Crusty French Bread Recipe

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2 cups warm water, 110-115 degrees

3 packages Fleischmann’s Active Dry Yeast

4 teaspoons packed brown sugar, light or dark

4–6 cups bread flour, divided

1 tablespoon salt

Cornmeal for sprinkling on baking sheet

egg wash- 1 egg with 1 teaspoon water

1 cup hot boiling water, to help steam in oven/not added to bread mixture

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In medium mixing bowl, add warm water, brown sugar and dry yeast. Stir to blend and allow to proof 5 minutes.
Stir in 2 cups of flour with bread whisk mix together with yeast mixture. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
Add salt. Add remaining flour one cup at a time, mixing in dough until stiff ball of dough forms.
Turn out dough onto floured surface, knead 8-10 minutes, adding additional flour if needed to keep dough pliable. Dough should be smooth, elastic and not sticky to touch.
Shape dough into a round ball, place in clean mixing bowl. Cover with towel or place in warming drawer/warm place to rise until double about 45-60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Allow oven to warm during the rise.
Punch down dough, Knead to smooth. Divide dough into half and shape into two long loaves. Sprinkle corn meal on 2 baking sheets. Place one loaf on each baking sheet. Let rise uncovered for 10 minutes.
With sharp knife slit tops of bread loaves 1/4″ deep. Brush loaves with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Boil 1 cup water and place in pie plate in bottom of oven. Bake loaves in oven on medium rack for 15-25 minutes. If you have enough room in oven or have a double oven bake both loaves at the same time, if not bake one loaf at a time.
Bake until loafs are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.
Let bread cool on wire racks after removing from oven.

Bread loaves can be baked, cooled wrapped and frozen for up to one month.
Bread makes great crusts for pizza, or sandwich bread for subs, garlic bread slices, or croutons for salads.
* packaged yeast has 2- 1/2 teaspoons per packet, for this recipe use 7 teaspoons not 7 1/2.
Recipe adapted from Breaking Bread with Father Dominic.

Find it online: https://lizbushong.com/crusty-french-bread-recipe/