Recipe: Classic French Bread (bread machine)

Classic French Bread
Bread machine
Source: Lissa Metz-Gomez

3 cups of French style flour
1 cup of spring water plus 1/4 cup extra
2 teaspoons yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Bread Machine: Dump the ingredients into the bowl according to your bread machine manufacturer's instructions. Set the bread machine to the dough cycle. After several minutes, check the dough. If it's too stiff, add up to 1/4 cup more water. The dough should be somewhat sticky and will firm up after the first rise. After the dough cycle is through, remove dough, knead a few times on a greased surface. Place in a greased bowl for a second rise - about 1.5 hours or until doubled in bulk. After the second rise, remove dough to a greased surface and divide into either 2 pieces for batards or 3 pieces for baguettes. Form each loaf according to your preference and place in greased batard or baguette pans. Let rise a third time until puffy, about 1 hour. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.

Right before placing loaves into the oven, mist oven with water, close door, wait a few moments, open door, place loaves into oven, mist oven again. Mist 3 minutes later and again 3 minutes later. Let continue to bake until deep golden brown or according to your preference. Roughly 20-25 minutes for baguettes and 30 minutes for batards.