The Best French Bread (bread Machine)

Total Time: 2 hrs 40 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 cups bread flour
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• cornmeal
• vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• sesame seeds

Recipe

• 1 add 3/4 cup water, salt, flour, parmesan cheese, garlic powder and yeast to bread machine pan in order suggested by manufacturer.
• 2 select dough/manual cycle.
• 3 when cycle is complete, remove dough from machine to a lightly floured surface.
• 4 roll dough into a 15x10 inch rectangle.
• 5 beginning at long end, roll up tightly as for jelly roll.
• 6 pinch seams and ends to seal.
• 7 taper ends by gently rolling back and forth.
• 8 place loaf, seam side down on a greased baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal.
• 9 lightly brush loaf with oil.
• 10 cover and let rise in warm draft-free place until almost double in size, 10 to 15 minutes.
• 11 with a sharp knife, make 3 or 4 diagonal cuts about 1/4 inch deep across the top of loaf.
• 12 lightly beat egg and 1 tablespoon water; brush some of egg mixture over top of loaf.
• 13 bake at 375 for 20 minutes.
• 14 brush again with remaining egg mixture and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• 15 bake 5 to 10 minutes more or until done- bread should sound hollow when tapped.
• 16 remove the bread from the baking sheet and cool on a wire rack.