Celebrating National French Bread Day by baking New Orleans French Bread!
We are so grateful that the French settlers brought their French bread with them to New Orleans.
If you have a Kitchen Aid mixer you are in luck. With a yeast, flour, salt, a touch of sugar and water + a little time, you can make some homemade New Orleans French Bread.
Basic steps:
- Mix and knead the dough; cover with a clean dish towel and set aside in an oiled bowl for the first rise.
- After 1 1/2 hours, the dough will double in volume.
3. Roll out the dough in an 8″ X 13″ rectangle, roll up to form the loaves, place on a silicone baking mat(sprinkled with cornmeal), cover with a clean dish towel and set aside for 1 hour to rise. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
With a baker’s blade, make diagonal slits in the loaves and brush with egg wash.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.
Celebrating National French Bread Day!
New Orleans French Bread
Throughout Louisiana, loaves of French Bread are served with all meals. Delicious with butter or to scoop up every last bite of gumbo, red beans and rice, or gravy.
Ingredients
- 2 packages active dry yeast
- 1 T. sugar
- 1 T. salt
- 2 cups warm water (about 110ºF.)
- 5 - 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 T. cornmeal
egg wash: one egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
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In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the yeast, sugar, salt, and water. Whisk with a fork until the yeast is dissolved.
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Gradually add the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. With the dough hook, knead for about 3 minutes.
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Transfer the dough to a greased bowl. Turn the dough to oil all sides. Cover with a clean dish towel; put in a warm, draft-free place for 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size.
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Invert the dough onto a lightly floured silicone baking mat. Divide the dough into two equal portions. Roll each portion into a 8" X 13" rectangle. Roll each rectangle up from the long side, seal, and shape ends.
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Sprinkle a jelly roll pan lined with a silicone baking mat with cornmeal. Place the loaves on the prepared silicone baking mat, about 3" apart. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour.
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Preheat the oven to 400ºF. This will take about 30 minutes so begin while the french loaves are rising.
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With a sharp knife make several diagonal cuts across the top of each loaf. With a pastry brush, brush the egg wash evenly over the loaves.
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Place a cup of hot water in an ovenproof container on the baking sheet with the loaves. Bake for 30 - 45 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown. A properly baked loaf should register a temperature between 195º and 205º. Remove from the oven and cool on wire rack.
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Slice and serve. Enjoy!
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If you have any leftovers, it is delicious toasted or made into French Toast.
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