This recipe was rewritten in July of 2008. We believe it to be improved ... a better, softer, crustier, tastier recipe that is easier to make. Remember to read the recipe carefully before starting - take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with it. Prepare your ingredients in advance and understand the method. This will help to insure greater success in baking your French Breads.

Prefer our original French Bread recipe? Click Here!

This renewed French Bread recipe makes one 16 inch French Loaf. For two loaves simply double the ingredients. As with all Galganov recipes, no special tools are required. We assume, however, if you have special tools such as a dough hook, that you know how to adapt for it. Read the recipe through in advance of begining. Get a bit of an understanding about time you need and how to set yourself up to do it most easily.

There is no substitute for fresh French Breads. This same recipe can be divided to make wonderful French Rolls. You can double it and make two loaves or one loaf and several French Rolls or just French Rolls only. Remember to let your breads cool a bit before serving. Truly fresh bread does not cut well. It must have cooled once to be cut properly. (This means, you can reheat your bread after it has cooled. Rolls are not typically cut so served warm out of the oven is just fine but let them cool or they can burn the mouth.) The structure of a bread sets a little and it does not, once cooled, collapse under your hand.
The French Bread or Roll, when cooled, has soft, slightly chewy cells under a beautiful, (optionally salty) crusty exterior.
This French Bread recipe contains rice milk and vegetable fat. You may, alternately, use soy milk or cow milk - as you prefer. If you are of the mind, as some, that it must contain cow (or another animal) milk use a neutral tasting fat (or butter). If you use a firm fat such as butter substitute 3/4 C warm water for 3/4 C hot water to melt the fat.

A special note about flour: North American flours are of the "hard wheat" variety. This makes them more suitable to yeast risen doughs. If you are in Europe (and even more so in Asia) use "bread flour" if you can get it. What ever you use, if it is not Canadian or American you will have to use more flour and, perhaps, beat it (after the initial addition of flour) a little more to stimulate the gluten. As a guideline - add flour until the dough no longer sticks to your hands.
Warm water should be about 85ºF to 115ºF (29ºC to 46ºC).

Now go make some French Bread!

To make this French Bread recipe you will need:
* a large mixing bowl
* a measuring cup
* a wooden spoon (a whisk would be a nice extra)
* measuring spoons
* a rolling pin (or substitute with a glass soft drink or wine bottle ... or you can even form your loaf by hand if need be)
* a knife or blade (to score the dough - and divide it if necessary)
* a large, greased baking sheet
* A fork to beat the egg white (if you haven't got a whisk)
* a brush (fingers if you haven't got a brush) to spread the beaten egg

The required ingredients for this French Bread recipe are:
* 3/4 C of hot water (85ºF - 115ºF)
* 1/4 C of warm rice milk (85ºF - 115ºF)
* 1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
* 1 1/2 tsp oil (we prefer sunflower but olive [or any other you prefer] would do very nicely)
* 1 1/2 tsp salt
* 1 1/2 tsp sugar
* 1 C all purpose flour
* approximately 2 ½ to 4 C all purpose flour.
* 1 egg white (mixed with 1 tbs water) - beaten
* A small amount of fat (we like vegatable oil) to coat the dough before rising

Step 1) 8 minutes
* In your bowl, put
  - Put 3/4 C warm water.
  - Sprinkle yeast over surface - wetting each pellet.
* Let sit for 3 minutes

* add   (1 1/2 teaspoons) salt
  (1 1/2 teaspoons) sugar &
  (1 1/2 teaspoons) oil
  (1/4 cup) milk (rice, soy - as you prefer)
* Stir until fully mixed
* add 1 cup flour
* beat until smooth

Step 2) ~ 11 minutes (plus rising - 75 minutes)
* Add 1 1/2 Cups flour to the mixture.
* Mix in using the wooden spoon.
* Add flour 1/4 cup at a time using your hands once the dough becomes too stiff for the spoon. Add only enough flour so the dough no longer sticks to your hands. (The amount you use will depend upon the kind/quality of flour, elevation, humidity in the air and other factors).
* Turn dough onto a floured work surface and (LET THE DOUGH REST FOR 10 MINUTES).
* Knead until the dough is smooth and silky and is feels alive (is responsive) under the hands (7 to 10 minutes).
* rub vegetable oil (or the fat of your choice) onto the surface of the dough. Return the dough to the mixing bowl and cover with a plastic or wax paper sheet or with a pot lid. Place in a warm, draft free place to rise until double in bulk (approx. 75 minutes).

Step 3) Forming 10 minutes (plus rising - 50 minutes) * When doubled in bulk, turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. * Press bubbles out of dough (punch down dough). * Roll the doughout into a rectangle - approximately 16" x 10" (41 cm x 25 cm). * Roll up dough (tightly without squeezing) along length (so you have a 16" long loaf). Pinch seam and ends and lay on greased baking sheet - seam down. * Cover the loaf, loosely, with a sheet of waxed paper and place in a warm, draft free spot to rise (approx 50 mins.).

Step 4) Decorating 4 minutes (plus baking time - 40+/- minutes) * Place a shallow pan of water on the lower rack of the oven and * Preheat oven to 400ºF (204ºC). * Slash the loaf across the top (3 slashes looks nice). * Coat the loaves with the egg white beaten with a little water. (Optionally - then sprinkle loaves with coarse salt). * Put loaves (on baking sheet) in the middle of the oven for about 25 minutes.

* At 25 minutes remove the pan of water and lower the heat of the oven to 350ºF (176ºC), turn the loaves and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until done.

TIP: Check bread for doneness by turning it over and tapping on the bottom. A hollow sound means the bread is cooked inside.

Don't forget to turn your breads or rolls in the oven - to expose the loaves to different parts of the oven. This helps to insure even cooking since heat is never perfectly distributed throughout the chamber.

A word of "French Bread" encouragement: While the task may seem daunting it really isn't so bad to do. Leave yourself time. Look on it as a fun thing to try - if it works you celebrate. If it doesn't you read the recipe again. This is how we do it in our kitchen without a dough hook (not to speak of a bread maker) and our ordinary oven that didn't even come with a timer. This, like all our other recipes, is a technology-free recipe. Practice makes perfect. It gets better and easier each time!

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