French Bread - January 8, 2011

Let me just say that am so thankful for Oroweat, Wonder Bread, Sara Lee and all the other bread companies in America that are alive and functioning. Even though it was a fun adventure baking bread... I am fairly certain I would go insane if I had to make all the bread my family ate. I was imagining the pioneer women covered in flour making bread for their families. There had to have been just one woman whose only job was to make bread, and make bread, and make bread. I'm exhausted just thinking about that poor woman. It's not that it's a difficult task. It just requires a lot of steps and waiting. Either way I am SO PROUD of myself! And my bread loving family managed to finish a loaf at dinner tonight!
( It took so much time that I just had to do a before and after shot!)


Ingredients:
(makes two loaves)
2 packages of dry yeast
2 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp melted butter
7 cups of flour
2 tbsp cornmeal

For the crust:
1 egg white
1 tbsp cold water
(grouprecipes.com)

Directions:
Step 1: Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed mixer bowl
Step 2: Add salt, butter, and flour
Step 3: Attach bowl & dough hook to mixer, turn to Speed 2 and mix about 1 minute or until well blended
Step 4: Knead on Speed 2 about another 2 minutes longer
Step 5: Dough will be sticky. Put dough in large greased bowl, turning to coat
Step 6: Cover and let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk
Step 7: Punch dough down and divide in half
Step 8: Roll each half into 12" x 15" rectangle
Step 9: Roll dough tightly, from longest side, tapering ends, if needed/wanted
Step 10: Put loaves on greased baking sheets that have been dusted with cornmeal
Step 11: Cover and let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk
Step 12: With sharp knife, make 4 diagonal cuts on top of each loaf
Step 13: Bake at 450F for 25 minutes, then remove from oven
Step 14: Beat egg white and water together and brush each loaf with this mix
Step 15: Return to the oven and bake 5 minutes longer
Step 16: Immediately remove from baking sheets and cool on wire racks

Tips:
* This takes FOREVER!!! So make sure you plan ahead for your meal. I started the process at 2pm to have for a 5 o'clock dinner!
* Sadly the thing that frightened me the most was getting an egg white from a whole egg. I thought to myself 'why didn't I just buy egg whites?!?!?'. So I came up with a little trick (which I'm sure many others before my time have done time and time again): I cracked the whole egg into the dish, then I scooped the yolk out with the cracked egg shell!