The time: 10am: Dear Cravings, I would really appreciate if you would give me a little more notice when you creep up on me, especially if it involves baking fresh bread. Don’t know you that my favorite recipe, No Knead Bread 
takes 18 hours notice? Its 10am and suddenly you appear and ask for demand Killer Cajun Shrimp with Fresh French Bread 
for lunch?! Thats just rude, crude and socially unacceptable!
Later that afternoon Ok, I forgive you. I’m sorry for yelling. It was not very nice of me. The bread wasn’t all that difficult to make in 3 hours. I had to adapt different recipes and different techniques to fulfill your request, but I’m totally satisfied now! You were right, Killer Cajun Shrimp with Fresh French Bread was EXACTLY what I needed.
Secrets to a Perfect Loaf of French Bread in 3 Hours
Usually, my stand-by recipe is the No Knead Bread (because its so damn easy) but it does require you to mix the dough at least 12 hours prior. When I only have a three hours, this is my recipe which is based on trial-and-error from baking over 40 loaves in the past 8 months. The techniques are a combination of things I learned from Pamela Anderson (no not arm candy, the chef Pam Anderson!), the original No Knead Recipe published in the NY Times and Rose Levy Beranbaum (author of the Bread Bible)
Secret #1: Knead dough with dough hook for 2 minutes. Let it rest for 7 and then knead again for another 3 minutes. If you are doing this by hand, then your formula is 6 min-7 min-7 min. Letting the dough rest at this stage allows the gluten to relax, redistribute, and get all cozy. It results ultimately a smoother, well-mixed dough. After the brief rest, you’ll feel a difference in the dough. Its more supple and soft.
Secret #2: Pinch! When you form the dough into a loaf (see photo below) pinch all ends tightly to create a seal. Basically, you are creating surface tension so that the gas from the yeast (or as Alton Brown describes “When the yeast burps”) the dough expands up and out evenly. If I don’t create this surface tension, the dough in the oven will just go “blah” like Al Bundy on the couch. Something called gravity makes the dough expand down and flat.
Secret #3: Use a pizza stone, cast iron dutch oven or my favorite Pampered Chef Covered Baker. Just make sure that your loaf will fit into the vessel. Stone or cast iron retains heat and radiates the heat of the oven evenly. If you don’t have one, don’t worry, just use a good quality, thick baking sheet inverted.
Secret #4: Steam = thin, crunchy, beautiful crust. In the No Knead recipe, there is a high proportion of water to flour. Because the NK dough rests for multiple hours, lots of water in the recipe works. In this 3 hour french bread recipe, you can’t do that. To make steam (a.k.a. crust) – you have to do one of 2 things, depending on the baking vessel.
-> Pizza stone or baking sheet: Once you put the bread in the oven, throw 1/2 cup of water on the oven floor (electric oven) and immediately close the door. No, it won’t harm the oven. It’s a technique that professional bakers recommend for home ovens (professional ovens have a built in steamers). Once the water hits the hot oven floor, it creates steam, which creates the crust.
-> Covered baker or dutch oven: You’ll need less water – about 1/4 cup. Once you put the loaf into the very hot pot, throw in the water and over the lid immediately. Put the pot directly in the oven. Because you’ve pre-heated the oven AND the pot for 1 hour, the trapped water in the pot will create steam. If you are shy about throwing water in, grab a pie pan or loaf pan, preheat it along with whatever you are baking on, and throw the water in that instead of the oven floor. Basically, cold water in hot pan + hot oven = steam. I have an electric oven (heating element is on the top of oven). Some bakers throw ice cubes in, but I prefer water.
Secret #5: Timing and temperature:
- Have an instant read thermometer. The internal temperature of the bread should be 190-210F.
- All ovens are different and I’m sure our loaves will be different shapes.
- The timing in the recipe below is just a guide for you – this is what works in my oven and how I shape my loaves.
- Please make sure that you check the internal temp of your bread to gauge doneness.
French Bread Recipe
makes 2 loaves
4 cups bread flour
2 tsp active quick rising dry yeast
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
1. Put 1/4 cup of bread flour on your clean counter top and reserve. Place remaining 3 3/4 cups bread flour in your mixer bowl. Spoon the yeast on one side of the bowl, and the salt on the other side. Pour in the warm water and with your regular mixer paddle, mix on low speed until the dough comes together in a mass. Switch to the dough hook. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Dough should clear the sides but stick to the bottom. If it is too sticky, add 1 T of flour at a time. If too dry, add 1 T of water to dough to adjust. After 2 minutes, let the dough rest for 5 minutes.
The dough should look like this during the rest:
2. Turn the mixer on again and mix for 3 minutes. Take the dough out and place on the counter. Remember that 1/4 cup of flour that we reserved? We’ll use it now. As you knead the dough by hand, incorporate more flour as you need. You might not need it all. Knead by hand until the dough is very satiny, smooth, tight and formed into a nice, compact ball:
Place this dough in a large lightly oiled bowl (I use Pam spray). Turn dough over so that all sides have a thin coating of oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set in warm place for 1 1/2 hours. Dough should almost double in size. Punch dough down and form back into a ball. Poke your finger on the surface – the dough should give into the pressure and slowly creep back up.
3. About 1 hour into the rest stage, preheat your oven to 450F (convection 425F). Place your pizza stone, inverted baking sheet or covered cast iron pot into the oven to heat up.
4. Ok, here’s the fun part. Cut the dough into half – you’ll shape one half at a time (keep the other piece under wraps) Pick up the dough – stretch it out until it forms a big rectangle. On your countertop dusted with flour, fold over the ends like this:
Now do a little “karate chop” lengthwise down the middle of the bread and stretch out the long ends again. Fold over in half. The karate chop helps get the middle tucked inside. Pinch all sides shut. This is important – you want to make sure that all ends including the short ends are pinched tightly to create a seal. This allows the bread to rise & expand up and out evenly. If the bread looks a little lopsided, you can try to fix it by letting it rest 5 minutes and gently stretching it out again. Just don’t knead the dough again – you’ll pop all the beautiful gas that took 1.5 hours to create!
Here’s what it should look like:
5. Turn the bread over so that its seam side down. Cover the loaf with a damp kitchen towel. Repeat with the other dough halve. Leave the loaves to rest on your well-floured pizza peel or cutting board for 30 minutes. After resting, take a sharp paring knife and make 3-4 shallow, diagonal slashes on the surface of the loaf. This allows the steam in the bread to escape so that it expands evenly during the baking process:
When you are ready to bake, remove your baking vessel. Carefully slide the gorgeous loaf into or onto your baking vessel. I like baking one loaf at a time. The most important equipment to have is an instant read thermometer to measure temperature of the bread.
If you are using pizza stone or inverted baking sheet: You can probably fit both loaves on it at the same time if you wish. -> Get a 1/2 cup of water ready next to the stove. Open the stove, put your bread in the oven and throw the water on the oven floor. Immediately close the oven door. This creates your steam. -> Bake 20-25 minutes. Check temperature of the bread – internal should be 190-210F. Remove and let cool before cutting into it.
If you are using a long cast-iron pot or covered baker: -> Before closing the lid on your pot/baker, put 1/4 cup of water directly in the pot. Cover immediately. Put pot in oven. -> Bake 10 minutes. Remove lid of pot. Bake another 14 minutes. Check temperature of the bread – internal should be 190-210F. Remove and let cool before cutting into it. Repeat with other loaf. (For convection ovens- bake 8 min covered, 10-12 min uncovered. Check temperature of bread) To re-crisp the crust, put in 375F oven for 5 minutes. Eat one loaf, share the other loaf with a friend!
***
How about No Knead Bread?
Andrew bakes No Knead Bread
{ 14 trackbacks }
{ 44 comments… read them below or add one }
← Previous Comments
Thank you so much! I will be trying french bread again, with more direction this time.
[Reply]
Sunny- good luck! Let me know how it turns out.
[Reply]
Just found your website and love it. A couple of things though. I would not recommend throwing water on your oven floor unles you know what your getting into. New ovens with their electronics could become damaged and they dont warrant it if they find out what you did! I pour mine in a metal pan on the oven floor and hope for the best though. Also, You might put a towel down on the oven door when you open it. If you spill water on a 500 degree oven window it could crack, and that is an expensive loaf of bread! Later
[Reply]
Jaden et al.,
This recipe is the closest I have come in my amaranthine quest for the perfect loaf. Thanks!
I made a loaf to serve with a Stufato di Manzo alla Corsa I served to my in-laws during the first cold day of Fall this year (the smell of baking bread and cinnamon juxtaposed with the first clean, crisp, Fall air – I know y’all are feeling that!).
