Free Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2 by Julia Child Page A

a steam-injection system humidifies the oven for the first few minutes of baking. Steam allows the yeast to work a little longer in the dough and this, combined with ahot baking surface, produces an extra push of volume. In addition, steam coagulating the starch on the surface of the dough gives the crust its characteristic brown color. Although you can produce a good loaf of French bread without steam or a hot baking surface, you will get a larger and handsomer loaf when you simulate professional conditions. We give both systems—the Master Recipe, which requires no special equipment, and the simulated baker’s oven system .
    SOUR DOUGH
    Sour dough is an American invention, not French, and you will not find anything like American sour dough in France. But you can adapt your sour dough recipe to the method described here for plain French bread. We think you will find that our recipe will give you an excellent result.
    EQUIPMENT NEEDED FOR MAKING FRENCH BREAD
    Unless you plan to go into the more elaborate simulation of a baker’s oven, you need no unusual equipment for the following recipe. Here are the requirements, some of which may sound odd but will explain themselves when you read the recipe.
    A 4- to 5-quart mixing bowl with fairly vertical rather than outward-slanting sides
    A kneading surface of some sort, 1½ to 2 square feet
    A rubber spatula and either a metal scraper or a stiff wide metal spatula
    1 or 2 unwrinkled canvas pastry cloths or stiff linen towels upon which the dough may rise
    A stiff piece of cardboard or plywood 18 to 20 inches long and 6 to 8 inches wide, for unmolding dough from canvas to baking sheet
    Finely ground cornmeal, or pasta pulverized in an electric blender, to sprinkle on unmolding board so as to prevent dough from sticking
    The largest baking sheet that will fit into your oven
    A razor blade for slashing the top of the dough
    A soft pastry brush or fine-spray atomizer for moistening dough before and during baking
    A room thermometer to verify rising-temperature

       PAIN FRANÇAIS
[Plain French Bread]
    Count on a minimum of 6½ to 7 hours from the time you start the dough to the time it is ready for the oven, and half an hour for baking. While youcannot take less time, you may take as much more time as you wish by using the delayed-action techniques described at the end of the recipe.
For 1 pound of flour , making 3 cups of dough, producing:
    3 long loaves, baguettes , 24 by 2 inches, or bâtards , 16 by 3 inches
    Or 6 short loaves, ficelles , 12 to 16 by 2 inches
    Or 3 round loaves, boules , 7 to 8 inches in diameter
    Or 12 round or oval rolls, petits pains
    Or 1 large round or oval loaf, pain de ménage or miche; pain boulot

1) The dough mixture—le fraisage ( or frasage )
    NOTE : List of equipment needed is in paragraph preceding this recipe.

    1 cake (0.6 ounce) fresh yeast or 1 package dry-active yeast
    ⅓ cup warm water (not over 100 degrees) in a measure
    3½ cups (about 1 lb.) all-purpose flour, measured by scooping dry-measure cups into flour and sweeping off excess
    2¼ tsp salt
    1¼ cups tepid water (70 to 74 degrees)
    Stir the yeast in the warm water and let liquefy completely while measuring flour into mixing bowl. When yeast has liquefied, pour it into the flour along with the salt and the rest of the water.
    NOTE : We do not find the food processor satisfactory here, since the dough is so soft the machine clogs; however, you can use a heavy-duty mixer with dough hook, and finish it up by hand .

     
Stir and cut the liquids into the flour with a rubber spatula, pressing firmly to form a dough, and making sure that all bits of flour and unmassed pieces are gathered in. Turn dough out onto kneading surface, scraping bowl clean. Dough will be soft and sticky. Let it rest for 2 to 3 minutes while you wash and dry the bowl.

2) Kneading—pétrissage
    The flour will have absorbed the liquid during this short rest, and the dough will have a little more cohesion for the