Easy Sourdough French Bread Recipes

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl dissolve yeast in warm water, mix with starter.
• Add 3 cups flour, sugar and salt, stir vigorously 2 or 3 minutes.
• Cover with a cloth, set in warm place and let rise 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until doubled in size.
• Mix baking soda with 1 cup of remaining flour and stir in, the dough should be stiff.
• Turn out onto a floured surface and begin kneading.
• Add the remaining 1 cup of flour or more if needed to control stickiness.
• Knead until satiny, between 5 and 10 minutes.
• Shape into 2 oblong loaves or 1 large round loaf, place on lightly greased cookie sheet.
• Cover with a cloth, set in warm place free from drafts and let rise 1 to 2 hours or until nearly doubled in size.
• Before baking, brush outside with water and make diagonal slashes across the top with a sharp single-edge razor blade.
• Put a shallow pan of hot water in the bottom of the oven.
• Bake at 400° F for 45 minutes or until the crust is a medium dark brown.

Steps:

• Put ingredients, in order listed, into bread machine pan.
• Set machine for dough cycle and start.
• At end of dough cycle, turn dough out onto a floured surface.
• If dough is too sticky, knead in a little additional flour.
• Divide dough into 2 equal portions and flatten each into a 1 1/2 inch thick oval.
• Fold oval in half once lengthwise and pinch seam to make an elongate loaf.
• Sprinkle cornmeal on a baking sheet and place the loaves on the sheet seam side down.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees F) until about doubled in bulk.
• Place a shallow pan of hot water on the lower shelf of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Make shallow slashes in tops of loaves with a razor blade or finely serrated knife, held at a 30 degree angle.
• Place the loaves in the oven and immediately spray them and the oven walls with water from a fine mister, and avoid spraying oven light.
• Repeat this spraying 3 additional times at one minute intervals.
• Continue baking for 30 to 40 minutes or until brown, but remove pan of water from oven after the first 15 minutes.
• Remove loaves from baking sheet and cool on wire racks.
• *To proof sourdough culture, start with 1/2 cup of culture and stir into it 1 1/2 cups warm water and 1 1/2 cups flour.
• Cover with plastic and let sit 8 to 12 hours (the longer it sits, the more 'sour' your bread will taste).
• At this point, measure out the 2 cups required and proceed with recipe; returning any extra to the starter pot to save in the refrigerator until you want to use it again.