july always seems like the perfect time to bake french breads. of course july 14th is bastille day, plus july is the month of the biggest cycling race there is: the tour de france. even if you don’t like cycling, it’s fun to watch everyone ride their bikes through the mountains of europe. it’s also fun to see if a french cyclist will win on bastille day, though that doesn’t happen very much.

whether you like cycling or care about the history of the bastille, french bread is still delicious! here’s an easy recipe to follow. eat it while you watch the bike race and cheer on the french cyclists!

ingredients

• 1 packet of active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon of regular sugar
• 1 ¾ cups of warm water
• 3 ½ cups of flour
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• a little bit of oil

how to make it

• in your mixer, add the yeast, sugar, and warm water
• wait five minutes while the yeast froths
• add 2 cups of lour
• turn your mixer on low, using the dough hook
• add in another cup of flour
• add the salt
• keep adding flour by the spoonful, until the dough is tacky
• mix another 5+ minutes on low
• roll the dough into a ball and coat it with oil
• cover the dough with plastic wrap or a plastic bag and put in a warm spot
• after 45 minutes, kneed the dough and separate into two rolls
• fold the rolls into 12″ long shapes and dust with flour
• put a silpat on your baking sheet and put the loaves on it then cover with a towel
• after another 45 minutes, preheat your oven to 400º
• use a razor to cut slices on the loaves
• put a pan with water on the rack below the bread in your oven and put the pan with bread above
• bake for 35 minutes

enjoy!