French Countryside Bread (Bread Machine - Abm) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 3/8 cups water, room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Preparation

Add all ingredients to your bread machine as your directions instruct.
Mine go like this:
Add liquid ingredients to bread pan.
Add all dry ingredients, except yeast, to bread pan.
Make a well in the dry ingredients and carefully add the yeast into the well.
Select the \"French\" setting on your machine.
Select crust color, if applicable.
Press start!
OVEN METHOD:
To make loaves in the oven, use the \"Dough\" cycle on your machine.
When cycle is complete, punch dough down and divide into 2 equal parts.
On a lightly floured surface, roll each half into a rectangle, about 10 x 15.
Starting at the long side, roll each rectangle, jelly roll style, into a tight, long loaf. Seal seams and ends by pinching dough together.
Place loaves seam sides down on a large, ungreased baking sheet. You may sprinkle some cornmeal or flour on the pan under where you'll be placing the loaves.
Cover loaves with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, until almost double in size.
Preheat oven to 375*. Place a pan of hot water on the bottom rack of your oven. This will create steam inside the oven while the bread is baking to give you an authentic crust.
Using a very sharp knife, carefully make 3 or 4 diagonal slashes in each loaf, cutting about 1/2 inch down into dough.
If you choose, at this time you can carefully brush on an egg white glaze (one egg white beaten with 1 tbl. of water) and sprinkle with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried onion or garlic, etc., if desired.
Bake for 25-30 minutes (or until loaves sound hollow when tapped) on middle oven rack.
Cool on wire racks and serve warm.