Super Yummy French Bread

Last time I was at the Prepared Pantry I saw this base for French Bread. Curious I decided to give it a try. It was sooo good. It had that distinct french bread taste. I've tried to make homemade French bread before. It was good, but tasted like regular homemade bread.

The instructions included were fairly easy to follow, but not quite simplified enough for me.

If you get a chance to get some of this awesome stuff and want an easier method, here is what I did:

Ingredients:

One cup Base for French Bread

2 cups warm water (about 110 degrees)

3 1/2 cups bread flour

1 seven-gram packet of yeast

Put all ingredients in your bread maker and use the dough setting. When that is done, shape into two long loaves on a cookie sheet, cover with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray and let rise until really puffy in a warm place (about an hour). Preheat your oven to 375. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown.

Store leftovers in a paper bag. (Not plastic).

Best eaten within a couple of days.

Perfect with some soup or chili.

And while we are at it..

The Prepared Pantry's Biscuit and Shortcake Guide! Chocolate Caramel Raspberry Shortcake anyone?

Easy Bread-Maker Bagettes

So, awhile ago I made these bagettes that I saw on Not So Idle Hands and they turned out really good. The directions were easy to follow, but you know me, I wanted to try to SIMPLIFY and use my bread-maker to see how they turned out. Today I had some extra time so I was trying to get as much ready for the week as possible. I was going to make these to freeze and then cut them up to eat with some spinach artichoke dip on Christmas Eve.

To me, it tasted just like the original recipe. It took 1.5 hours in the bread maker, then another hour to rise, then 20 to bake, so if you want it for dinner, start it in the early afternoon.

So, here are my directions:

Easy Bread-Maker Bagettes

1 package dry yeast
1 1/4 cup warm water
3 cups flour (I used 1/2 wheat and 1/2 white)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cornmeal
1 egg

In this order put flour, water, salt, and yeast in your bread maker. Then press the dough setting.

Then divide the dough in half. Working with one portion at a time, roll each portion on a floured surfrace into a thick, 12 inch rope, slightly tapered at each end.

Place ropes on a large baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover again and let them rise till double again (I let them sit for about an hour). Now preheat to oven to 450. Optional: beat 1 egg and brush over the surface, then cut 3 (1/4 inch deep) diagonal slits across the top of each loaf.

Bake @450 for 20 minutes or until browned on the bottom and sounds hollow when tapped. Enjoy!

The best bread-maker wheat bread

Sorry if the pictures are doing funky things. I'm not sure how to fix that.

Ok, if you are a die-hard breadmaker who grinds your own wheat and never goes to the bread store-this post is not for you.

For the rest of us, you've got to try this recipe. (If you have a breadmaker)

My mom got this from a friend. And I got a copy a few years ago because it was so delicious. And this time of year I'm all about the soups and casseroles, which this bread goes beautifully with. But, some of the ingredients aren't exactly things you can pick up from Wal-mart. So, print this out, and then gather the ingredients from wherever you can. It will be worth the effort.

And wheat bread in the breadmaker can be tricky. It's very likely that it will come out like a dry brick. Not this one though.

Breadmaker Wheat Bread

1 1/2 t yeast

1 1/2 c white flour

1 c whole wheat flour

1/3 c cracked wheat*

1 t salt

1 T dough enhancer*

4 t gluten

3 T honey

2 T oil

1 1/4 c warm water

Put in bread maker in order.

Use sweet bread setting.

*I had to research the cracked wheat. It's hard to find in stores. I was about the break out the hand-grinder from our emergency preparedness, when I saw we had a can of Morning Moo 9- Grain Cracked wheat that I opened.

*I got the dough enhancer and gluten at our local Preparedness Store.