French Bread, Take Two: click through to Step x Step Instructions

**UPDATE**
Please see the super-detailed version of this recipe, with plenty of Step x Step photos and instructions: How-To Make GF French Bread, Step x Step

My french bread recipe and I owe each and every one of you a most sincere apology, from the bottom of our hearts. Won’t you accept?

The first recipe for french bread that I posted worked for me, but there were enough posts reporting trouble with the recipe that I revisited it. I made some changes so that it was reliably error proof, and revised the post. Since then, we have had various types of issues with our site host, sometimes resulting in our losing recent edits to posts. When, very recently, a reader commented on problems she was having with the {erstwhile} French Bread recipe, I looked back at the recipe and realized it was … the OLD recipe. No more Ms. Nice Guy. I’m deleting the old French Bread recipe from the site, and replacing it with this here post.

I hope you find it to your liking. My 4 1/2 year old certainly does. “Mom, could you make french bread again?”

__________________________

French Bread

Ingredients
3 cups all purpose gluten-free flour (I use Better Batter)
2 ¼ teaspoons xanthan gum (omit if using Better Batter)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 extra-large egg white
1 2/3 cup warm water, about 100 degrees
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

1. Combine the 3 cups of flour, xanthan gum, sugar, salt, yeast, and cream of tartar in the bowl of your stand mixer. These are the dry ingredients. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

2. Add the egg white to the dry ingredients and use your mixer’s paddle attachment to combine. Add the warm water to the mixture. Begin by turning the mixer on low speed to allow the dry ingredients to begin to incorporate into the wet ingredients. Turn off the mixer, scrape down the bowl, and then turn the mixer back on, this time on a higher speed and let it work for 6 to 7 minutes, still on the higher speed.
   

3. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Divide the dough in half. Take one half, and roll it between two large sheets of plastic wrap into a 10”x8” rectangle. Remove the plastic wrap from one side of the dough, sprinkle with some extra flour, and replace the plastic wrap. Invert the dough, remove the other piece of plastic wrap, and sprinkle that side of the dough with some extra flour. Fold the two shorter sides of the dough to meet in the middle. Pinch the opposite ends together to seal them, and turn the dough over so it is seam-side down. With well-floured hands, roll the dough back and forth to lengthen it to about 12” inches long. Repeat this process with the other half of the dough.
   

4. Allow the loaves to rise in a warm, draft-free area for about 30 minutes, or until they have nearly doubled in volume (more or less, depending upon the temperature and humidity level at the time in your kitchen). Once they are finished rising, place the two loaves about 2″ apart on the lined baking sheet, and make deep diagonal slashes along the loaves every 2″, along the length of each loaf. Using a pastry brush, spread the egg wash over the tops and sides of the loaves.
5. Place the loaves on the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven and bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. For a crispier crust, spray the loaves with water after 10 minutes in the oven, and then allow to finish baking.
   

6. Allow the bread to cool to room temperature before eating (really – if you try to slice it right away, both the bread — and your good spirits — will deflate).

Warmly,

Nicole

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