French Bread

Okay this is the third and final recipe from the Lion House Lite cookbook. We were invited on short notice to have dinner with an awesome family in our ward on Sunday. I wanted to bring something yummy to share but I noticed we were out of milk and butter at the time. Luckily I found this french bread recipe that didn't require either of those ingredients. Although, I should warn you, this is high maintenance bread. If you don't have a lot of time and patience, you should skip this one for now. But come back to it on another day when you have less on your plate (however, kneading dough can be quite stress relieving).

French Bread
1/2 package (1 1/2 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (110-115° F) divided
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons cornmeal (yellow or white)

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of the warm water in a small bowl. Let stand for 5 mins. Combine the flour and salt in a large mixer bowl. Add the yeast mixture and the remaining 1/2 cup water. Beat until the mixture forms a soft dough (If necessary, add a little more water or flour to achieve desired consistency). on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough about 10 min, until smooth and elastic. Form dough into a ball. Spray bowl with nonstick cooking spray and place dough in it, turning to coat all surfaces. Cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until doubled. Punch dough down; cover and let rise again until doubled (about 45 min).

Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkle with cornmeal; set aside. Punch dough down and let it rest 5 mins on floured surace. Shape the dough into a loaf about 12 inches long, and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 mins. With a sharp knife, slash dough diagonally at about 1-inch intervals.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place a large shallow pan of hot water on the oven floor. Brush loaf with water and place (on baking sheet) on center rack of oven. Bake for about 30 mins, or until loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

* Makes 1 loaf, about 15 slices.