French Bread

A Reviewed Recipe (Using All Meulaboh Ingredients)
Submittted by Bonnie (Right to Play)

Ingredients:

4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar (vinegar can be found in Istana Market—next to Hong Kong Seafood—in the back just below the flour)
2 teaspoons active dry yeast (from a 1/4-oz package)
1 2/3 cups warm water (105-115°F)
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

1. Mix flour, salt, and vinegar in a bowl with a spoon.
2. Stir together yeast and 1/3 cup water in a small bowl until yeast isdissolved, then let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
3. Pour yeast mixture and remaining 1 1/3 cups warm water into flour mixture, blending until dough forms a ball and pulls away from side of bowl.
4. Let dough rise until it fills bowl, about 1 hour.
5. Cover with a warm towel.
6. Punch dough down with fist to release some of the air out of the dough.
7. Generously oil bread pans.
8. Turn out dough onto a work surface and divide in half (dough will be very soft). Form you dough into a baguette or loaf shape – whatever shape you like!
9. Repeat procedure with remaining dough.
10. Let loaves rise, uncovered, in a warm draft-free place 30 minutes.
11. Bake loaves for 30 minutes at 450°F.
12. Remove bread from pans and turn upside down on upper oven rack and bake until golden and crusty all over, about 5 minutes more.
13. Cool loaves on a rack.