I made bread!

Again!

Can I just tell you that I love baking bread?  It feels like such an accomplishment...not because it's hard, but because a lot of people are afraid to try it.  Basically, I feel like a badass in comparison to other people.  Not a stand alone badass, but at least it's something.

Anyway... while David was watching basketball, I found a new favorite blog.  I love this girl!  She's cheap!  She bakes bread!  She's just like me... except she's got 4 kids and she home schools them.  Totally not like me.

But still.  You can read how she made this AWESOME French bread here  but I'm going to share the recipe on this post because it makes me feel special.

Btw, I totally just copied and pasted hers, so it's really not that special.  Pictures are mine, though!

Easy French Bread
makes 1 loaf

2 1/2-2 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 pkg(2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
1 cup warm water(120 degrees F)

In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine 2 cups flour with the salt, sugar, and yeast. Add water and beat for 3 minutes.  Beat in enough additional flour to make a soft but kneadable dough.

Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead for 3-5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Place the dough in a bowl, cover with tea towel, and let rise 45 minutes(an hour if your house is cold).

Punch dough down and roll into a long rectangular shape. Starting from the long end, roll up jelly-roll style.

Place seam-side down on a greased baking sheet, cover with a wet tea towel, and let rise 30-45 minutes, or until doubled(it’ll depend on the warmth of your house).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk one egg white with one tablespoon of water until slightly foamy. Using a pastry brush, gently brush beaten egg white onto loaves. Using a sharp knife, make 3-4 diagonal slashes on top of the loaf.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until nicely browned. Cool on a wire rack.

YUM!