French bread is the staple on any French meal and it is part of the French culture and heritage.
Most people will buy their French bread at one of the million boulangeries dotted around France. However I have a great French bread recipe that is simply delicious - I can even smell it right now!.
In a large mixing bowl, place 2 cups of flour, the dried yeast and the salt. Mix well using the dough hook on a mixer if you have one.
Add more of the flour using a wooden spoon until you have a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and using your hands, gradually add the rest of the flour until you have a smooth dough. Knead for around 10 minutes or use a kitchen robot if you have one.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, give it a turn so all the dough is very lightly greased, cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place. Leave for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
Place the dough on a floured surface and give the dough a good kneading to allow the air out. Divide it into 2 equal pieces and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
Roll each piece into a rectangle shape then using your hands roll it up starting from one of the long edges. You should now have a sausage shape. Seal the edges with a little water.
Heat the oven to 250C and in it place a small bowl of water. The water vapor produced during cooking will give the bread a nice golden, crunchy crust.
Place the baguettes on a floured baking tray, seam side down. Using a sharp knife, make 3 or 4 diagonal cuts (about 1/4 inch deep) across the top of each loaf. Cover with a damp cloth and leave to rise until nearly doubled in size - approximately 35 to 40 minutes.
Turn the oven down to 230C and bake the bread for 20 - 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove from baking sheet, and cool on a wire rack.
