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2 ½ teaspoons salt (14 g)

1 ½ cups cold water (355 ml) (40° to 50°F)* more water for kneading

*If you use a food processor in this recipe, use ice water.

ROUNDING

Before shaping the loaves or rolls, you will want to round the dough in loaf-sized pieces; this invigorates the yeast and structures the dough for the best possible rise. If you are making rolls, make one or two rounds. Protect the dough from drafts as you work.

Turn out on floured board and press out gas. Divide and round as shown.

Turn the rounds seam side down and let them rest until they are soft. Use this time to wash the bowl, and to prepare baking pans or whatever other arrangement you will be using to proof the loaves.

Some Possible Shapes

When you consider what shape you want for your French breads, one of the first things to think about is your oven and the utensils you have at hand for baking the bread. Please read the pages on steaming, and plan to start with whatever shapes are likely to work best with your equipment, because the crust of the bread depends on good steaming, and the quality of the bread depends quite a lot on how good the crust is. The traditional shapes we associate with French loaves maximize crust area, and if your equipment and oven can accommodate them, you will have wonderful bread indeed. It is true that the round loaves have less crust, but we like them very much because there is no need to worry about keeping the oven hot enough, or controlling the steam: it is all there in the casserole dish. The bread is plenty pretty, too, and makes great sandwiches.

ROUND HEARTH LOAF

Simple and surefire, and our favorite, is the traditional countryside style round hearth loaf. Round the loaves and let them rest and then, when they get a trifle saggy, round them in the same way a second time and place each one in a deep 2 ½-quart lidded clay or glass casserole, greased and dusted with cornmeal. Alternatively, you can proof them upside down on flour-dusted canvas for later transfer to baking tiles (see this page) or place them on a baking sheet dusted with corn-meal for proofing and baking.

CLASSIC FRENCH BATARD

Shape the rounded loaves into long loaves as shown. Two will fit nicely on a 12″ 18″ baking sheet. The sheet can be dusted with cornmeal and the loaves placed on them, proofed, and baked on the sheet; or, proof the loaves upside down on canvas and transfer them to tiles (see this page). (If you choose this option, be sure to make your “peel” a little longer than the loaves will be when they are fully risen.)

Let the rounded loaf rest until it is soft and puffy once again.

Press to 1″ thick. Make an oblong about two-thirds as long as you want the loaf to be.

Fold the sides into the middle and press or roll again to 1″ thick.

Fold lengthwise and seal the edge. Turn the loaf seam-downwards.

Roll back and forth under your palms until it is nearly as long as you want the loaf to be.

This shape is so popular that there are several kinds of rounded pans and long clayware boulanger casseroles especially made for baking it. If you have one of them, follow the instructions for greasing that come with the pan. It may be that your whole wheat dough will rise somewhat less than the white dough the manufacturer expects. If you want your bread to be as big as the pan will accommodate, you can include a little more dough than the pan’s instructions suggest. In that case, you will need to increase the baking time, too.

The object of the long thin shape, and of the even thinner versions that follow, is lots of crust. The flavor of any bread derives largely from magical happenings in the complex chemistry of the crust as it bakes. More crust means more flavor, and the crust of French bread properly baked with steam is among the best.

BAGUETTE

These slim long loaves are splendid for picnics, served with soft smelly cheeses—and nothing could be better alongside a hearty soup on a winter evening. Again, it takes a good hot steamy bake