Easy Twisted Croissant French Bread

Spring semester begins. Two classes: Introduction to Special Education and Family Engagement in Early Childhood. The special education class meets Tuesday evenings and the family engagement class is online, which is a relief because I was not sure how to manage two evening commutes on top of work. The online class is asynchronous and I can do the work at night or on weekends when I am not cooking or driving to Prattville.

I am tired in a specific new way, the way you are tired when you are doing more than your baseline, but it is not unpleasant. It is productive tired, tired that makes sense. I sleep well. I wake up and cook something and go to work and come home and study and go to bed. This is a life. I know it is a life because it has shape and momentum.

This week in the kitchen I made my first attempt at real yeast bread. Not biscuits, not cornbread, not quick bread. Yeast bread with a long rise, the kind that requires planning the day before. I used a simple white sandwich bread recipe from the library book. Mixed the dough, kneaded it for eight minutes, let it rise for two hours, punched it down, shaped it, second rise, then bake. The loaf came out a little dense, which is a sign of over-working or under-rising or both, but the crust was beautiful and the smell was everything you hope it will be.

Gloria said: bread is the hardest and the most forgiving at the same time. What she means is: it is hard to do perfectly but the imperfect versions are still bread and still good. She is right. I ate half the loaf in two days. Dense and good and mine.

After that first dense-but-beautiful loaf, I wanted to try something with a little more shape to it—something that looked like I meant to make it. This twisted French bread felt like the right next step: still a simple yeast dough, still that long rise that makes the whole kitchen smell like possibility, but with a braid that gives you something to be proud of even when the crumb isn’t perfect yet. Gloria would approve.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes (includes rising) | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 cup warm water (105—110°F)
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
1 tablespoon butter, melted (for brushing)

Instructions

Activate the yeast. In a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and sugar. Stir gently and let sit for 5—10 minutes until foamy. If it doesn’t foam, the yeast is no good and you’ll need to start over with fresh yeast.
Mix the dough. Add flour, salt, and softened butter to the yeast mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
Knead. Knead the dough for 6—8 minutes until smooth and elastic. It should spring back when you press it with your finger. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let rise in a warm spot for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until doubled in size.
Shape the twist. Punch the dough down gently. Divide it into two equal pieces. Roll each piece into a long rope, about 16—18 inches. Lay the two ropes side by side and twist them around each other, pinching the ends to seal. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and tuck the ends underneath.
Second rise. Cover loosely with a towel and let rise for 30—40 minutes, until puffy but not quite doubled.
Preheat and prep. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush the top of the loaf with beaten egg wash.
Bake. Bake for 22—25 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when you tap the bottom. Brush with melted butter as soon as it comes out of the oven.
Cool. Let the bread cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before slicing. It’s tempting, but the inside is still setting up.

Nutrition (per serving)

Easy Twisted Croissant French Bread — The Loaf That Taught Me to Wait