French Bread

This bread is so good! It has a great flavor and texture. Serve warm with butter.... It can't get better than that! Another great recipe from my Betty Crocker Cookbook: Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today, 10th Edition

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 package or 2 1/4 tsp. regular active dry yeast
1 cup very warm water
1 tsp. salt
1 1/3 to 1 2/3 cups BREAD flour

Mix all-purpose flour and yeast in large bowl. Add warm water. Beat with electric mixer until batter is very smooth, about one minute. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let stand about one hour, or until bubbly.

Stir in salt and enough bread flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft dough forms. Place on lightly floured surface and knead 5-10 minutes. Dough will be soft, smooth and springy when done. I've used my Kitchen Aid mixer with the dough hook attachment for this and it works great.

Place dough in large bowl greased with shortening, turning dough to grease all sides. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or clean dish towel and allow to rise in warm place for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until dough is doubled. Dough is ready when indentation remains when touched.

Grease uninsulated cookie sheet with shortening. Turn dough out of bowl onto lightly floured surface, keeping it in an oval shaped mound. Sprinkle dough with flour. Press straight down with knife to divide into two parts. Gently shape into long oblong loaf (approx. 16 inches long). Stretch top of dough slightly to make it smooth. Places loaves, smooth side up on cookie sheet, about 4 inches apart.

Cover loaves loosely, but airtight, with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours. This step develops the flavor and texture of the bread.

Uncover loaves and spray with cool water (This helps develop that lovely crisp crust). Let loaves rise in warm place about 1 hour.

Place 8X8X2 pan filled with hot water on bottom rack of oven. Heat oven to 475 degrees.

Carefully cut 1/4 inch deep slashes diagonally across loaves. Spray with cool water. Place loaves in oven and spray with cool water again.

Reduce oven to 450 degrees. Bake 18-20 minutes or until loaves are deep golden with crisp crusts and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from cookie sheet and cool.

VARIATIONS: Before baking, sprinkle corn meal on bottom of greased cookie sheet and brush dough with mixture of 1 egg white and water.

You can skip the 4 hour refrigeration process, but you will miss out on flavor and texture.