Sourdough French Bread Recipe

Make your batter the night before. Cover and let it sit out. Dissolve the yeast in the water. Mix with the Sourdough Batter and then stir in the sugar and salt. Finally, stir in the flour. I use my Kitchen Aid dough hook so there is no pain to this method. Knead with a machine or by hand until the dough is very smooth and elastic. Place the dough on a plastic tabletop and cover with a large metal bowl. Allow to double in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch the dough down, knead it a bit, and divide it into 2 pieces. Shape each into a loaf and place on a baking sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Using a pastry brush, dab a little water on the top of each loaf. Allow the loaves to rise until double in bulk and bake in a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is brown and the loaf sounds hollow when you tap the bottom with your knuckle.