On Tue, 13 Jul 2004 04:08:21 GMT, Wayne wrote:

> Here is Jeff's recipe, verbatim, which is a bit long.
>
> The only modification I've made since having more experience with bread
> baking, is reducing the yeast to 1 package and allowing for a longer
> slower rise. It improves the flavor immensely. That said, I would
> recommend trying it the first time with both packages of yeast.
>
> Classic French bread, something that we rarely see in our country, is not
> to be confused with the soft-center, thin-crusted lightweight "French
> bread" that we buy at the supermarket. Bread that is loved by the
> Parisians Is much heavier and made with a very hard wheat flour. So, in
> order to get that kind of bread, you must weigh your ingredients, and you
> need to seek out hard wheat flour. The best that I know of comes from
> Montana. Even the French love hard Montana wheat flour. It produces a
> crust that you will not believe. If you cannot find a hard wheat flour,
> use a good unbleached white. If you can find a hard wheat flour, blend it
> half and half with the unbleached white.
>
> 2 packages dry yeast
> 2½ cups tepid water
> 2 pounds and 3 ounces hard wheat
> flour mixed with unbleached
> white flour, or just unbleached
> white flour-mix them half and half
> 1 teaspoon salt dissolved in 1 teaspoon
> water
> Cornmeal (optional)
>
> Dissolve the yeast in the water. (Tepid: not hot, not cool, but barely
> warm.) Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir to dissolve.
> Using a small paper sack on your scale, weigh out a total of 2 pounds and
> 3 ounces of flour. (If you can't get hard wheat flour, use a good
> unbleached white.)
> Make a sponge of the water and yeast, together with 4 cups of the
> weighed-out flour. Whip for 10 minutes with an electric mixer. It will
> pull away from the side of the mixing bowl.
> Add the salted water. Add the remaining flour and knead for 5 minutes in
> a good machine, or 15 minutes by hand.
> Place on Formica counter, or on a piece of plastic wrap, and cover with a
> large metal bowl. Let rise for 2 hours. Punch down, and let rise for
> another 1½ hours.
> Punch down again, and mold into 3 or 4 loaves. Let the loaves rise. I use
> an extra oven with a pan of hot water in the bottom. This allows for
> steam heat, perfect for raising dough. Place the loaves on a greased
> baking sheet before letting them rise; you may wish to place cornmeal on
> the greased baking sheet.
> Preheat the oven to 450°. When the loaves have risen to double in
> original bulk, place them in the upper one-third of the oven. IMPORTANT:
> Place a pan of hot water on the bottom shelf. This will assure you of a
> great crust.
> Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, or until the bread is nicely
> browned and the loaves sound hollow when you thump their bottoms with
> your finger.
> If you wish an old-world look to your bread, simply dust the loaves with
> flour before the final rising. You can use an egg and water glaze, but I
> am convinced that you will get a much better crust if you simply use
> flour.
> This bread is so rich that you need not put butter on it. The French
> rarely eat butter on bread. And if you wish to eliminate both salt and
> butter, simply cut down on the amount of the salt in the recipe. It is
> tasty without.
>
> MAKES 3 OR 4 LOAVES.

Thanks Wayne, it looks interesting a bit different from the Beard version.
I will give it a try and let you know, I do agree that two packages of
yeast is bit much. For the same amount Beard uses One and a half and I
sometimes just use one.

--
JakeInHartsel

Food, The Art Form that You Can Eat