French Bread ~ Two Ways

I'm going to share two ways of making this bread  the recipe is the same in both cases, but the loaves are just finished differently. (I made a mistake the first time I made it, but we still loved the bread!)
The recipe makes one large loaf, or two medium size baguettes,  and you can use a bread machine for mixing the dough and for the first rise.





This the bread cooling when the recipe is made the way it was intended to be made ~ resulting in a nice  crispy-chewy crust with body.  
The interior texture is fairly fine, unlike a rustic sourdough;  no big holes so you can use it as a base for sandwiches and tartines, etc.
For the crispy crust version, egg-white wash is brushed on during the last few minutes of baking.

And below is my "mistake" version:






 I brushed the egg wash on the bread when I placed it in the hot oven. This way the crust is softer ~  perfect for when you don't want a pronounced crunchy crust. 
Kids and anyone with a dental issue would probably  prefer the bread made this way.  :0)
Either way, there is not much that can top the aroma (and taste) of freshly baked bread!
If you would like a copy of the recipe; you can find it HERE.


Coming next:
I'll share a couple of yummy ways I like to use French bread when it's a day or two old.