Some variances that might be of interest to you:
* I used bottled water (today I’ll try sparkling mineral water)
* I poured some boiling (steamy) water into a baking dish in my oven for the first rise (ala AB).
* I placed more water in my baking dish for the bake. I, as others, am not daring enough to toss water into my electric oven.
Thanks again! What a wonderful website.
[Reply]
Update: Sparkling Mineral Water, Jury – Still Out
I tried the sparkling mineral water today. My theory was that I might get bigger bubbles in my crumb with a little extra help from the natural carbonation in the mineral water. This didn’t seem to be the case.
Although the rise was not as good, I did notice that the crumb was much softer than my last loaf while the crust remained nice and crispy and chewy. I think the fact that I didn’t warm the water (thinking I would release the carbonation) contributed to the lesser rise. I’ll experiment later with this.
Now, on to the No Knead!!!
[Reply]
Love this recipe! I just made it today with whole wheat flour (and unbleached bread flour) it’s a little denser but GREAT! I also added a touch of honey to the yeast for activating purposes. I was very pleased.
[Reply]
Well said. I would be happy to read anything else you might contribute on this subject.
[Reply]
Hi Steamy—-I don’t know what you mean in your directions where you write “do a little karate chop”. The image of a karate chop suggests a cross-wise cut, but it makes more sense to do a lengthwise cut. Since you’ve emphasized how important it is to get the right shape for pinching, I don’t want to get this wrong. Please help!
I have been making the NK bread since it was written up in the NYTimes, but I yearn to produce a real French baguette. I can’t get that big-hole texture with any other recipe than the NK bread, but the NK bread doesn’t produce a long white a loaf.
[Reply]
I found this a little confusing as well zosi, but I think the trick is to stretch the dough out by holding your hand perpendicular to the dough and pounding with a karate chop motion. Think of the Tapotement technique of Swedish Message.
Eh or no?
[Reply]
Hey guys, karate chop the middle along the long length of the loaf to get a nice seam.
[Reply]
My loaf tastes wonderful, but the crust did not stay crisp after cooling. Any ideas what I did wrong?
[Reply]
Hey Amy- hmmm….did you bake covered and then uncovered?
[Reply]
I cooked it exactly as directed, it was never covered. I am trying again today, I’ll let you know how it goes.
[Reply]
Where did you set it to cool Amy? Maybe that had something to do with it.
Good luck today!
[Reply]
Jaden!
I dont understand how your loaf looks so good!!
While my loaf was resting, the shape was pretty okay…. but now that its in the oven it looks like a big curled loaf of poo.
[Reply]
What a great recipe! It was the first time I’ve ever made French bread and it turned out well. Didn’t look too pretty, but it was tasty! I totally did that karate chop and laughed because it looked so funny (HIYAHH!).
[Reply]
I made this today(only my second attempt at bread making), definitely not as pretty as yours but it sure tasted great and had almost perfect texture. Thanks for the recipe and tips!
[Reply]
I forgot to mention I made this to go with some Vietnamese beef stew
[Reply]
I’ve been making bread from time to time, and always wanted to achieve a good crust with chewy center. Most time the center was too chewy and not enough air holes.
I always thought there must be a secret component was the flour… Little did I know that the secret was in the process. Fantastic results using the same flour, yeast and salt I always use. Thanks for the “secrets”…
[Reply]
Great recipe! Thanks! This turned out amazing!
[Reply]
This bread was awesome. Probably my favorite bread I’ve ever made. Thanks for the water tip. I did put 2 tsp. sugar and 2 tsp. gluten, but other than that did exactly what you said! Loved it.
[Reply]
I’ve made bread at home before, but the bread machine used to do all the work. This was the first loaf I ever tried and it was astonishingly easy. I don’t think I could be any happier with a first loaf of bread. Thanks!
Also, I have very hard water, and it sort of left a mineral stain on the bottom of the oven. Just another thing to keep in mind.
[Reply]
I live in Idaho, elevation 6300 ft. I make bread all the time, but have never tried french bread until now. This was fun and delicious. The biggest challenge for me was how to transfer the bread into the hot pan without burning myself, or causing the loaf to fall. I floured my chef’s knife, slid it under the loaf, and laid in in my Circulon open roaster. Eureka! It worked!
