Delightful French Bread

I really like this bread toasted but it's also great sliced with butter and not toasted. Give it a try!

Delightful French Bread

2 1/2 c. warm water
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp  salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
6 c. flour…cup sifted see directions
2 pkgs yeast (each pkg of yeast = 2 1/4 tsp yeast, so here you would double for the 2 pkgs)

I top with 1 egg, sesame seeds, and I sprinkle cornmeal in the pan after I spray it.

Put the water, which should be lukewarm, on your regular mixing bowl - any mixer. Add salt, sugar, the oil and yeast. Mix them, add half the flour (cup sifted is where you use a spoon to scoop flour and sprinkle it into a measuring cup).

Mix well then add the other half flour the same way. Stir till it is all mixed well, you are not kneading just mixing till all is mixed.

Throw a dish towel over the whole works. Set your timer for 10 minutes then give the mixer a whirl then cover again. Do this a total of five times then the dough is a tad sticky. I spray my hands and divide the dough between the two sides of a french bread pan. I kind of stretch it and lay it in the section the pan that was already sprayed and dusted with cornmeal spray and cover with plastic wrap. When doubled in size, slash three slashes diagonally on the bread. Mix your egg, I add just a tsp of water, mix and brush on the loaves and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 375 in a preheated oven bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from pans to cooling rack.