Bread Machine Crusty French Bread
A versatile French bread recipe, achieving a crisp crust by starting in a bread machine and finishing in the oven.
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Instructions
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Add water, oil, dry milk, all-purpose flour, bread flour, sugar, salt, and yeast to the bread machine in the manufacturer's preferred order.
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Process dough using the bread machine's French bread setting, removing after the final kneading cycle. Alternatively, use the dough cycle, punch down, let rise 45-60 minutes, lightly knead, and let rise again for 45-60 minutes.
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Lightly oil or spray a large cookie sheet, then sprinkle with cornmeal.
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Transfer the soft dough to a lightly floured board, adding more flour as needed.
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Divide dough into two portions and roll each into a 12-15 inch wide rectangle.
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Roll up each rectangle from the long end, firmly pinching the seams.
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Arrange loaves on the prepared sheet, cover with a clean dishtowel, and let rise for one hour.
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While loaves rise, preheat oven to 400 F and place a pie plate with 1 inch of boiling water on the lower rack.
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After rising, place the dough pan on the middle rack and bake for 15 minutes.
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Reduce oven temperature to 350 F and bake for an additional 25 minutes until golden brown.
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Five minutes before baking is complete, mix egg white and cold water, then brush this wash onto the loaves.
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Remove loaves from oven and cool.