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Recipe By Orville
Preparation Time 4:00

Makes 2 24 ounce loaves and about 14 bread sticks

Good Eats French Bread Class

1/8 cup yeast -- (dry) (3 packets)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup hot tap water -- (100 degrees)

3 tablespoons shortening -- melted
4 teaspoons salt
1 cup milk -- scalded
2 cups hot tap water
10 cups bread flour

Mix yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1 cup hot tap water. Set aside to activate. Mix 2 tablespoons of sugar, melted shortening, 4 teaspoons of salt, 1 cup scalded milk, and about 2 cups of flour. Mix on low with dough hook. Add yeast mixture. Add rest of flour and water, alternating flour and water until dough starts forming a ball on the dough hook. Dough should not stick to finger when lightly touched with a dry finger tip. Drop dough on a floured surface and kneed slightly and form a ball. Place dough in a large bowl coated with butter. Cover with a towel and let dough rise until doubled. Pour dough on lightly floured surface and cut into 24 oz pieces for loaves. Form dough into loaves about 18 inches in length. Place loaves in a french bread pan or on a baking sheet coated with butter or lined with baking paper. Make an egg wash with 1 egg and 3 tablespoons of water. Brush loaves with egg wash and let rise until loaves have doubled in size. Place in a 375 degree oven and bake for about 40 minutes or until golden brown. Be sure to check bottom of the loaves before removing from oven to make sure bottoms are good and brown. The egg wash tends to make the bread appear more done than it is. Remove from oven and place on cooling racks and cool completely before slicing.

To make bread sticks take part of the dough and cut into 3 oz pieces. Roll dough into sticks about 8" to 10 " in length. Brush the bread sticks with the prepared egg wash. If desired sprinkle the tops of the bread sticks with a mixture of garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Let the bread sticks rise until doubled in size and then place in a 375 degree oven. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.