HELP!! I have tried making this recipe three times. Cover dough with clean dish towels, and let it rise again, until almost doubled in size. Another option is baking a round piece of dough in a cast iron skillet. (See below for my favorite pans.) Add a little oil to a pastry mat or a large flat surface (a cutting board works too), and form sections of dough into oblong shapes for large French bread, or into smaller shapes for buns or smaller loaves. Prepare bread pans or jelly roll pans with baking spray.

Once the bread rises twice, it’s time to form the dough into desired shapes. The rise may be different each time, and will vary depending on where you live.įorm loaves of bread (or buns). Place the bowl in a quiet corner of your kitchen and let rise until approximately doubled in size. Then place it in the bowl, and cover it with a clean dishtowel. Remove the dough from the mixer, and form it into a ball. Grease a large bowl with canola or olive oil. It should be slightly sticky, but easy to handle. Gradually add more flour until you get a nice dough consistency. Let the mixer run, and occasionally scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. See below.Īdd flour to desired consistency. Start by adding the salt and about four cups of flour to the mixer. You should see a bubbly mixture when it’s ready. Then let it sit for about 15 minutes so that the yeast activates. Take a spatula, and stir it around a couple of times. Using a large standing mixer, combine the yeast, sugar, and warm water. It will take a little bit more time and some arm strength, but it can be done.Īctivate the yeast. Note: You can definitely make this recipe by hand instead of using a mixer. And it’s even happier when I spend time cooking Mom’s recipes and thinking about all those moments we had together in her kitchen. The kitchen was Mom’s “happy place” and when I’m in my kitchen, it’s mine too. Then I’d copy them and take them home with me to try. Mom had every local church cookbook, and I loved looking at them and hearing about what she’d tried and what she liked. She would cook and bake, and we’d chat and look at recipes. Before we moved Mom and Dad out of their home in 2013 – our childhood home – I would visit and sit for hours at the bar in the kitchen with her.

It’s funny how I never thought much about that handwriting at the time, but now, I look at it and just treasure those memories I have of Mom in the kitchen. My boys could never read her cursive handwriting and would ask that I translate all their birthday cards she sent them over the years. Mom’s handwriting is so unique and I love seeing it today. I know I had one for this french bread recipe at one time, but can only find one in my handwriting. When I first started my blog, I texted my family asking for hand-written recipes from Mom. You can find more of her recipes under Norma Jean’s Kitchen. This post is in honor of my beautiful mother who passed away in April of 2019. I’m never buying grocery store bread again! It’s sooooo delicious, so chewy! And so easy to follow!” We love eating bread with soup! Try my Italian Minestrone Soup with Pesto, a One Pot Lasagna Soup, or the best Creamy Potato Soup! French Bread for Soupįeatured review from Erika ~ “I made this – and man. My mom perfected it, and its great for dipping in soup, as a sandwich, or just eating with a pat of butter!

Chewy French Bread is an easy five ingredient bread.

Scoring knife bread