Best Sourdough French Bread Recipes

SAN FRANCISCO STYLE SOURDOUGH FRENCH BREAD

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.

SOURDOUGH FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the Sourdough Starter, oil, sugar, salt and 3 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough additional flour to form a soft dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead gently 20-30 times (dough will be slightly sticky). Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 1 to 1-1/2 hours., Preheat oven to 400°. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll each into a 12x8-in. rectangle. Roll up, jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch ends to seal. Place seam side down on 2 greased baking sheets; tuck ends under. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. , With a sharp knife, make 4 shallow diagonal slashes across top of each loaf. In a small saucepan, combine water and cornstarch. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Brush some over loaves. , Bake for 15 minutes. Brush loaves with remaining cornstarch wash. Bake until lightly browned, 5-10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

FRENCH ONION SOUP IN A SOURDOUGH BREAD BOWL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Butter a baking sheet.
• Cut a hole in the top of each bread round, leaving the sides and bottoms untouched, to make the opening of the bread bowl. Pull apart the cut-out section.
• Place 1/2 cup butter and 2 tablespoons crushed garlic in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat until butter is melted, 2 to 4 minutes. Brush the insides of the bread bowls and the cut-out pieces with butter; place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 3 to 5 minutes. Leave oven on.
• Melt the remaining butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add sweet onion. Cook and stir until onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking and stirring until onion is very tender and dark brown, about 20 minutes more.
• Stir the remaining garlic, beef broth, chicken broth, wine, and Worcestershire sauce into the onions. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook until flavors intensify, 5 to 10 minutes. Spoon soup into each bread bowl. Cover soup with Gruyere cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is bubbling and melted along the sides of the bread bowl, about 5 minutes.

SOURDOUGH FRENCH BREAD

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.

MOCK SOURDOUGH FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• Heat yogurt to lukewarm (110 degrees F).
• In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water, stir in yogurt, sugar, salt, oil and 2 cups flour, and beat until smooth.
• Stir in enough additional flour to make dough easy to handle.
• Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes, adding more flour as necessary, to obtain a firm, non-sticky sough.
• Place in oiled bowl, and turn to oil top of dough.
• Cover, and let rise in warm place until doubled in volume.
• Punch down dough, divide into 8 equal parts, knead each one, and flatten into a 4"x6" rectangle.
• Roll up, beginning on one of the long sides, excluding any air bubbles.
• Pinch edge of dough firmly into roll to seal, press each end firmly to seal, and fold ends under.
• Place loaves, seam side down, on greased cookie sheets sprinkled with cornmeal.
• Brush or spray tops with cold water, and cut three diagonal slices across top of each loaf with a sharp knife or razor blade.
• Let rise until doubled, about 30-40 minutes.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Brush or spray loaves with cold water, and sprinkle pepper into slashes if desired.
• Bake until loaves sound hollow when rapped on the bottom or when they reach an internal temperature of 190 degrees F on an instant reading thermometer, about 35 minutes, brushing or spraying with cold water every 10 minutes.
• Cool on wire rack before wrapping.
• Recipe can be doubled successfully, and bread freezes very well.
• Thaw to room temperature and heat unwrapped in oven to restore the crisp crust.

SPEEDY "SOURDOUGH" FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• 1. Mix together warm water, sour cream, and vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside.
• 2. In a large mixing bowl combine 1 cup flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Add sour cream mixture to flour mixture. Blend together on low speed until moistened. Continue to blend on medium speed for 3-4 minutes.
• 3. By hand stir in 2-3 more cups of flour until dough pulls cleanly away from bowl.
• 4. On a well-floured surface knead in additional 1-2 cups of flour until dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough ball in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a clean dish towel. Let rise in a warm (80-85 degree) place until doubled. Approx. 30 minutes.
• 5. Grease a large sheet pan. Punch down dough and divide in half. Roll each half into a 14x8 rectangle. Roll, starting from a long side. Pinch seam and ends closed. Place seam side down on baking sheet. I have also shaped these loaves into rounds, typical of sourdough bread.
• 6. With a sharp knife make 4-5 1/4 inch deep diagonal slashes in the top of each loaf. Cover with clean dish towel and let rise in warm place until doubled again. (Approx. 20 min.)
• 7. Heat oven to 375*. Bake 30-35 minutes until golden and hollow sounding when tapped. Remove loaves immediately to a wire rack to cool.
• 8. **NOTE: I often make this dough in my bread machine. Add ingredients in the order prescribed by your machine manufacturer and use the dough setting. I usually add 4 cups of flour to start. After the first rise, knead in any additional flour to obtain the standard elastic dough. Rest dough five minutes before rolling out and continue at Step 5.

