...Tuesdays with & w/o Julia...

...funny title...because...

...you may find it odd...that Mastering the Art of French Cooking does not include a recipe for French Bread...which really is a staple in France...

...I couldn't count the number of times I saw someone with an unwrapped loaf tucked into a bag or under an arm...

...and I think the reason it's not in the book...is just because of that...French people don't make their own bread...(or they rarely do)...

...so I'll get no 'credit' at The Vegan Version for this recipe...

...and I used the 5 (FIVE) page recipe from this book...Baking with Julia...

....Julia says... there are no starters or sponges in French bread...the flavor and texture come from good mixing, enough kneading, a double rise at the right temperature, proper shaping, and a closely timed bake in a hot, humid oven...

...so you just mix flour, water, yeast and a little bit of salt...and Julia gives separate directions for kneading by hand and by machine...I chose the machine method...

...you start by mixing the water and flour on low...there are lots of periods of mixing and resting...

...measure the yeast carefully...weighing is best...

...add the yeast slowly...

...then the salt...

...then you increase the speed and knead the dough for 5 minutes...

...then turn the dough out on a floured surface...

...and knead just for a minute or two...to bring the dough to completion...

...then let it rest...

...covered for 15 minutes...

...the gluten relaxs and it rises just a bit...

...then you go through a specific set of instructions for slapping the dough...

...and stretching it...

...and folding it...

...then you shape it into a tight ball...

...and cover it again with a floured cloth...

...and you let it rise until doubled...Julia says that the temperature of the room and the dough come into play dramatically...

...so then you deflate the dough...

...and shape it...

...I placed our loaf diagonally on my largest sheet pan...lined with parchment and sprinkled with cornmeal...but Julia gives instructions for making little bumps with towels...to form troughs for letting the dough rise...

...then you let it rise again for another couple of hours...until doubled...Julia says it should barely spring back when you prod it with your finger...

...and she also gives specific instructions for the slashing of the bread with a razor...

...and then you're ready to bake in a humid...which is so counter-intuitive to me...that a humid oven would make a crisp crust...

...but you put the bread into the hot oven...then throw a cup of water into a preheated skillet...quickly close the oven door and do not open it again...

...and as so often happens with Julia...she was so right...the bread turned out perfectly...

...you have to let it cool at least 20 minutes before slicing...

...just look at that dense crumb and perfectly crispy crust...

...so delicious spread with Earth Balance...a perfect accompaniment to our Easter Dinner...

...and then one of our sides for Easter dinner was parsnips...

...I should have taken a photo before I started peeling and trimming them...

...now...I'm not a fan of parsnips...and I've only tried them a handful of times in my life...so if y'all know of a really good parsnip recipe...please send it my way...

...anywhoo...I looked in the MtAoFC index for a parsnip recipe...and didn't find one...

...so I got out my other tome...The Joy of Cooking...and found a simple looking recipe for glazed parsnips...and thought it looked palatable...

...quarter the parsnips and put them in a skillet with 2 cups of water...a spoonful of sugar...and 3 Tbp. on Earth Balance...and salt to taste...

...and a pinch of white pepper...

...then you just simmer them...

...letting all of the water evaporate as they cook...

...leaving them just lightly and sweetly glazed...

...and they were perfect...I probably still won't buy parsnips very often...but this is the way I'll make them when I do...

...what did you have for Easter Dinner?...

~Have a lovely day!