Easy "French Bread" for Tasty Tuesday

Today is "Tasty Tuesday" over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam . Jennifer's blog is the first creative/homemaking blog that I started reading. I was tickled to find out that she blogs about many of the same things that I am interested in. She shares information on homeschooling, living frugally, couponing, cooking, thrift store shopping and so much more. Be sure and check her out! Today, I am linking up to her Tasty Tuesday with a very easy and very tasty French Bread Recipe!

This recipe was given to me by my friend Cindy. She has been making bread, particularly this kind for many years. I tried it once and my family was hooked on "Mrs. Cindy's French Bread".

Mrs. Cindy's French Bread
1 3/4 cups very warm water
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (I have used canola, a canola blend and Smart Balance OMEGA oil )
5 teaspoons of yeast
2 teaspoons of salt
4+ cups bread flour

Put the warm water in your mixing bowl, I use my Kitchen-aid. Cindy mixes hers in her bread machine. Dissolve yeast in the water. Add the oil and one cup of flour. Mix and then add a second cup of flour with the salt. Continue mixing and adding remaining flour a little at a time until you have reached the 4 cups. You will probably need more than that, I usually do, so add a little more at a time until your dough makes a "ball" and is moist to the touch but not sticky. I spray the edges of mixing bowl and top of the dough with a cooking spray, lift the dough out, spray the bottom of the bowl, turn the dough over and put it back in the bowl. I spray the top of the dough and cover the bowl loosely. Let it rise til "doubled"...this doesn't take as long as traditional bread to rise... usually under an hour if it's in a warm place. Punch down and divide dough in half. Roll the first half into a rectangle and then roll up along the long side. Tuck the sides under and pinch seams. Repeat with second half. Place loaves side by side on a cookie sheet or use a baguette pan. Using a serrated knife cut four slits across the tops of each loaf. Brush with butter and sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired. Let rise again until doubled. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake til the tops are slightly brown and the bottom sounds hollow when "thumped". You can brush with butter again when they come out of the oven.

These go great with soup, spaghetti, or just about anything!