The french bread is a simple white bread with an interesting twist. The original French name for this kind of bread is batard. French bakers like to add around 10% rye to their breads. The rye adds a little bit of extra flavor to the overall bread. On the first bite you taste the rye and then afterwards the regular flour. At the same time the color of the bread is slightly browner making it look more rustical. With only 10% rye the whole baking process does not change, the same techniques can be employed. Higher rye percentages can only be properly baked with sourdough.
Overall I make most of the breads with the 10% rye hack, it's a great combination.
- 450 grams of all purpose flour instead of 500
- 50 grams of rye (10%)