lovely!
New Orleans French Bread
Known for its irresistibly crunchy crust and sparse crumb, this bread is the ideal po'boy canvas, or cut it into quarters and serve with crab maison.
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Credit: Anna Stockwell
2 1/4-oz. packages active dry yeast
2 tbsp. vegetable shortening
6 cups bread flour
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1. Place 1 tbsp. sugar, yeast, and 2 cups water heated to 115° in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook; let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add remaining sugar and shortening, and then add flour and salt. Mix on low speed until dough forms; increase speed to medium-high and knead dough until smooth, 8–10 minutes. Remove bowl from mixer and cover with plastic wrap; let sit until doubled in size, 1 1/2–2 hours.
2. Uncover dough and transfer to a floured work surface; knead briefly to form a ball. Divide dough into quarters and shape each quarter into a 16"-long thick rope. Place two ropes each on a parchment paper-lined baking sheets, and cover with plastic wrap; let sit until doubled in size, 1–1 1/2 hours.
3. Heat oven to 375°. Using a sharp knife or cutting blade, slash a long line down the middle of each loaf. Bake loaves until light brown and an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of each loaf reads between 208°–212°, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
MAKES 4 LOAVES
Ratings & Reviews (6)
One star because I can't make this until you tell me how much shortening to use. If I am going to try a new recipe I would like the exact ingredients to use. I don't want to guess.
Excellent recipe. However, I would recommend lightly misting the loaves with water just before baking to create the signature crackly-crispy crust.
Says right there in the recipe "2 Tbsp. vegetable shortening".
Could somebody please tell me how much yeast that is by weight? Is it 2.25 oz exactly? (Don't know how much is in those small packages as I have a huge Costco batch). THANKS!
A packet contains 2.25 tsps - two and 1/4 teaspoons of activated dry yeast. For better results, try SAF Instant Yeast, used by pro bakers. Advantage: does NOT need any sugar or priming to start. Throw it in the mix just like salt and flour, and add your liquid ingredients. Adjust your recipe as follows: 1.5 teaspoons of instant yeast = 2.25 of active dry. Use 2/3 of what the activated dry yeast number is. SAF works great. Keep most of it in the freezer, with a smaller container in the fridge. Lasts a year and costs about $3-$4. Available at Cash and Carry, Smart and Final and other restaurant style outlets, or from King Arthur and other bakery specialty suppliers for a few bucks more.
New Orleans French Bread
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