Instructions

1. Measure, then combine flour and salt. Stir.
2. Add yeast and sugar with a splash of warm water to your stand mixer bowl. Mix it to combine then let the yeast activate. I do this even if I am using instant yeast and before adding the flour mixture.
3. Add flour to the stand mixer bowl, little by little, using a stand mixer with a hook attachment. Then add oil which optional. Traditional Frech Bread does not contain any oil or fat.
4. Add more warm water as needed. Add the water slowly, 1/2-1 cup at the time until you reach the thickness; NOTE: It all depends on what type of flour you have, how old it is, the air & humidity, etc. So if I say 2 cups of warm water, it might be less, so please add water slowly until you reach soft and sticky texture, but not looking like pancake batter.
5. Keep increasing speed on the stand mixer. Mix until the dough starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Drizzle a bit of oil, cover and allow it to rise. You may transfer it to a different bowl.
6. Let it rest and rise for an hour to up to 2 hours in total. I advise you to keep your down in microwave or (turned off) oven. This will help the dough to rise better.
7. You can make two or three loaves, depends on the size. If you make 2 then cut the dough in half. Dust your working surface with flour, then using a rolling pin stretch dough in a thinner rectangular shape. You do not need to press it too hard.
8. As you can see on my pictures, roll the dough, then shape it. You may tuck ends if you wish.
9. If you do not have a French Loaf baking pan, then grease your baking pan and put the dough in or line up a pan with parchment pepper or use a silicone mat.
10. Allow dough to proof in the baking pan for the next 20 to 25 minutes. Be patient because this is an important step. You may brush proofed loaves with egg white + water, egg wash or just dust with more flour like I did. It is great either way. You may even add some herbs and seeds if you like.
11. Slash the dough with a blade or a very sharp knife to allow it to expand during baking. The purpose is primarily to control the direction in which the bread will expand during “oven spring.”
12. Meantime, Preheat oven to 400F (200C). If your oven is steam oven add water into a little dish that comes with the oven. I will link the below in the notes, an article that I found informative regarding steam while baking bread. Great info so please check it out before baking.
13. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until the crust turns golden brown. Sometimes I like it more deep brown and crunchy and sometimes I like the light golden color of my bread. This depends on your preference.
14. Allow it to COOL DOWN at least for at least 20 minutes before slicing the bread. This is really important as well. I love hot bread but if you open it too soon while still piping hot the bread could possibly become dense and sticky. Just wait! I like to place my bread on the cookie rack then covering with a cotton kitchen towel.