Crusty French Bread

4.6
(207)
169 Reviews
11 Photos

A delicate texture makes this bread absolutely wonderful. I sometimes use the dough to make breadsticks, which I brush with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic powder.

By
Allrecipes Member
Generic Allrecipes Bio image
Allrecipes Member

The Allrecipes Community includes over 15 million home cooks around the world who contribute recipes to our ever-growing library. Beyond submitting their personal recipes for publication, members of this supportive, food-driven community actively inspire one another through the photos, reviews, and videos they share.

Allrecipes' editorial guidelines
Published on August 2, 2021
11
11
11
11
Prep Time:
20 mins
Cook Time:
25 mins
Total Time:
45 mins
Servings:
16
Yield:
16 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

  • 1 cup warm water (110 degrees to 115 degrees)

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour

  • 2 tablespoons Cornmeal

  • 1 egg white

  • 1 teaspoon cold water

Directions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the sugar, oil, salt and 2 cups flour. Beat until blended. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough.

  2. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down; return to bowl. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

  3. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a loaf 16 in. long x 2-1/2 in. wide with tapered ends. Sprinkle a greased baking sheet with cornmeal; place loaf on baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 25 minutes.

  4. Beat egg white and cold water; brush over dough. With a sharp knife, make diagonal slashes 2 in. apart across top of loaf. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool.