French Bread Variation.

At the beginning of the summer, I stated that I was going to learn a "sustainable recipe" for homemade bread. As in, one that didn't take several hours or a lot of effort to make. One that I could use for PBJ's and other like meals. I thought I had hit the jackpot with my French Bread recipe, but I was discouraged by the first couple of efforts to modify it into traditional sandwich bread. First, I discovered that my load pan was just too small. Traditional pans a great for banana bread, no so much for a good hearty sandwich. With such a small loaf, it is difficult to cut the bread into thin slices. The next try (with larger pans) made me fully aware of the importance of a sharp bread knife. My bread was mangled, and the good slices I could get out were far too thick to eat as a sandwich. Moreover, half the batch (which makes a free form loaf beautifully) was too little for the big pan. The whole batch was too much.

But THIS time...well...I will let the results speak for themselves.
French Bread modified to sandwich bread:

(1) Go buy yourself some big 'ole loaf pans.

(2) You need to "half again" my French Bread. For you non math peeps - that means take each amount, and multiply by 1.5. That makes:
3.75 cups of warm water
3 Tablespoons of yeast
3 Tablespoons of sugar
1 Tablespoon of salt
8 1/4 cups of Bread Flour (you definitely want a heartier bread, so don't use all purpose unless that's all you have)

When I use bread flour, I've noticed I have to knead the bread a few times to get the flour incorporated correctly. The extra gluten in the bread flour just requires a bit more coaxing. Sprinkle a quarter cup or so of flour over the top before the first rise, it will allow you to to get it out easier.

(3) Let rise 15 minutes, as the original calls for. Cut in half with a knife, and mold into lightly greased loaf pan. Because this is such a wet dough - you don't need to worry about getting it into the pan all nice and neat. In fact, if you realize you "misjudged" what half was - go ahead and pinch the excess off of one loaf and sort of pat it into the other one. It will incorporate during the second rise. This is really a forgiving recipe (hence the sustainability).

(4) Rise 15 or so more minutes. Until you've got a nice dome going over the top.

(5) I baked at 375 for I would say around 30. You want a nice pretty golden color, like my first picture, on the top. If you like a crispier crust, bake a little longer. Keep an eye on it until you get a feel for your oven.

(6) Wait until it is cool before slicing to get the best slices. Oh, and make sure that knife is SHARP!

This makes a really spongy, soft, bread - which I love (all the spreads go into the little holes). If you like a denser bread - this might not work for you.

If you like the idea of making all of your family's bread - I would suggest buying yeast in bulk. Amazon has it for a great price, and I saw it at my local Sam's Club as well.