January 24: Don't be intimidated. You CAN make bread.

French Bread

1 ¼ cup very warm water
1 Tbs. Malt flour (You can find this in the organic aisle, near the flour.)
1 Tbs. High gluten flour (same as above).
2 Tbs. Dry active yeast

Let stand ten minutes until bubbly. Pour into mixing bowl.

To mixing bowl add
1 tsp. Lemon juice
1 Tbs. sugar

¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp. Sea salt
4—4-1/2 cups white bread flour

Mix with a dough hook on a kitchenaide until elastic, not sticky, like you can spank it—ten minutes. Remove bread from bowl, spray bowl with cooking spray and return dough to bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise one hour. Punch down and shape into loaves. Let rise one hour. Preheat oven to 450. Spray interior with water just before you put bread in. Place bread in oven. Spray again. Turn heat down to 400. Spray bread three times, every two minutes or so. This simulates a steam injected French oven. Total baking time 20-25 minutes. Cool on rack. Makes 2.

Conversation starter: What's the best loaf of bread you've ever had? Where was it?