French Bread

Ingredients

• 420 grams bread flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 6 grams instant yeast
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp water (microwave for 30 seconds) (250 grams)

Directions

1. Add all the ingredients (water, salt, bread flour, yeast) in the order recommended by your bread machine manufacturer.
2. Close the lid, select the "French bread" cycle, 1.5 lb loaf size and crust of your preference (dark is preferred for French bread) and start the cycle.
3. French bread is ready once the cycle is complete.
4. Remove the container from the bread machine. Invert and shake it a little bit to remove the bread.
5. Place it on a cooling rack to cool it down.
6. Once cooled down, slice it with an electric knife or a serrated knife.

Baking in Convection Oven

1. Remove the dough from the bread machine pan just after the last knead cycle and knead it on a lightly floured surface.
2. Shape the dough into a loaf and apply a few cuts using a serrated knife and allow to rise for 60 minutes in a warm place.
3. Bake in the preheated oven at 400 °F for 30 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and allow to cool on cooling rack. Slice it wit a serrated or electric knife.

Notes

Sifting flour provides the aeration needed to make soft dough.

• Reduced the yeast a little because it fell a bit during the bake cycle