I got the original here. That link has lots of helpful photos, so I suggest you go there. I do add some sugar because I just can't fathom using yeast without sugar...
3 Hour French Bread - makes 2 small loaves
2 tsp active dry yeast*
1 1/2 C. warm water
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp kosher salt
4 C. bread flour
- Proof the yeast in the warm water with the sugar in a large bowl (I do this in my Kitchen Aid). Wait 10 min. for it to foam up.
- Put 1/4 cup of bread flour on your clean counter top and reserve. Add the flour, mixed with the salt, to the yeast mixture 1 cup at a time with a paddle. Once the dough comes together in a mass, switch to the dough hook. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Dough should clear the sides but stick to the bottom. If it is too sticky, add 1 T of flour at a time. If too dry, add 1 T of water to dough to adjust. After 2 minutes, let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
- Turn the mixer on again and mix for 3 minutes. Take the dough out and place on the 1/4 cup of flour that we reserved flour We’ll use it now. As you knead the dough by hand, incorporate more flour as you need. You might not need it all. Knead by hand until the dough is very satiny, smooth, tight and formed into a nice, compact ball.
- Place this dough in a large lightly oiled bowl (I use Pam spray). Turn dough over so that all sides have a thin coating of oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set in warm place for 1 1/2 hours. Dough should almost double in size.
- About 1 hour into the rest stage, preheat your oven to 450F (convection 425F). Place your pizza stone, inverted baking sheet or covered cast iron pot into the oven to heat up.
- Cut the dough into half – you’ll shape one half at a time (keep the other piece under wraps) Pick up the dough – stretch it out until it forms a big rectangle. On your counter top dusted with flour, fold each long side in toward the middle, slightly overlapping.
- Now do a little “karate chop” lengthwise down the middle of the bread and stretch out the long ends again. Fold over in half lengthwise and pinch all sides shut. This is important – you want to make sure that all ends including the short ends are pinched tightly to create a seal. This allows the bread to rise & expand up and out evenly. If the bread looks a little lopsided, you can try to fix it by letting it rest 5 minutes and gently stretching it out again. Just don’t knead the dough again – you’ll pop all the beautiful gas that took 1.5 hours to create!
- Turn the bread over so that its seam side down. Cover the loaf with a damp kitchen towel. Repeat with the other dough halve. Leave the loaves to rest on your well-floured pizza peel or cutting board for 30 minutes. After resting, take a sharp paring knife and make 3-4 shallow, diagonal slashes on the surface of the loaf. This allows the steam in the bread to escape so that it expands evenly during the baking process.
- When you are ready to bake, remove your baking vessel. Carefully slide the gorgeous loaf into or onto your baking vessel. I like baking one loaf at a time. The most important equipment to have is an instant read thermometer to measure temperature of the bread.
If you are using a long cast-iron pot or covered baker: -> Before closing the lid on your pot/baker, put 1/4 cup of water directly in the pot. Cover immediately. Put pot in oven. -> Bake 10 minutes. Remove lid of pot. Bake another 14 minutes. Check temperature of the bread – internal should be 190-210F. Remove and let cool before cutting into it. Repeat with other loaf. (For convection ovens- bake 8 min covered, 10-12 min uncovered. Check temperature of bread) To re-crisp the crust, put in 375F oven for 5 minutes. Eat one loaf, share the other loaf with a friend!
*I have tons of active dry yeast, so I always use this and proof it with the water and sugar before adding the other ingredients. If you have the instant or rapid rise yeasts, you can follow the directions on the link.
