April 16: French Bread

From my favorite cooking blog "Jamie Cooks It Up"

1 TB shortening
1 TB salt
2 TB sugar
1 C boiling water
1 C cold water
1/3 c lukewarm water
1 TB yeast
5-6 C white all purpose flour
1 egg

Place the 1 C hot water in the microwave for 3 minutes to boil. Dissolve the yeast into the warm water. Stir it around until it is well mixed. Combine the salt, shortening, and sugar in the bottom of your Bosch mixer with a fork. The dough hook doesn't work very well for this. You need to smash up the mixture until it resembles corn meal. Pour the boiling water over the shortening mixture. Pour the cold water over the mixture. Pour the warm water and yeast into the mixer. Begin to add the flour, one cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the side of your mixer. Let the dough mix for 8 minutes. 

Separate the dough into three parts and place on a a large jelly roll pan sprayed with cooking spray. Let the dough sit for about 5 minutes. Letting it sit will make it much easier to shape. Spread the dough out on the jell roll pan.  Roll the dough up. Then bring the ends over the top of each other and turn the dough over, seam side down. Do this to all 3 balls of dough. Spray a sharp knife with cooking spray. Make 3 diagonal slits on top of the loaf.  Make an egg wash by whipping the egg in a bowl til frothy. Cover loaves with egg wash.  

Place loaves in a 170 oven for 15 minutes. Turn the heat up to 400. Bake for 15 more minutes. Turn the heat down to 350. Turn the pans around in the oven and bake 10 more minutes.