French Bread

• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 1½ tsp. salt
• 3 to 3½ cups sifted flour
• Cornmeal
• 1 pkg. yeast
• 1 Tbsp. soft shortening
• Sesame or poppy seeds, if desired

Combine the water and salt; add the yeast and stir until yeast is well dissolved. Add the shortening. Stir in the flour, ½ cup at a time. Continue adding enough flour to make a stiff dough. When the dough begins to leave the sides of the bowl, turn it out onto a lightly floured board. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic and does not stick to the board.

Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning once to bring the greased side up. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place (80 to 85 degrees F.) until double in bulk, or about 1½ to 2 hours. (Dough has doubled when two fingers, pressed into it, leave an indentation.)

Punch the dough down, fold over edges of dough and turn it upside down. Cover and let rise again until almost double in bulk, or 30 to 45 minutes. Roll the dough into an oblong, 15 by 10 inches. Starting from a wide side, roll the dough up tightly as for a jelly roll. Pinch the edges together to seal. With a hand on each end of the roll, roll gently back and forth to lengthen the loaf and taper the ends.

Sprinkle a lightly greased baking sheet with cornmeal. Place the loaf diagonally on the baking sheet. With a sharp knife, make ¼ inch slashes in the dough at 2-inch intervals, or 1 lengthwise slash. Brush the top with cold water and let stand, uncovered, about 1½ hours. Brush again with cold water.

Bake in an oven preheated to 425 degrees F. for 10 minutes. Brush again with water, reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F. and bake 10 minutes longer. Brush with water again, sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds if desired, and continue baking until golden brown, or 15 to 20 minutes longer. Makes 1 loaf.