Classic, crusty french bread, so easy, so quick, so good. Makes perfect authentic Old World-style crusty french bread loaves plus. You can also use this dough for dinner rolls, pizza crusts, dipping bread, or Italian bread (with added oil). If you have company, double or triple the recipe or it will disappear before you can get it to the table!

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How to make Hot, Crusty French Bread:

1 cup warm water
1 package yeast
(rapid-rise recommended)
salt to taste (I used 3/4 teaspoon)
approximately 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, combine water with yeast and salt. Let sit for five minutes. Stir in flour until the dough is stiff enough to knead. (Add flour a little at a time.) Knead dough until smooth and elastic–a few minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl; cover. Let rise until doubled. Form dough into a French-style loaf and place on greased baking sheet. (Dust baking sheet with cornmeal first if desired.) Place immediately in oven (unpreheated!)–bread will rise as oven heats up. Set oven at 375-degrees. Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Makes one loaf. Recipe can be doubled, tripled, and so on.

For dinner rolls: After first rise, divide dough into balls. Dust greased baking sheet with cornmeal if desired. Let rolls rise till doubled. Bake in 375-degree oven about 15 minutes. Makes one dozen rolls.

Pizza crust: Add two tablespoons of olive oil to the water, yeast, salt mixture before adding flour then continue with the basic directions. After first rise, roll dough out on a greased pizza baking pan. Place immediately in oven. Bake at 400-degrees for about 8 minutes. Take out pizza crust. Add sauce and toppings as desired. Put completed pizza back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes. Makes one large pizza crust.

French bread pizza: Bake french bread loaf as directed above. Let cool. Slice loaf in half horizontally. Add sauce and toppings as desired. Put completed french bread pizzas back in 375-degree oven for about 15 minutes. See Shrimp French Bread Pizza.

Dipping bread: After first rise, roll dough flat in a square or rectangular pizza pan (or cookie sheet). Brush with olive oil and sprinkle garlic, salt, or other herbs as desired. Bake in 375-degree oven for 15 minutes. Cut into thin rectangular pieces. Dip in prepared spaghetti sauce, Ranch dressing, olive oil with garlic and balsamic vineger, etc.

Soft, chewy Italian loaves and rolls: Add two tablespoons of olive oil to the recipe above (add to water, yeast, salt mixture before adding flour) to turn classic, crusty French bread loaves into soft, chewy Italian loaves or rolls. Follow recipe otherwise. Bake at 375-degrees for 30-40 minutes for loaves, 15 minutes for rolls.

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Making croissants does take time, but most of the time is in chilling the dough in the fridge (while you lounge with a good book), so never fear. Fresh-baked homemade croissants are in your reach.

What makes croissants so flaky is the rolling and re-rolling of the buttery, chilled dough. You can break the steps up to make the process less overwhelming, chilling and rolling the dough over a period of days if you like. Homemade croissants are worth the effort!

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How to make Croissants:

Step 1
1 1/3 cups cold butter
3 cups all-purpose flour

Cut butter into 1/2-inch slices. Mix with 3 cups flour in a bowl and chill while preparing Step 2.

Step 2
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 package yeast
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Meanwhile, heat milk, sugar and salt in a pan on the stove till warm. Add to yeast-flour mixture along with the egg. Beat with an electric mixer for 30 seconds on low, then on high for 3 minutes.

Step 3
Stir in chilled butter-flour mixture. Flouring hands, knead dough very gently, punching about eight times. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out on a floured surface into a large rectangle (about 20 inches by 10 inches). Fold dough into thirds, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 1/2 hours or overnight (or freeze for 30 minutes).

Step 4
Take dough out of refrigerator. Using a floured rolling pin again, roll dough out on a floured surface into a rectangle as described in Step 3. Fold, wrap, and chill dough again, this time for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Step 5
Remove dough from refrigerator and divide into fourths by cutting the dough. Shape each piece into a ball. At this point, you can either use the dough right away, refrigerate it for up to a week, or freeze it for later use. Wrap balls in plastic wrap and store inside a Ziploc baggie. Thaw frozen dough to use. To use immediately, on a floured surface and using a floured rolling pin, roll out dough into a circle. Cut like pizza then roll up slices into crescent shapes. Repeat rolling, cutting, and shaping with the other portions of croissant dough. Place on greased baking sheets, points down, curving ends. Cover and let rise till doubled (about 1 hour). Bake in a 375-degree oven for about 15 minutes.

Serve as dinner rolls, or use for great gourmet-style sandwiches. For sandwich-size croissants, instead of dividing the dough into fourths, divide in two and roll each ball into a larger circle to make large slices.

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