Missing that bakery life. French Bread.

Pre proof. A little sad lookin', right?

Post proof, oh dang they're coming up in life.

Baked! I ate about 1/3 of this with just some butter. Freshly baked goods are just the gosh dang tits.

Next day. And what do we do with day old French Bread?

Mother flippin' Garlic Bread!

Living for that buttery crumb shot.
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Original recipe: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/french-b

Edited recipe for 1/2 the amount:
Recipe-

INGREDIENTSBread:
- 1 1/8 cups warm water, 110-115 degrees F
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon instant or active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, canola oil, vegetable oil or avocado oil
- 2-3 cups (2 cups first, 1 cup gradually if needed) all-purpose flour or bread flour
Eggwash: (There will be left over egg, I use about 1/8 of this and cook the rest the next morning)
- 1 Egg
- Tbsp Milk
INSTRUCTIONS
- In the bowl combine the water, sugar, and yeast. (3-5 minutes).
- Add the salt, oil, yeast mixture, and 2 cups of flour and mix. Add in 1/2 - 1 more cups of flour gradually. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl and form a soft ball that doesn't leave a lot of dough residue on your fingers.
- Knead for 5-6 minutes until the dough is smooth. If the dough starts to cling to the sides of the bowl/counter add ⅛ cup of flour at a time until a sturdy but soft ball of dough forms.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with a towel or greased plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly greased surface and divide in half. Pat each section into a thick rectangle, 6X12-inches or thereabouts.
- Roll the dough up starting from the long edge, pressing out any air bubbles or seams with the heel of your hand or rolling pin, and pinch the edge to seal. - Arrange seam side down on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (I used a french bread loaf pan, would recommend if you planning on doing this more than once!)
- With VERY sharp knife, cut several gashes at an angle on the top each loaf
- Cover the loaves with greased plastic wrap and let rise, about an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and make sure an oven rack is in the center position. If you find your bread isn't browning as much as you like, preheat the oven to 400 or 425 degrees and/or move the oven rack up one position (watch carefully so the bread, especially the bottom, doesn't burn).
- Brush with egg wash
(For an extra golden, crisp crust, place the loaves in the preheated oven and immediately toss water/ice cubes the bottom of a heated sheet tray beneath the loaves. Close the oven door quickly but gently.)
- Bake the loaves for 25-30 minutes until golden and baked through.

EDIT: Thank you comments for sharing that real French Bread does not have sugar used to bloom the yeast! I will consider this not French Bread, but American Bread in a French Bread form! Its still very fun to make, and even more fun to eat.