Baking the Classic French Bread Loaf You Love So Much

Summary by Krater

Martin demonstrates how to make everyday French bread using a preferment and a slow rise, resulting in crusty loaves with an open crumb.

From the video

Answers: How do you make everyday French bread at home?

• french bread recipe
• bread preferment
• dough folding technique
• shaping bâtards
• baking with steam

Ingredients

• scant 1 cup (222g) water
• generous 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1 3/4 cups plus 1 1/2 tablespoons (227g) King Arthur all-purpose flour
• generous 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
• 2 1/2 teaspoons (15g) table salt
• 4 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon (519g) King Arthur all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups plus 2 1/2 tablespoons (319g) water

What it concludes

• Using all-purpose flour instead of bread flour gives the bread a softer crumb and tenderness.
• Using time and folds as allies instead of mechanical kneading allows the dough to develop flavor and strength.
• An everyday French bread dough is highly versatile and can be shaped into batards, boules, hamburger buns, pizza, focaccia, or baguettes.
• A hearth loaf is ready to load when it has some bounce when pressed with a finger, allowing it to spring in the oven.