Name: Plain French Bread (Pain Français)
Cook time: 6 1/2 to 7 hours
Ingredients: Unless you plan to go into the more elaborate simulation of a baker's oven, you need no unusual equipment for the following recipe. Here are the requirements, some of which may sound odd but will explain themselves when you read the recipe.; A 4- to 5-quart mixing bowl with fairly vertical rather than outward-slanting sides; A kneading surface of some sort, 1 1/2 to 2 square feet; A rubber spatula and either a metal scraper or a stiff wide metal spatula; 1 or 2 unwrinkled canvas pastry cloths or stiff linen towels upon which the dough may rise; A stiff piece of cardboard or plywood 18 to 20 inches long and 6 to 8 inches wide, for unmolding dough from canvas to baking sheet; Finely ground cornmeal, or pasta pulverized in an electric blender, to sprinkle on unmolding board so as to prevent dough from sticking; The largest baking sheet that will fit into your oven; A razor blade for slashing the top of the dough; A soft pastry brush or fine-spray atomizer for moistening dough before and during baking; A room temperature thermometer to verify rising-temperature; 3 long loaves, baguettes, 24 by 2 inches; Or bâtards, 16 by 3 inches; Or 6 short loaves, ficelles, 12 to 16 by 2 inches; Or 3 round loaves, boules, 7 to 8 inches in diameter; Or 12 round or oval rolls, petits pains; Or 1 large round or oval loaf, pain de ménage or miche; pain boulot; 1 cake (0.6 ounce) fresh yeast or 1 package dry-active yeast; 1/3 cup warm water (not over 100 degrees) in a measure; 3 1/2 cups (about 1 lb.) all-purpose flour, measured by scooping dry-measure cups into flour and sweeping off excess; 2 1/4 tsp salt; 1 1/4 cups tepid water (70 to 74 degrees)

Editor's note: This Plain French Bread (or Pain Français) recipe accompanies an excerpt from Bob Spitz's book Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child, published on Epicurious on the occasion of Julia Child's Centennial.

Count on a minimum of 6 1/2 to 7 hours from the time you start the dough to the time it is ready for the oven, and half an hour for baking. While you cannot take less time, you may take as much more time as you wish by using the delayed-action techniques described at the end of the recipe.

Delayed Action

Starting and stopping the dough process

As noted in the Master Recipe, there are numerous points at which you can slow down the action or stop it altogether, by setting the dough in a colder place, or refrigerating or freezing it. Exact timings for any of these delaying procedures are impossible to give because so much depends on what has taken place during the slow-down, how cold the dough is when it starts to rise again, and so forth. All you need to remember is that you are in complete control: you can always push down a partially risen dough; you can slow the action with cold; you can speed it with warmth. You will work out your own systems and the following chart will help you:

TO DELAY THE FIRST RISING, SET DOUGH IN A COLDER PLACE
Approximate Hours of Rise
5-6 at 65°F
7-8 at 55°F
9-10 at Refrigerator

TO STOP ACTION ALTOGETHER AFTER FIRST OR SECOND RISE
Deflate, wrap airtight, and freeze. Limit: A week to 10 days, probably more for plain French bread dough, and risky after 10 days for doughs with butter and eggs. (We shall not venture farther upon this uncertain limb.)

TO DELAY SECOND RISING
a) Set dough in colder place.
b) Set a plate on top of dough and a 5-lb. weight; refrigerate.

TO DELAY OR FREEZE AFTER DOUGH IS FORMED
a) Set dough in a colder place.
b) Form dough on lightly oiled sheet; cover airtight and refrigerate or freeze, but note preceding time limit.

TO START ACTION AFTER THAWING
a) Thaw overnight in refrigerator; complete the rise at room temperature.
b) Set at 80 degrees until thawed; complete the rise at room temperature.

Recipe notes