I have been making bread for a long time...like 40 years, but I have always been frustrated with making french bread because I usually had the loaf spreading out over the pan. That is until I read a tutorial about making french bread loaves and learned that it is important to create tension when shaping the loaf...that and adding a rolled towel on each side of the loaf when it is placed on parchment paper. By following those steps I finally got a loaf shaped like french bread.
This wasn't really a french bread recipe but rather a white bread recipe. I was just practicing making a french loaf. I'd offer you some, but it disappeared pretty quickly.
The other thing I learned is how to make a poolish starter, which is just a fermented starter. In other words you just give the yeast a head start (like 1 day) before making the dough. This is a french bread made with poolish. It takes a little more planning because of the time involved for the poolish. I let this one raise a wee bit longer because I wanted to use this bread sliced horizontally for hot beef sandwiches...they were good...really good.
I really like focaccia and found a recipe that was a little different than my usual rosemary and parmesan one. It has sliced red grapes, basil and rosemary and parmesan cheese...it was really good too. Bread...it's good for the soul! Mom
Yummo!
ReplyDeleteI want some!
Have you seen...
http://www.thekneadforbread.com/
Glad you liked that one!
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