10 minutes

In a large bowl combine the flour, yeast and salt. Then make a well in the center and slowly add the water. (The water must not be too hot or it will kill rather than activate the yeast. A good way to test it is similar to a baby bottle where you take a drop and put it on you wrist. It should be warm, not hot.) Using a wodden spoon begin to incorporate the water into the flour mixture until all the water is added. The dough at this point should pull against the spoon and be sticky and tacky, but not hopelessly so. At this point you may need to work the dough with your hands in the bowl adding handfuls of flour as necessary.

 15 minutes 

On a clean work surface sprinkle a copious amount of flour and then turn the dough out onto the flour. Knead the dough between 20 and 50 times adding more flour as necessary until you get a ball of dough that is slightly sticky, but not overly so. It should look like one of those balls of dough you see in the pizza parlor just before they roll it out into your anchovy only delight. Let the dough rest while you wash and then oil the mixing bowl. The bowl should be large enough to allow the dough to triple in size. After the bowl is oiled (This is to prevent the dough from sticking as it rises.) Place the dough into the bowl and cover it with either plastic wrap or a damp towel and place in a location that is about 70°. The key to this recipe are long, slow rises that can not be accomplished in a bread machine. The intial mixing can be done in a kitchenaid or cusinart machine, but the rises are the most important. So put that dough aside and do something else while your bread rises.

 2-3 Hours 

At the end of two to three hours, when the dough has at least doubled in size, turn back the plastic wrap and punch down in the center of the dough two to three times releasing the gases within. Re-cover and place it back in it's 70° nook, and go do something else.

 1-2 Hours 

After the dough has doubled again, turn it out onto a floured work surface and begin the process of shaping it into the loaves that you desire. You will probably want to knead the dough slightly first in order to get some workability in the dough. You can either cut the mass of dough in half and shape them into round boules or divide them into four pieces and shape them into four long thin loaves. I confess that I usually actually make two long big loaves with this amount of dough. Whichever shape you decide to form your dough into, place the shaped dough onto the greased pans that you are going to bake the bread on. Then cover them with a damp cloth and let them rise.

Ideally, if you are making baguettes, the optimal pan is the semicylindrical French type metal baking pan.

1 Hour 

Allow the dough to rise for one hour or so (If you like a very dense structure to your bread, you can allow it to rise longer, but you don't want it to overflow your bread pans.) More proof rather than less is desirable. Approximately 20 minutes before you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425°.

25-30 Minutes 

Prepare the oven by placing a pan of water in the very bottom of it. If you are going to place a pan of water, do it 15 minutes before you bake so that the water will turn to steam. The other way is to place an empty pan in the bottom of the oven and then just before baking fill it with water. This will create the same effect, although with the latter there is always the danger of steam burns.

Then take your dough and slash the top with either a razor blade or very sharp knife to create a criss cross pattern.

Place the dough into the oven and with a spray bottle filled with water, spray the interior of the oven creating a steam chamber. This helps the bread develop that distinctive chewy crust that french bread is famous for. Repeat at three minute intervals for the first fifteen minutes of baking. To do that, just open the oven door and spray. Do not pull the loaves out as much valuable steam and heat will be lost.

After about 18 minutes remove the pan from the bottom of the oven and discard it.

Bake the loaves until they are golden brown and sound sort of hollow when you thump them on the underside. At this point remove the loaves from the oven and let them cool standing up. It is imperative to not cut into them right away, but rather to let them rest for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Your patience will be rewarded. Bon Appetit!

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