15
If you have time, allow a second rise before shaping to develop more fl avor in the bread,
but it is very good without it too.
crusty
fr ench bread
Place warm water in the Cuisinart
™
mixing bowl. Stir in
yeast and a tablespoon of the fl our; let stand for 5
minutes, until mixture is foamy and bubbly. While yeast
is proofi ng, combine 3 cups of all-purpose fl our and ½
cup of cake fl our with the wheat germ and salt. Add the
cold water and the fl our mixture to the yeast mixture.
Insert the dough hook and mix on speed 2 for 2 minutes.
Combine remaining fl ours and reserve.
Continuing on speed 2, add the remaining fl our mixture
1 tablespoon at a time until a dough ball forms that
clings to the dough hook and cleans the sides of the
bowl. Set the timer for 4 minutes and the speed to 3 to
allow the dough to knead.
Dust dough ball lightly with fl our and place in a large
bowl, cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm, draft-
free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch
dough down, recover, and let rise again until doubled in
size. (This last rise can be omitted if pressed for time,
but makes for a more fl avorful loaf, with a more artisanal
bread texture and crust.) Punch dough down and divide
into 2 pieces. Shape each into a long narrow loaf, about
16 to 18 inches in length, and place on a baking sheet
lined with parchment. Cover loosely with plastic wrap
and let rise until doubled, about 45 to 60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Dust loaves generously with fl our. Make 4 or 5 diagonal
slashes in the top of each loaf about ¼-inch deep using
a serrated knife. Bake in preheated 425°F oven 25 to 30
minutes until browned and hollow sounding when
tapped. Cool on a wire rack. Bread slices best when
allowed to cool completely before slicing.
2
⁄
3
cup warm (105–110°F) warm water
2¼ teaspoons (1 packet) active
dry
yeast
3½ cups unbleached, all-purpose
or bread fl our
1
cup cake fl our
1
⁄
3
cup wheat germ
2 teaspoons
fi ne sea salt
1
cup cold water
extra
fl our for dusting bread
Makes two loaves, about 14 ounces each
