French Bread

I made this bread over Christmas for a soup night at Glenn's grandparents' house and it was pretty popular. It is my favorite bread recipe to give people who have never made bread before because it is so easy and yummy. I got the recipe from Glenn's mom so I call it Mom's French Bread.

Mom's French Bread


Combine:

2 1/2 C boiling (or very hot) water
1/4C sugar
2t salt
2T margarine, shortening, etc
Let stand to lukewarm then add:
2T yeast
5-7 C flour (I've used up to 1/2 whole wheat flour. You can throw other fun flours in as well for part of it)
Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth (5-10 minutes). Place in a greased bowl and turn once and cover. Punch it every 10 minutes 2-5 times. Roll out into a rectangle and then roll it up. Cut slits along the top then cover and let it rise for another 30-45 minutes. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes and enjoy!

Below is a picture of a loaf I made for a party at our house yesterday.

At the party in Wyoming we enjoyed it with Cheeky Monkey Tomato Garlic Dipping Oil. Which is a super yummy Syracuse delicacy but it is just as good with any oil or butter or plain :)