Three-Grain French Bread

Yogurt and orange juice add a bit of sourdough texture and flavor to this easy and delicious loaf.

Serves: 16Hands-on: 30 minutesTotal: 3 hours 50 minutesDifficulty: Medium

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Serves: 16

Ingredients

  • 3⁄4 cup warm water
  • 2 packages (1⁄4 oz.) active dry yeast
  • 1 Tbsp. sugar
  • 1⁄4 cup orange juice
  • 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
  • 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1 egg
  • 1⁄3 cup oat bran
  • 1⁄2 tsp. salt
  • 1 1⁄2 cups whole-wheat flour
  • 3 cups bread flour
  • 1 Tbsp. cornmeal

Directions

  • In large bowl, combine water, yeast, and sugar; stir and let stand for 10 minutes. Add orange juice, yogurt, lemon juice, and egg and beat for 1 minute. Add oat bran, salt, whole-wheat flour, and 1 cup bread flour and beat. Cover for 1 hour.
  • Gradually add enough remaining bread flour to form a firm dough. Turn onto floured surface and knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise for 1 hour.
  • Punch down dough and let rest for 10 minutes. With nonstick cooking spray, spray 2 rectangles (14 by 4 inches) on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal. Divide dough in half and roll each half to a 14-by-6-inch rectangle. Roll up tightly, starting at longer side. Pinch edges and ends to seal and place, seam side-down, onto prepared cookie sheet.
  • Cover and let rise for 30 minutes, or until doubled. Preheat oven to 375°F. Slash bread in shallow cuts several times, cutting across the loaves, using a sharp knife. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped with fingers. Let cool on wire rack.