Honey Butter French Bread

By chelyc13

Ingredients

• 2 cups warm water
• 1 teas sugar
• 1 envelope dry yeast
• 2 tblsp melted butter
• 2 teas salt
• 1 teas honey
• 5 cups unbleached flour

Preparation

Step 1

Mix 1/4 cup warm water and sugar in large bowl. Sprinkle yeast over; stir to dissolve. Let stand until foamy about 8 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 3/4 cups warm water. Mix in butter, salt and honey. Using wooden spoon, stir inn 4 cups flour.

Turn dough out onto flored surface. Kenad until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if sticky, about 8 minutes. Form dough into ball. Butter large bowl.. Add dough, turning to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, then with clean towel. let dough rise inw arm draft free area until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rest 10 minutes. Divide dough ihn half;p roll each dough piece between hands and work surface into 9 inch long loaves. transfer loaves to baking sheet. Cover with plastic then with towel. Let dough rise in warm draft free area until almost doubled about 30 minutes.

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 425. Make 5 diagonal slashes crosswise in surface of each loaf. Lightly brush water over tops and sides of loaves. Bake loaves 20 minutes, brushing occasionally with water. Continue to bake until loaves are golden brown and tester inserted comes out clean.