French Bread

Warm crusty French bread rocks, but you have to work for it. The dough is soft and sticky and generally a bit of a nuisance but the extra effort is well worth it.

Ingredients:

2 ¼ lb strong flour
1 ½ oz fresh yeast
1 ¼ pt warm water
4 tsp salt

Method:

1. Dissolve the yeast in the water and stand for 20 minutes or so until it begins to froth.

2. Place everything in a food mixer fitted with a dough hook and knead to a smooth elastic dough. This could also be kneaded by hand but would take 20 more minutes and many more calories!

3. Prove in a cool place (not the fridge) until doubled in size then turn out onto a lightly floured work bench and cut into two pieces. Pull each piece of dough into a rough rectangle about as wide as you want the baguette to be then cover with lightly oiled clingfilm and rest for 15 minutes.

4. Working from the longest side (which should be right in front of you) you need to roll the dough up, a bit like a Swiss roll, but rather than just roll the dough over you need to pull and stretch it as you roll. The dough will probably be stuck to the bench by now but just loosen it as you go with a knife dipped in flour. And flour your hands too.

5. Transfer the baguettes to a lightly flowered tray, better still a proper French Bread Pan then cover with lightly oiled cling film and prove for 30 minutes.

6. Carefully make a few surface slashes with a very sharp knife, brush lightly with cold water, then bake for 20 minutes at 220°c, 425°f, gas 7 followed by 20 minutes at 180°c, 350°f, gas 4, after which time they should be crusty triumphs.

You could also roll the dough into more sticks or even baps or buns and simply adjust the cooking time:

Four baguettes will need 15 minutes at 220°c, 425°f, gas 7 followed by 15 minutes at 180°c, 350°f, gas 4.

2oz rolls will need around 6 minutes at 220°c, 425°f, gas 7 followed by 6 minutes at 180°c, 350°f, gas 4.