it onto the hand and lower gently onto the baking sheet. (Buy the bread pans. Trust me.) With a razor blade, slash the top of the round loaves in a tic tac toe pattern. For the long loaves, cut a series of diagonal cuts.Brush or spray the loaves with water right before you place them in the hot oven.At 3 minute intervals during the first 15 minutes of baking, spray the loaves with water. By now the loaves will be fully ovenproof. (expanded) and at about 18 minutes, when the color starts to tinge the crusts, remove the pan of water from the oven. (It will probably be empty or nearly.) Bake in the oven until golden brown. Turn over one loaf and tap the bottom crust with the forefinger. A hard hollow sound means the bread is baked. If not, return it to the oven an additional 5 minutes. If the loaves appear to be browning to quickly, cover with a piece of foil or brown sack paper. (grocery bag from the olden times) Midway through the baking period, and again near the end, shift the loaves to expose them equally due to temperature variations in the oven. Remove bread from the oven. Place the loaves on a wire rack to cool. For a bright shiny crust, brush lightly with slightly salted water.
Tear, do not cut, loaves.
Ingredient of the Week, May 27: Vidalia Onions
- Kimberly954
on Feb. 14, 2012 at 1:26 PM