Breads Part IV
Country-Style French Bread

The recipe for country-style French bread is adapted from Essential's Columbia Bread in Artisan Baking Across America.  I did make some changes that suite my taste.

In the recipe, I use a sourdough starter, as discussed last week.  I use white whole wheat flour.  It is milder and sweeter than ordinary whole wheat.  However, you can substitute whole wheat.  I also use some bread flour which has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour.  Again, you can use all-purpose flour instead.  Bread is resilient and adapts well to substitutions.

Dough Ingredients
3 cups bread flour
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup white whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons rye flour
3 tablespoons toasted wheat germ
1/4 cup sourdough starter
1/4 teaspoon yeast plus a pinch more - (if not 
using sourdough starter)
1 tablespoon sea salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
21/3 cups water

If using a food processor, fit food processor with metal blade.

Note:  This is a lot for a food processor to handle.  If you have any question as to whether your processor can handle the amount, divide the recipe in half and do one half at a time.  You can mix all the ingredients together into a dough first, and then knead half at a time in the processor; or do each half in the processor, mixing, then kneading.

Combine flours, wheat germ, yeast(if you are not using sour dough starter), and salt in food processor or mixer.  Blend together.  Dissolve sugar and honey in water. Then add 1/4 cup sour dough starter to the water and pour water into flours and pulse to form a dough.  Then process for 30 seconds.  If you did half at a time, knead two dough portions together by hand.  Place in a container in which it can double and cover.  Let ferment for 3 to 5 hours.

Punch down.  Place dough on floured work surface and cut in half.  Round pieces and let rest for 15 minutes.  Then shape into loaves about 10 inches long.  

Push each piece into a rectangular shape, and then fold like a business letter:  pull one side just past the center and press, then the other side.  Turn each piece over so folded side is down.  Form dough into long cylinders with slightly pointed ends by rolling back and forth with hands.  Put parchment paper on a baking stone or pizza peel or rimless cookie sheet; cut parchment paper in half and overlap slightly in center.  Place each piece of dough on paper so overlap is in center of dough at right angles to the length of dough.  (That way you can pull half each half out from under the loaf after it has baked for 15 minutes).  Cover with a dish towel and let proof (raise) for an hour and a half to two hours.

About 20 minutes before baking, put a pan on the bottom rack of the oven with 2 cups of water in it; I use an old cast iron frying pan.  Put your baking stone on a rack two rungs above.  Heat oven to 450º.  When oven is properly hot, cut parchment paper on peel so loaves are separated.  Using a sharp knife, razor blade, or French bread lame, slash each loaf 4 to 5 times diagonally .

Pull out rack with stone and slide each loaf onto stone.  Bake for 15 minutes, then pull out rack with stone, and remove parchment paper.  Also rotate loaves on stone.  Turn oven down to 350º and bake for 15 more minutes.  Turn oven off.  If loaves are not golden brown, let loaves loaves bake for 5 to 10 more minutes..  Remove to cooling rack.