French Bread (Home Style)

Directions

1. 1
   Combine dissolved yeast, sugar, salt, melted shortening, milk and water in a medium-size bowl.
2. 2
   Add 3 cups of flour, a little at a time, and beat until smooth.
3. 3
   Now add beaten egg whites and blend well.
4. 4
   Add rest of flour, a little at a time, and beat until smooth.
5. 5
   When dough is too stiff to beat, turn it out onto a floured pastry cloth and knead gently about 2 minutes, adding only enough more flour to prevent excess sticking, *keeping dough as soft as possible*.
6. 6
   Place in a greased bowl, brush top with melted shortening, cover, and let rise until doubled.
7. 7
   This will take about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
8. 8
   After it rises the first time, knead it again for about 1/2 minute.
9. 9
   Place it again in the greased bowl and let double - about 30 minutes.
10. 10
    After second rising, turn dough out onto a floured pastry cloth and divide it into 3 uniform pieces.
11. 11
    Roll each piece into a rectangle that measures about 8x16 inches, and shape it like a jelly roll, pinch ends well.
12. 12
    Place it open end down on a 12x18-inch baking sheet that has been thickly sprinkled with white corn meal from a shaker.
13. 13
    Place all 3 loaves on 1 baking sheet, leaving equal spaces between them.
14. 14
    With a sharp knife make diagonal cuts in tops of loaves, about 1/8 inch deep, spacing them 2 inches apart.
15. 15
    Let loaves stand in room temperature about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
16. 16
    Do not force near heat; best temperature is about 70 to 75F (When cuts in bread are almost flat, bread is ready to be baked.)
17. 17
    Bake at 325F about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
18. 18
    After 1 hour, look at bread, and if it is brown, shut off heat and allow it to remain in oven a few minutes longer to make crust more crisp.
19. 19
    After 30 minutes, loaves may be brushed several times during baking time with slightly beaten egg white combined with 1 teaspoon water.
20. 20
    This will impart an attractive glaze to loaves, but is not necessary.
21. 21
    To recrisp French bread after it has been stored in a covered container, reheat it about 10 minutes in a 400F oven.
22. 22
    This is copied from the aged textbook (I am tempted to just call it an aged Culinary Tome) verbatim.