Leidenheimer French Bread Recipe Copycat Recipes

HOMEMADE FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• Combine sugar and 1 cup warm water in a bowl. Stir in yeast and let stand 5 minutes.
• Stir in salt and 2 cups of flour. Continue adding flour a bit at a time to form a stiff dough. Knead until about 5 minutes (or use a dough hook on a stand mixer per notes below).
• Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Let rise 1 hour or until doubled. Punch dough down and let rise 30 minutes more.
• Roll dough into a 14"x10" square and roll up jelly roll style to create a 14"x2.5" loaf. Place on a parchment lined pan seam side down. Using a sharp knife, cut 3-4 diagonal slits into the loaf (about ¼" deep).
• Cover with a damp towel and let rise 30-40 minutes or until doubled. Brush bread with egg white. Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Place in the oven and bake 20-25 minutes or until browned. Cool on a baking rack.

EASY HOMEMADE FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• Add the water, yeast and sugar to the bowl of your stand mixer (or to a large mixing bowl if you're making the bread by hand). Mix together with a fork and let sit for about 5 minutes.
• Once the yeast mixture is bubbly, add 5 1/2 cups of the flour and the salt (be sure the salt doesn't touch the yeast mixture directly - mix it in with the flour first).
• Mix on low speed (if using a stand mixer) until the dough comes together, adding the last half cup of flour as the mixer begins to knead the dough. Let the mixer knead the dough for about 3-4 minutes on low speed.
• If making by hand, knead the dough for about 6-7 minutes on a lightly floured surface.
• Let the ball of dough rest in the bowl to rise for about 1 1/2 hours, and cover the bowl with some plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel.
• After 1 1/2 hours punch the dough down and scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured surface (flour your hands as well). Let the ball of dough sit, covered, for about 5-10 minutes before shaping.
• To shape the dough, divide the dough in half (this recipe makes two loaves). Roll the first half out into a rectangle about 16 inches by 18 or 20 inches. Roll the dough up tightly into a long snake-shaped loaf, making sure you roll tightly enough that there are no large gaps of air between the pieces of dough.
• Pinch the ends together tightly to seal them and flip the loaf over, placing it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• Repeat these steps for the second loaf to shape it as well.
• Score the loaves with a sharp knife very carefully, creating 5 or 6 cuts on the top of each loaf about 1/4 inch or 1/2 inch thick.
• Cover the loaves and let them rise for another 20-25 minutes, covered with a clean kitchen towel.
• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Combine the egg and water in a small bowl and brush the mixture very gently over the top of the bread just before baking.
• Bake the loaves for about 18-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
• Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool almost completely before slicing and serving.

PO BOY BREAD

Steps:

• Mix the poolish ingredients well, cover, and let sit at room temperature for 8 to 9 hours until bubbly, doubled in volume, and sweet smelling.
• This can be used then or refrigerated for up to 3 days.
• Add poolish and all other ingredients except salt to the bowl of a mixer and knead with the dough hook until all dry ingredients are wetted.
• Cover bowl and let sit for 20 minutes.
• Add salt and knead for 8 to 10 minuts until smooth.
• Tip out onto lightly floured counter and stretch the doughn into a rectangle. Fold the dough letter-style, top downward, bottom upward, and sides inward until a packet is formed.
• Place in straight sided clear container sprayed with oil, cover and let rest at room temperature until doubled in volume (about 1 1/2 hours).
• Divide into 4 pieces. Roll into baguettes about 16 inches long.
• Place on a floured cloth with folds to support the baguettes. Cover with sprayed plastic film.
• Let rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour as oven heats to 400F with steam pan (skillets work well with water added just before baking).
• Score and bake in steam for 10 minutes. Remove pan, rotate loaves, and bake for 8 more minutes until 205F internally.
• Remove to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 20 minutes before slicing.

NEW ORLEANS FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast, salt and sugar in warm water.
• Gradually stir in flour, adding only until the mixture refuses to absorb more.
• On a floured board knead the dough for 3-4 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and brush the top lightly with butter.
• Cover with a damp cloth.
• Set the dough aside in a warm place to rise for 1 1/2 hours or until it is double in bulk.
• Butter a baking sheet and sprinkle it with cornmeal, shaking off the excess.
• Punch down the dough.
• Transfer the dough to a floured board and divide it into thirds.
• Roll each portion into an 8 x 13 inch rectangle.
• Roll each rectangle up from the long side, seal and shape ends.
• Place the loaves on the prepared baking sheet and with a sharp knife make several diagonal cuts across the tops.
• Brush lightly with melted butter.
• Let rise in a warm place about 45 minutes.
• Place the bread on the middle rack in oven.
• Place a pan of hot water on bottom of oven.
• Bake at 450 degrees for 5 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for 30 minutes.
• Note: Cooking time includes rising times.