Also, I did not have quick rise yeast, but used my regular SAF yeast. Since bread rises quicker at this elevation, my loaves worked at the same time elements as the recipe.
Thank you so much. I’ve already added this to my recipe file!
Great! I’m thrilled you love it. ~j
[Reply]
Two questions:
1) When you say “Fold in half” I’m correct in assuming you mean fold over lengthwise again, yes? Not down the middle like a hamburger?
2) “Active quick rising dry yeast”? Do you mean regular active dry, or rapid rise?
Thanks!
Yes fold lengthwise
I’ve used both – they both work!
~jaden
[Reply]
I must tell you that since I started making this, everyone wants it! My daughter and her fiance came to the cabin for a week end. The night I served this, they practically ignored the rib eyes and feasted on the bread!
So far, I have made exactly as instructed, but I am wondering if you have ever tried making one large loaf, instead of two smaller ones, and if so, what were your results?
Thanks again, Jaden.
[Reply]
This bread was fantastic. I didn’t quite have the skills to shape the dought quite like the photo…but it still tasted great.
I’d hate start any worry among the readers, but the water cracked my Pampered Chef stone baker. Eek what did I do wrong?
[Reply]
SteamyKitchen Reply:
August 20th, 2009 at 2:51 pm
oh no! did you pour water INTO the stoneware?
[Reply]
A couple of questions: what temperature should the water be when you add it to the bowl of flour, yest, and salt? And can you bake this in a French loaf pan?
[Reply]
Mine didn’t come out quite so pretty, but they are pretty enough and damn tasty/
Thanks for the advice.
Got any good sour dough recipes?
no but check out http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/ ~jaden
[Reply]
I’m an an avid baker and I love to cook. My husband and I are trying to expand what we are able to create. I’ve never made bread before. Well, we make biscuits, but that’s easy haha. We do a dinner where I make my own pasta, my own alfredo sauce and make our own brochette… well, the only thing missing was that we didn’t make the bread. I just finished making this bread, as I said, I’ve never made bread before. I am a dessert baker. I was so impressed at how ridiculously simple this was! My bread came out looking gorgeous and crusty. I had no idea I could do this right here at home. I pay $4 a baguette fresh bread at the local market. I can buy a whole bag of bread flour for less than that! Thanks so much for making these directions so easy to follow! So glad google pulled up this page!
[Reply]
Here’s a photo to prove how gorgeous my bread came out
http://twitpic.com/jbl3p
[Reply]
Any advice on how to turn this recipe into rolls? I made the loaf last weekend for my boyfriend and he devoured it. We’re going to a family party this weekend and I’m supposed to bring rolls and this is what he requested. Any thoughts or tips would be appreciated!
you might want to pick up the book “Artisan Bread in Five Minutes” – great recipes for rolls.
but you can still use this same recipes, just shape them into balls (about golf ball sized), let rise (make sure you have enough room in btw each ball to let rise and expand) and bake. Lessen baking time – you’ll just have to keep an eye on the rolls. jaden
[Reply]
wow! what a great recipe! i made this for my family an hour ago and is is already gone! and i have picky eaters!
[Reply]
che… viejo la verdad despues de vagar mucho para saver secretos creo aver encontrado en tu sitio pues no acostumbro escribir pero lo tuyo vale la pena espero saber mas pues yo me creia mucho con los 63 o mas modelos de pan que se pero este pan en mi pais no lo sabia y por motivos de travajo ak donde me encuentro tengo que aprenderlo grasias vale…
[Reply]
Thank you so much! I followed your tips and the rolls came out perfectly. Everyone loved it. I really appreciate you taking the time to read and answer comments. Thanks again!
[Reply]
Wow. I had my doubts that’s I’d be able to pull this off (boyfriend is the bread boy) but the bread turned out PERFECTLY. I didn’t focus so much on aesthetic as I wasn’t even sure I had the texture / consistency right so while it doesn’t exactly *look* like French bread, it sure tastes like it! I’ll try this again (VERY) soon and put a bit more effort into the shaping.
I actually made one loaf in my descoware Dutch oven using the cooking instructions for you NK bread and it ALSO came out perfectly. And rustic.
Thanks so much for your great instructions and pictures; I am now confident I CAN bake bread!
[Reply]
My problem is A what type of flour is to be used???????????????and quantity
B is dried yeast ok or shoild it be live yeast and quantities
regards
If you read the recipe….it states Bread Flour. It’s higher gluten than all-purpose flour.
