OK, full disclosure. I don’t usually like French bread. And yes, I know, I am in the minority here. I get that. But let me explain why I don’t often appreciate French bread and why I decided recently to bake a couple of loaves anyway.

First of all, if I am going to enjoy a piece of white bread, I want a really crusty, chewy bread. Like most Italian baguettes. But I had a specific purpose in mind when I ventured into French bread land. I wanted to find a recipe for an uncomplicated, basically white bread to use in this year’s turkey dressing. And I figured most of my baguette recipes would not give me that medium crumb I was after. But French bread might provide me with just that perfect crumb and basic bread flavor that I was envisioning. So, to French bread recipes I proceeded. (And yes, I have a great recipe for Thin Sourdough French Baguettes on this site that I adore. But I didn’t want the tang of sourdough in my dressing this year. I simply wanted to change things up a bit because, heck, why not? Everything else is crazy different about 2020, so why shouldn’t my dressing this year be slightly different too?) (And yes, sourdough starter does change bread consistency just by its very nature. So too soft a crumb is not a problem in sourdough French bread. At least to my thinking.)

So, I went on-line and found the bones of this recipe on the abountifulkitchen.com site. I changed the recipe ingredients and amounts here and there, but the basic preparation method was new to me. So, I followed it where it made good sense to do so. But I deviated when my bread baking knowledge led me in a different direction. So, this is truly a mash up recipe. But it worked. Boy did it work!

The result? This is one fine tasting French bread. And the crumb is perfect. Not too soft, but not too chewy either. And the crust is lovely. Well of course it is. Anything tastes great when slathered with butter! (That part came from a different French bread recipe.) (And yes, I most definitely will be making this bread again. It’s absolutely too delicious not to add to my list of favorite bread recipes.)

But ultimately, the main reason I have decided to accept this wonderful French bread into my life, is because it is not a light and fluffy French imitation of Wonder bread! This bread has character. Plus, it takes less than 2 hours to build, start to finish. But really, the most fantastic thing about this bread is that it is utterly delicious. 

So as always, remember that sometimes it’s a smart idea to think outside the box. We all have pre-conceived ideas that maybe should be re-considered, or at the very least, questioned or examined to see if they still make sense. And finally, when we do extend ourselves past our own notions, or beliefs, or conceptions, we tend to learn something. And continuing to learn should always be something we strive for throughout our life. To my thinking, it’s one of our most treasured abilities. Peace and love to all. And Happy Thanksgiving.

2 pkgs. or 2 T. active dry yeast 

2 c. warm water

2 T. granulated sugar

1 T. kosher salt

2 T. vegetable oil, plus more for greasing the bowl

2 c. bread flour

3¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

2 T. unsalted butter, melted*

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the yeast, warm water, and sugar with your bread hook. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Add the salt, oil, bread flour, and about 3 cups of the all-purpose flour. Mix and knead the dough, adding as much of the remaining flour as required to make a smooth, soft, but not too sticky dough. (The dough should cling to the hook with just a bit sticking to the bottom of the mixing bowl.)

Pour a bit of oil in the bowl, and using your fingers and a stiff rubber spatula, roll the dough into a ball. For the next 60 minutes, starting after you cover the dough with a tea towel and let it rise for 10 minutes, deflate the dough. (In other words. Punch the dough down 5 more times. This helps develop the wonderful texture of this bread.)   

Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a 9×12 rectangle on a floured work surface.

Roll the dough up like a jelly roll (long way). Place the dough on a large, greased baking pan seam side down. Make five diagonal cuts across the top of each loaf. Let rise, covered with a tea towel, for about 30 minutes in warm place.  

Bake in the middle of a pre-heated 375-degree convection oven for about 20 minutes, or if you don’t have the option of using convection heat, about 25-30 minutes in a regular oven. The internal temperature should reach at least 200 degrees and the crust should be golden brown when the bread is perfectly baked.  

Remove from oven, transfer to a wire rack, and brush the top of the bread with the melted butter. Let cool completely before slicing.

*If you prefer a harder crust, don’t use the melted butter. Your choice.

SAUSAGE DRESSING

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter

½ lb. bulk breakfast sausage

¾ c. chopped celery (stalks and leaves)

1 med. onion, finely chopped

4-6 lg. mushrooms, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

¼ c. chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 tsp. finely minced fresh sage

1½ tsp. dried thyme leaves

1 T. poultry seasoning, or more to taste

½ tsp. savory, either powdered or dried leaves

1 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

8-10 c. dry bread cubes  

2 eggs

turkey or chicken stock

In a medium sized fry pan, melt the butter and add the sausage, breaking it up as it browns. Add the celery, onions, and mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, parsley, sage, thyme, poultry seasoning, savory, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat.

Place dried bread cubes in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the sausage mixture; mix thoroughly.

Beat eggs in a separate medium sized bowl. If you are using stock that is simmering happily on your stove, vigorously whisk 2 cups of the broth into the eggs. A little at a time. (The hot stock will scramble the eggs if you don’t stir vigorously. Not what you want!) Pour the hot liquid over the bread cubes and gently stir. Be careful, you don’t want to break the dry bread cubes apart. Add more stock if the dressing is dry. (Remember, this is dressing, not stuffing and therefore is not going into the cavity of the turkey. So, any moisture needs to be added while it is being prepared.) Taste the dressing and add additional poultry seasoning and/or salt if needed.

Place dressing in a buttered casserole dish, cover and refrigerate until ready to bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 45 minutes or until hot. (I put mine in the oven when the turkey comes out.)

Please Note: recipe for Turkey Stock can be found under Herb Salted Turkey with Cognac Gravy. This dressing recipe is perfect with Herb Salted Turkey and Cognac Gravy BTW. Just in case you were wondering.