Easy No Knead French Bread

Step 1

Combine the flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a large bowl.

Step 2

In a separate bowl, mix the warm water and 2 Tablespoons / 30g of the melted butter together and pour into the flour mixture. Using your hands, just mix until well combined. You can add up to an extra cup / 120g of flour if while you are mixing you feel that the dough is too sticky.

Step 3

Coat the bowl with a little oil and leave the dough in the oiled bowl for 45 minutes to 1 hour until double in size.Keep the bowl in a warm, draft free area of your kitchen.

Step 4

After an hour knock down the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough in half.

Step 5

Roll out each portion of dough and shape or press out the dough into about a 9 inch / 23cm long rectangular shape.

Step 6

Starting with the long edge of the dough roll tightly into a loaf shape. Seal the edges by pinching and pressing it together. Place the rolled up loaves , seam side down onto a greased or lined baking sheet . Brush the unbaked loaves with 1 tablespoon of melted butter.

Step 7

Using a very sharp knife, make diagonal slits across the tops of each loaf. Leave the shaped loaves to rise again for about 20 minutes Preheat your oven to 356°F / 180°C and bake the bread for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown on top.

Step 8

Remove loaves from the oven and brush the baked loaves with 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Then cover with a kitchen towel. This will trap the steam and keep the bread soft.

Step 9

Allow the bread to cool slightly before slicing. I know that it is tempting but avoid slicing the bread as soon as you remove it from the oven because it will be doughy. Allowing it to cool for at least 5 to 10 minutes ensures that you get neat slices of bread.

Step 10

You can freeze the other loaf if you prefer and allow about 2 hours to defrost before either warming in the microwave or toasting the slices on a pan or toaster.