Julia Child's Bread

Total Time: 3 hrs 25 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr 40 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 45 mins

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups water (105-115 f)
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 7 cups bread flour or 7 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/4-1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

Recipe

• 1 pour 1/2 cup of the water into a bowl and mix with yeast and sugar til foamy.
• 2 let sit for 5 minutes until creamy.
• 3 put the yeast mixture, rest of the water and 3 1/2 cups of the flour into the mixer with the dough hook.
• 4 mix slowly until blended then add the rest of the flour.
• 5 increase speed and scrape down the sides til the dough comes together.
• 6 (if it doesn't add a tbsp of flour at a time til it does.) add salt and mix at medium speed for 10 minutes (or do half in mixer and half kneading) til dough is smooth and elastic.
• 7 back in mixer add butter 1 tbsp at a time (dough may come apart, but mixing will pull it back together).
• 8 turn dough out on lightly floured surface and shape it into a ball then place in a large buttered or oiled bowl.
• 9 turn dough so it is completely coated in the fat, then cover in plastic for 45 minutes to an hour, til it has doubled in size at room temperature.
• 10 butter 2 loaf pans.
• 11 deflate the dough, cut in half and turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
• 12 roll out into a 9 x 12-inch rectangle.
• 13 with the short end facing you, fold the dough into thirds like a sheet of paper to go into an envelope, creating a roll.
• 14 pinch the seam closed, and pinch the ends enough so it will fit in the loaf pan.
• 15 drop in the loaf pan seam side down, and repeat.
• 16 cover the loaves with buttered plastic wrap and allow to rise again in a warm place (80°f) for 45 minutes, until they double in size.
• 17 preheat the oven to 375°f and put the rack in the center of the oven.
• 18 bake for 35-45 minutes til they are honey brown.
• 19 immediately turn out of pans onto a rack to cool.
• 20 once almost completely cool, they can be cut.
• 21 store in a brown paper bag for a day or two.
• 22 once cut, turn cut side down onto a cutting board and cover with a kitchen towel.