I don’t use live yeast, so I wouldn’t know the quantity. ~jaden
[Reply]
Great information. I didn’t follow the recipe exactly as it is nearly identical to other recipes I have used, and I was ;looking for more flavor, so I deviated slightly by using a preferment and the autolyse method.
A preferment is some dough from a previous batch that has fermented longer, so more flavor develops.
Autolyse involves a premix step where water and flower are combined alone, and allowed to sit for 20 minutes before the yeast, salt, and preferment are added.
I’ve done the nk bread in the past, and was missing the flavor I remember in the bread I was served in Paris. The preferment is the missing step, and adds flavor you just don’t get in a 3 hour nk loaf.
But the reason I’m writing is the steam process.
Use distilled water for brst results, both in the bread mix, and in the steam. Water from the tap will stain the oven with minerals, and you don’t want that. Clean mineral deposits with vinegar, rinsing the vinegar out afterwards. Distilled water avoids the mineral deposits, and gets better results with the yeast. Don’t use sparkling water, as the yeast exhales co2, and the co2 from the sparkling water will retard the yeast action. Yeast breathes oxygen like we do, so starting them off with excess co2 will slow them down. They will slow themselves down as the alcohol and co2 they produce build up, no need to add extra co2 to the process.
The co2 in sparkling water will come out during the first mix with the flower, before the gluten strands form, so it will be lost before it is needed, and during the loaf forming stage, most of the co2 is released. The final rise is where the air pockets form, so your sparkling water won’t contribute much at that point.
Don’t throw water on hot ceramic or hot glass surfaces, only on metal, preferably in a shallow pan you place at the bottom of the oven. Preheat the over well in advance, and use only enough water for the original flash of steam if you have electronics that could be damaged by condensation.
Bon Appetit!
George
[Reply]
Thank You soooo much! I have been searching for the basic french bread recipe ever since i’ve had the ‘real’ stuff in europe. This was the first one i stumbled upon after searching for months. Thank you for the basic, true ingredients and wonderful captions that guides one to blissful perfection.
[Reply]
Thank you for the perfect “pain ordinaire” recipe and instructions! I just made two gorgeous loaves at high elevation with Montana Hard Wheat (“Natural White” Flour by Wheat Montana). I adjusted the temp to 430 degrees for 30 minutes. Delicious! In addition to placing a flat pan of boiling water at the bottom of my electric oven, I brushed the loaves with water before baking, and twice during the last 15 minutes. The crust is wonderfully crunchy and the bread has a fabulous tender/elastic texture. I can see by my boyfriend’s response that I will have to make twice as many loaves next time. Merci madame!
[Reply]
There seems to be no “second rising” where the loaves are formed then covered etc.
I dont see how at the end of Step 2 you would turn on your oven because you say later that you form the loaves and let them rest for 30 minutes. I am sure there’s something missing because my loaves were nowhere near the size in your pictures – and the first rising was 2x the original ball of dough.
Anyhow I will be baking these shortly and I hope it wasn’t a waste.
[Reply]
Dan-
You turn on your oven in Step 2 because it takes time to heat up.
The second rising is in Step 5.
jaden
[Reply]
Fantastic recipe! I have had this recipe bookmarked for a while now and just finished eating the first hot, steaming slice of this bread. WOW! Excellent crisp crust, great flavor and texture…. awesome straight out of the oven. I bake bread once or twice a week and this French Loaf is a keeper! Only problem I found is that I had not tried it sooner!
[Reply]
SteamyKitchen Reply:
January 20th, 2010 at 10:24 pm
thank you Cathy!
[Reply]
Love the BREAD! We just had dinner and with Fresh Bread, my family loved it.
I did half in a dutch oven and the other half on a pizza stone. I was a little apprehensive about the water in the dutch oven and the stove bottom but it worked perfectly. The only thing I did different was I added a tablespoon of sugar. I did this because my family likes a little sugar in their bread and also I don’t always watch the clock on the rising times and sometimes let it go longer so I like the yeast to have a little extra to eat.
Thank You so much for a great recipe, this will go in with my bread recipes.
SO EASY!
[Reply]
I just wanted to warn people… putting water into an oven can do damage to the oven and stoneware like pizza stones. The moisture from the steam cracks pizza stones all the time…. and I even heard one lady say the water warped her oven floor.
[Reply]