The Best, Most Chewy French Bread Ever!

I'm always on a hunt for 'the best' of everything when I'm baking...especially breads. Every time I am making bread, I always use a different recipe cause I just haven't found the one.


Until now.

Last night I made it.

You know how bakery bread is just.......so perfect? So is this. You will never buy bakery bread again. This bread is pretty easy to throw together and your kitchen will smell pretty close to what I think heaven might smell like.

French Bread
Makes 2 Loaves

1/2 Cup very warm water
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 1/2 Tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. oil
2 Cups water
6 Cups AP flour
2 Tbsp. yeast

Dissolve sugar and salt in warm water, add oil, and pour into the bowl of a stand mixer.
Add 2 cups water, 3 cups of the flour, and the yeast.
With a dough hook, mix on low-medium until flour is incorporated, then add the rest of the flour 1 cup at a time until it is all mixed in.
Turn up to medium and mix for 5 minutes.
Leave dough in bowl.
Over the next hour around every 10 minutes, turn mixer back onto low-medium and mix dough for 10 seconds. You want to mix it 4-5 times.
Dump dough onto a floured surface, and cut in half. Roll each half into a rectangle-ish shape.
Roll up halves jellyroll style.
Neatly tuck ends under and place on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal.
Cut 3 diagonal slits on each loaf.
Brush loaves with the egg white of one egg mixed with a tablespoon of water. Make sure loaves are completely coated.
Loosely  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile pre-heat oven to 425.
Bake loaves for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350, and bake for 18-20 minutes more.

Enjoy!