French Bread

Stir together all of the ingredients (except the cornmeal) in a large bowl. Mix until everything comes together in a rough, shaggy mass of dough.

Knead until bouncy and smooth.

1. • If you’re using your stand mixer, switch to the dough hook and knead the dough at medium speed for about 7 min., until it’s smooth, elastic, and feels a bit bouncy. If the dough doesn’t form a ball that clears the sides of the bowl, sprinkle additional flour to make this happen.

Place the dough in a bowl that’s been lightly greased. Cover the bowl, and let the dough rise at room temperature until it's doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.

Gently deflate the dough and cut it in half. Pat each half into a rough 6” x 8” oval.

Grab a short side and fold the dough like a business letter. Use the heel of your hand to press the open edge of the “letter” closed. Gently pat and roll the dough into a log about 10” long. Repeat with the remaining piece of dough.

Place the loaves, seam-side down, on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Sprinkle the pan generously with cornmeal; this will keep the bread from sticking and give it a crunchy bottom crust.

Let the loaves rise, lightly covered with greased plastic wrap, for 45 min. Gently poke your index finger into the side of one of the loaves; if the indentation remains, your bread is ready to bake.

Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 450°F.

For extra-crusty crust, add steam to your oven: While the oven is preheating, place a pan on the lowest rack. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Use a sieve to dust the loaves with a thin coat of flour. Then make 3 - 4 ½” deep diagonal slashes in each loaf. Place the bread in the oven and pour the boiling water into the pan. Quickly shut the oven door. Wear good oven mitts during this process to shield your hands and arms from the steam.

Bake the bread for 20-25 min, until the crust is golden brown and a loaf sounds hollow to the touch when you tap it on the bottom. The interior temperature of the bread should register at least 190°F on a digital thermometer.

Turn the oven off, crack the door open, and allow the bread to remain inside for 5 additional minutes; this helps keep the crust crisp. Remove the bread from the oven and cool it on a rack. It’s best not to cut into the bread until it’s cooled down a bit; cutting into hot bread can negatively affect its texture.