I’m still baking bread – and loving every loaf of it.  This is a James Beard bread that only takes a couple of hours from start-to-finish.  There is no second rise.  The loaf is formed and it goes right into a cold oven.

It’s magic.

It’s also really good.  Great texture and a really crunchy crust.  I’m still using the Daisy Organic Flour.

I’m loving it!

James Beard French-Style Bread

• 1 1/2 pk active dry yeast
• 1  tbsp  sugar
• 2 cups  warm water (100-115 deg.)
• 1 tbsp  salt
• 5-6 cups all-purpose or hard wheat flour
• 3 tbsp  Yellow cornmeal
• 1 egg white mixed with 1 tbsp cold water

Combine the yeast with sugar and warm water in a large bowl and allow to proof. Mix the salt with the flour and add to the yeast mixture, a cup at a time, until you have a stiff dough.

Remove to a lightly floured board and knead until no longer sticky, about 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary.

Place in a buttered bowl and turn to coat the surface with butter.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk..1 1/2-2 hrs.

Punch down the dough. Turn out on a floured board and shape into two long, French bread-style loaves. Place on a baking sheet that has been sprinkled with the cornmeal, but NOT buttered.

Slash the tops of the loaves diagonally in two or three places with a single edge razor blade or sharp knife, brush the loaves with the egg white wash.

Place in a COLD oven, set the temperature at 400° and bake 35 minutes, or until well browned and hollow sounding when the tops are tapped.

I cut the recipe in half and just make one loaf at a time.  This is a serious one-day bread.  It does not like being around more than that.  But it makes great bread crumbs!

But it does like getting slathered in butter and then dipped into a big bowl of beef stew!  I like it, too!

Stew is stew.  I don’t have a recipe.  I just make it.