Baking Bread
Having grown up in France, I have always been very particular about my bread: when you grow up in a village in the south of France able to walk to the bakery to pick up a fresh baguette for your breakfast, American sandwich bread does not even compare even nice bread from the grocery store. So every so often, I will bake a bread at home, trying recipes from Pinterest. I do have a great baguette recipe from my friend in France but I have not idea where I put it! The following linked recipes are my favorites from Pinterest and both very easy. The best breads are cooked at a high temperature (typically 450 to 460 degrees Fahrenheit) and develop a nice golden crust. I bake my bread in a Creuset pan my sister in law gifted me for Christmas years ago. Any dutch iron pan or cast iron pot with a top will work.
Inside they will have pockets of air created by the yeast. The 2nd recipe allows the dough to rest for 8 to 24 hours and you could taste the difference that long rise made. I love bread still warm from the oven with a dab of butter and some jam.
I am all for easy recipes even for my bread. With children wanting my attention, I do not have the time right now for lenghty recipes. If the dough needs for than a quick need I use my Kitchen Aid with the dough hook attachment.
This last loaf was my best so far and I will be baking a bread for my son’s birthday tomorrow following that recipe.
Here are my two favorite recipes from PInterest:
- No Knead Crusty Artisan Bread from The Comfort of Cooking. This is the one that needs a long rise so I like to prepare the dough the day before, about 15-20 hours before I plan to bake it. Everyone can make this delicious bread.
- Easy Crusty French Bread from Life as a Strawberry. This is the bread for you if you are in a hurry and want your bread in a few hours. I usally prepare the dough at noon to have the bread coming out of the oven around 4 pm.
Let me know if you try one of these recipes!
A bientôt!
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28 Comments
Nancy
I can almost taste it!! have a good weekend!
mimifce
You too!
Kathrine Eldridge
I am hungry just looking at these breads! Nothing beats comfort food like this.
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
mimifce
It’s the best.
Joanne
Those are my favorite kinds of bread too! In fact I was just saying to my baker that I have honestly never used our dutch oven for anything else– just baking bread.
mimifce
Me too! I know some people use them for soup and stuff, but yes, bread for me!
Michelle
This looks so delicious! Sadly I have developed a food sensitivity to wheat. Ugh.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
mimifce
I would have a hard time with that but interestingly enough I do eat a lot less bread here than in France. Even when we visit in Europe we eat lots of it but we do walk it off. Here it is definitely more of special occasion. Lately store bought loaf last 10 days even with 4 boys!
jodie filogomo
Gosh, I haven’t made bread in so long. But it’s my favorite when it’s just out of the oven.
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
mimifce
oh yes!
Jennifer
These look so good! I can just imagine eating them with butter.
Jennifer
Curated by Jennifer
mimifce
You should see how much butter my husband puts on it =)
Shauna
Real french bread is the absolute best. But this looks pretty amazing too!
Shauna
http://www.lipglossandlace.net
mimifce
The problem with it being good is eating more of it lol!
Mica
These look delicious! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
I’m terrible at cooking and baking so haven’t tried to make my own bread before, haha!
Hope that you are having a wonderful weekend 🙂 We went to the rainforest again yesterday, the kids had the best time!
mimifce
We had a great time with our neighbors celebrating my son’s 7th! birthday then we went for a walk to walk off some of the food! It’s been a beautiful day today
Rena
Looks delicious! In the last few months, I’ve only been eating my own homemade bread.
mimifce
I have enjoy reading about your adventures with the sourdough starter.
Carrie
I totally am a bread lover and crusty is the best. This looks delicious and yes, American bread is totally a yuck!
mimifce
There is sure a difference in texture and taste.
Amy Johnson
Oh, my gosh this looks amazing and so delicious!
mimifce
I’ver really enjoyed making them this month. Hopefully I will keep it up!
Ellie
I so agree with you about the American bread!! There’s this funny meme going around about Germans (my nationality) and bread, something about “German going to America – complain about bread” LOL. I still do after living here for over 20 years but do try to make my own and purchased a Kitchenaid machine just for the purpose of making bread, so I don’t have to knead it by hand.
I pinned the artisan no-knead bread recipe a while ago too but somehow I never made that specific one and it looks delicious! Maybe I’ll give it a try this week!
Ellibelle’s Corner
mimifce
Let me know if you have any great recipes for me to try!
Lovely
Wow! Your bread looks so good! Thanks for the recipes.
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
mimifce
And they are easy: that is the best part!
Leslie Susan Clingan
We have a yeast starter that has been in our family for years and years. I have about killed it, I am afraid. Trying to revitalize it but not having much luck. I asked my husband for a bread machine for Christmas thinking it might help me bring the yeast back to life.
This bread looks divine. Would like to pour a hearty chili or soup into the bread and make it a bread bowl. Love the golden crustiness.
mimifce
Oh, bread bowls.. I could divide it into two little breads instead of the one… yum!