French Bread(breadmachine)

Yesterday, I tried my hand at fixing a loaf of French bread! It was soooo good!! I even took some of it and made it into garlic bread!! Yummo!! I did the dough in my bread machine and then shaped it out into a loaf. Then took a sharp knife and cut slits in the dough. Placed in on a 15 1/2x10 cookie sheet(Pampered Chef Large Bar Pan) Baked in a 350° oven for about 20 minutes. Here is what it looked like after baking.....
Here it is after I sliced it using my new electric knife that I got for Christmas! Just look at the awesome texture of that bread!
Here is the recipe(2 lb loaf)....
11 1/2 ounces of 80° water(1 1/4 cups + 3 Tbsp.)
4 cups bread flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast OR 2 tsp. bread machine/fast rise yeast

1 1/2 lb loaf recipe....

8 1/2 ounces of 80° water(1 cup +1 Tbsp.)
3 cups bread flour
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine
2 tsp. active dry yeast OR 1 1/2 tsp. bread machine/fast rise yeast

Add liquid ingredients to bread machine pan. Add dry ingredients. Put the butter/margarine in the corners of the pan. Set machine on dough setting. Once done, place dough onto floured surface. Let rest for 15 minutes. Shape dough into bread loaf. Let rise for 30 minutes. Put on a greased cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven at 350° for 15-20 minutes or til golden brown.

Notes: I didn't grease my cookie sheet, because of using my stoneware cookie sheet. I used 2 tsp. of instant yeast(some of the 2-1lb.packs that you can get at Sam's Club for cheaper than buying the 3 packs of yeast in the grocery store!)

Family likeness--I should have fixed more than one loaf!!! Definitely will be doing this bread again!!

Looking for more breads, pasta, or potato recipes, head over to Jen-Frugal Upstate's Frugal Food Series--breads, pastas, or potatoes.