Without knowing the history of french bread, it doesn’t seem right to make it. Because it’s not just a recipe, it’s related to the whole french revolution and a lot more.
If you’re excited enough, let’s proceed.
Historians say that the french bread came from the time of Napoleon. Yes, you heard it right. Some even say that Napoleon himself had a part in making the bread recipe. It was about the time when he was planning to invade Russia.
The reason why he came up with this bread is that it’s easy to carry. It could even be eaten as a meal during the war. The shape of french bread is also influenced by the wars. Because the soldiers wanted something that would fit in their pocket. At the same time, they wanted it to be lightweight.
Due to the taste and convenience, soldiers demanded that bakers start to master this recipe. That’s how it came to be known to the bakers of France.
Soon in France, there came the time of a food crisis. The poor were already frustrated by the ill-treatment received from the nobles. At that time, the nobles still managed to have quality bread. But the poor still suffered from hunger.
They decided to speak against the discrimination even in terms of bread. That drove the political force and the French revolution happened.
From 1793, the bread was made the same for all. And the French bread became a symbol of solidarity.
There was one single recipe there for all which was protected under the law. There are only 4 ingredients to make the original French bread. But the quantity of the ingredients is adjustable as per your wish.
So now, why don’t we have a look at its nutritional values?
- Level: Easy to Medium
- Serving Size: 16 slices of French bread
- Dough Mixing & Kneading Time: 20 minutes
- Dough Resting Time: 1 hour
- Dough Shaping Time: 20 minutes
- Top Glazing Time: 2 minutes
- Baking Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 2 minutes
Nutrition Facts
| Nutrition (1 slice of French bread) | Amount |
| Protein | 8 gram |
| Fiber | 2 gram |
| Calcium | 12 mg |
| Iron | 1 mg |
| Sugar | 1 gram |
| Fat | 3 gram |
| Sodium | 304 mg |
| Carbohydrate | 40 gram |
| Potassium | 73 mg |
| Cholesterol | 26 mg |
| Calories per slice | 210 |
Ingredients Needed (for Bread)
- 1 ¼ cup of hot water (not boiling)
- 3.5 cups bread flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
Ingredients Needed (for Top Glaze)
- 1 whole large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
How to Make French Bread?-5 Steps to Follow!
Well, to make the french bread, first you’ll have to gather all the ingredients. Now, scroll down to see the steps.
Step 1 of 5: Make The Dough
On the very first step, you’ve to make the dough. So transfer all the mentioned ingredients for the dough to a mixing bowl. Then stir and mix all of them together.
After a while, you can use your hands to mix the dough. Or you can use a dough mixer for this. In that case, you’ll need about an hour to mix the dough.
Otherwise, it should take 10 minutes if you mix it by hand.
Step 2 of 5: Knead The Dough and Rest it
So now, put the dough on a plain surface. And make sure that the surface is floured lightly. Then knead the dough for 10 minutes.
After that try to shape the dough.
Just make like 2 medium logs of 12” inches long and 1.5”-2” inches wide.
Then grease a baking sheet slightly. And place the loaves in it.
Step 3 of 5: Rest The Dough
You’ll have to preheat the oven to 175 degrees. Now turn off the oven. And put a towel over the loaves to cover it. Place your loaves in the warm oven. And let it rest for an hour.
By now the loafers would be doubled in size. Then take out the loaves from the oven.
Step 4 of 5: Add Top Glaze
This is an optional step. If you want the top of your baked bread to look golden you can do this step. For this, you’ll have to mix 1 large egg with 1 tablespoon of water. And then brush it over the loaves.
Then move to the baking part.
Step 5 of 5: Bake The Bread
Lastly, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. And now place the loaves back inside the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Finally, take the loaves out and wait for them to cool down a bit.
Then enjoy your French bread.
Quick Tips
Here are a few tips on the Failproof French bread recipe. Do scroll through them, to make the perfect bread each time.
Can I Use Wheat Flour Instead of Bread Flour?
Yes, you surely can. But bread flour is made from hard wheat, which makes it easy to mix with the yeast. And the texture is easier to achieve with bread flour.
How Can I Make The French Bread Gluten-Free?
Well, you can simply use gluten-free flour. But there might be a slight change in the texture and taste. But you may want to cut down the gluten percentage. In that case, use wheat flour.
Follow these steps and savor the taste of authentic French bread.
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