SOURDOUGH-LIKE BEER BREAD (FRENCH TYPE)

Steps:

• 1. In large bowl combine 2 c. flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Mix well.
• 2. In saucepan heat to 120-130 degrees the water, beer and oil.
• 3. Add to flour mixture and beat till all lumps are gone. Now add flour.
• 4. Make a soft dough. Knead on floured surface till smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl and cover. Let rise in warm place until light and doubled, about 1 hr. Divide into 2 parts.
• 5. On lightly floured surface, roll or pat dough to a 7 x 11 rectangle. Start with longer side, roll up tightly pressing dough into roll with each turn. Pinch edges and ends to seal. Place seam-side down on greased cookie sheet (jelly roll pan). Let rise to light & double, about 30 minutes. Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.

SOURDOUGH FRENCH BREAD - ABM (AMISH BREAD STARTER)

Steps:

• Place in bread maker in the order suggested by your ABM manufacturer (mine is a "Corner Bakery" and it is supposed to go in as written above.
• Cook on French Bread Setting on Light crust for best results.

EASY SOURDOUGH FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• In large bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour and remaining dry ingredients.
• Add water, sour cream and vinegar and beat well.
• Stir in additional 2-2 1/2 cups flour until dough pulls away from sides of bowl.
• On floured surface, knead in 1/2-1 cup additional flour until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top.
• Cover and let rise for 25-35 minutes in a warm place.
• Grease large cookie sheet.
• Punch down dough and let it rest on counter, covered with an inverted bowl, for 15 minutes.
• Divide dough in half.
• Roll each half to a 14" x 8" rectangle.
• Starting with long side, roll up and pinch edges firmly to seal.
• Taper ends a little, to look like typical French bread.
• Place seam side down on prepared cookie sheet.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Bake bread for 25 minutes.
• In a small bowl, beat egg white and water.
• Brush over partially baked bread.
• Return to oven and bake an additional 5-10 minutes until golden brown and loaves sound hollow when tapped.
• Immediately remove from cookie sheet and cool.

SOURDOUGH FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water.
• Add the rest of the ingredients.
• Mix and knead lightly and return to the bowl to rise until double.
• Turn out onto floured board and divide dough into two parts.
• Shape dough parts into oblongs and then roll them up tightly, beginning with one side.
• Seal the outside edge by pinching and shape into size wanted.
• Place loaves on greased baking sheet and let rise until double again.
• Make diagonal cuts on top of loaves with razor blade or VERY SHARP knife and brush lightly water for crisp crust.
• Bake at 400 degrees F for about 25 minutes, or until brown and done.
• NOTE:
• Also note the the serving sizes in all of these recipes is guesstamate.
• It all depends on the serving size you select.

SOURDOUGH FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• In a Kitchen Aide mixing bowl dissolve yeast in warm water and let sit for 5-8 minutes.
• Add sourdough starter, olive oil, salt, garlic powder and cheese.
• With the paddle of the mixer, mix until well combined.
• Change to the dough hook.
• Add 4 cups of flour and knead for 7-8 minutes. (Add additional flour as needed).
• Coat a large bowl with olive oil.
• Turn the dough into the bowl and turn to coat.
• Cover and let sit until doubled in size (about an hour).
• Turn dough out onto a floured surface.
• Cut dough in half and roll out into an oval shape about 9X12.
• Beginning at the bottom edge, roll up and pinch seam
• Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and sprinkle with cornmeal.
• Place the loaves on the sheet, seam side down.
• Make shallow slashes on top of the loaves with a sharp knif or razor blade.
• Cover and let rise until about double (about 30-40 minutes).
• Heat oven to 375.
• Place bread in the oven and spray the sides of the oven and the bread with water.
• Repeat this every 5 minutes for the first 15 minutes.
• Continue baking for another 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove and cool on wire racks.

SOURDOUGH FRENCH BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, salt, and dry yeast. Add milk and softened butter or margarine. Stir in starter. Mix in up to 3 3/4 cups flour gradually, you may need more depending on your climate. Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and knead for 8 to 10 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turn once to oil surface, and cover. Allow to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in volume. Punch down, and let rest 15 minutes. Shape into loaves. Place on a greased baking pan. Allow to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled. Brush egg wash over tops of loaves, and sprinkle with chopped onion. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 30 minutes, or till done.