Jamie Schler's French Bread
Not a crunchy baguette, but a softer dough that is wonderful for sandwiches or toast. It is so quick and easy to make! You can incorporate other ingredients as you roll it up - cloves of roasted garlic, or cinnamon, brown sugar and raisins for a divine raisin-swirl bread. Based on Jamie Schler's recipe from 'Isolation Baking.'
Yield 3 loaves
Ingredients
1 tablespoon (10 grams) powdered or granulated dry yeast
1/3 cup (80 ml) warm water
1 1/2 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon (15 grams) unsalted butter, preferably softened
1 cup (250 ml) boiling water
1 cup (250 ml) cold water
5 - 6 cups 00 or all-purpose flour (regular French flour)
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water
| 1 | Spray a large baking tray with cooking oil spray or line with ovenproof parchment paper and set aside. |
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| 2 | Place the dry yeast in a small bowl and pour the 1/3 cup of warm water slowly over it. Mix gently with a fork and set aside for 5 minutes. |
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| 3 | Place the sugar, salt, and butter into a large mixing bowl. Pour over the boiling water and stir until the butter has melted. |
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| 4 | Add the cold water and stir. Add the yeast mixture and stir again to blend. |
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| 5 | Add half the flour to the bowl and stir, using a wooden spoon, until the dry is incorporated into the wet. Add enough of the remaining flour until a soft dough forms, about 2 cups. Turn out onto floured work surface and knead, adding another 1/2 to 1 cup flour as you knead. Continue kneading until the dough is soft, supple, elastic and no longer sticks to the work surface, about 6 minutes. Leave the dough to rest for 5 minutes. |
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| 6 | Preheat the oven to 175°F (80°C). (The low starting temperature gives the bread a little rising before you hit it with the heat). Divide the dough into three equal portions and let it rest for another 5 minutes. |
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| 7 | Using your fingertips, spread each portion of dough out into a rectangle. Roll each rectangle up like a Swiss roll lengthways and then tuck the two ends underneath. Place each rolled loaf on the baking sheet seam side down and gently even out the "log" or loaf. |
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| 8 | Spray a sharp knife with cooking oil spray (or rub with vegetable or olive oil) and make three deepish, diagonal slashes into the tops of each loaf. |
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| 9 | Brush with the beaten egg and bake at 175°F (80°C) for 15 minutes. |
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| 10 | After 15 minutes, increase the oven temperature to 400°F (200°C) and bake for a further 15 - 20 minutes. |
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| 11 | Turn the oven temperature down to 350°F (180°C) and bake for a further 10 - 15 minutes or until the tops are golden, the bottom of the loaves are colored, and the bread sounds hollow when knocked. |
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| 12 | Transfer the loaves to a wire rack to cool (a little) before slicing. |
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notes
Recipe works at the high altitudes of Colorado. (5,000 feet)
