Bread Recipes: A Crash Course on French Bread

Among the most well known foods that we find in France is the French bread. It is the staple food in the region and the most typical that you would meet is the "une baguette", which literally means a wand or a stick. Because as you might notice with their other breads, French people prefer crusty breads and so the shape of each French bread offers the maximum crusty surface that bread may offer.

The average length of each French bread is 60 cm and weighs about 500 grams each.

However, the common problem with this kind of bread is that it stales quickly. This is due primarily to the absence of fat. And the true reason why Boulangerie or hot bread shop is named as such.

Bread forms the most essential part in any French meal. That's why at any time of the day, you will see people walking the streets, riding their bikes or mopeds with baguettes strapped at their backs or stuck under their arms.

To provide distinction for the types of baguette, we have prepared brief definitions of each kind.

Boule- This type of bread is normally sold as round and comes in varying sizes.

Ficelle- Literally means string, ficelle is the thinner variant of the baguette.

Fougasse- is rectangular in shape, which is often complemented with bacon, herbs or onion fillings.

Gros pain- This is the family or larger size variant of baguette. 

Pain de campagne- Campagne that means country is the root word of this type of bread which is distinguished with thick crust and rustic loaf.

Pain complet- A French bread that is made basically from whole wheat flour.

Pain de mie- This is the bread that is best used as sandwich bread. Mie is a French word for interior.

Pain aux noix- A bread that is filled with nuts.

Pain aux raisins: Is simply raisin bread. This light bread is a sweet treat for breakfast.

Pain de siegle: A loaf that is made from 2/3 rye flour and 1/3 wheat flour.

Pain viennois: is the softer and sweeter version of baguette.

A sample French Bread recipe:

Ingredients

1 pkg. active dry yeast

1 tsp. salt

2-3/4-3 cups bread flour

1-1/4 cups warm water, preferably 110-115 degrees

The initial step in making a French bread involves the dissolving of yeast in lukewarm water.  Let this solution stand for around five minutes until it becomes bubbly. Using your hand, incorporate half of the flour and salt. Beat this mixture for a few minutes then add gradually the remaining flour. This will make soft dough.

For about 10 minutes, knead this dough on a floured surface. Then place this bread dough inside a greased bowl. Turn to grease the other side. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 1 to 2 hours.

Punch the dough down. On a floured surface, roll the bread dough on a 12x6" rectangle. With the 12" side, start rolling the dough tightly. Upon reaching the other end, secure the rolled dough by pinching both ends. Continue stretching and rolling the dough but keep in mind that the ends are slightly thinner than the body. Place the rolled bread dough on a slightly greased cookie sheet laid with cornmeal. Cover the dough and let it rise for 45 minutes to an hour.

Afterwhich, you can slash the topside with knife for design, 3 cuts would do. For 20 minutes to half an hour, bake the dough in 425 degrees until the surface is golden brown. For a crispier crust, you can sprinkle the loaf with water while baking. Remove from the oven and let cool.

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