Classic bread recipe

Pão Francês

Every bakery in Brazil serves "Pão Francês." If you are a Brazilian living abroad, this nostalgic recipe will make you feel right at home. The catch? You must use precise measurements and add steam to your oven. I bake a batch weekly and freeze it for fresh, daily bread. Come into my lab to learn how to bake, freeze, and reheat it for that fresh-out-of-the-oven taste.

Recipe Parameters

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Mixing30 min
Resting1 h 16 min
Shaping36 min
Baking1 h

Total3 h 22 min

Quantity

How many loaves?

Weight per loaf (g)

Baking tray capacity

Total dough weight (g)

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Trays needed

Based on tray capacity.

Ingredients

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Weight (g)	Ingredient	Factor
646.98	Flour Unbleached (all purpose)
19.41	Bread Booster
11.65	Sugar
11.65	Sea Salt
14.23	Instant Yeast
382.36	Filtred Cold Water
12.94	Unsalted Butter

Notes

Flour: unbleached or original works; if using bread flour, you might want to reduce or remove the booster.
Booster: it is optional, but can enhance the aroma, texture and flavor of the bread.
Yeast: use instant quick rise to follow my fermentation time.
Water: weighted for better precision; your flour might require less or more water. Adjust as needed.
Factor: use small steps to tweak the proportions. Changing too much will affect the final result.

Nutrition Facts

Know exactly what you are eating.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1 loaf (61g)

Calories142

% Daily Value*

Total Fat1.3 g2%

Saturated Fat0.5 g2%

Trans Fat0.02 g—

Cholesterol1.4 mg0%

Sodium239.4 mg10%

Total Carbohydrate27.0 g10%

Dietary Fiber1.2 g4%

Total Sugars0.6 g—

Protein6.1 g12%

Calcium0.0 mg—

Folate95.85 mcg—

Iron1.5 mg8%

Niacin2.7 mg—

Potassium54.53 mg1%

Riboflavin0.15 mg—

Thiamine0.24 mg—

Flour Unbleached (all purpose)

Bread Booster

Sugar

Sea Salt

Instant Yeast

Filtred Cold Water

Unsalted Butter

Equipment Needed

Gather these tools before you start.

Anova Precision Oven V1

Perforated baguette baking tray

Dough rolling pin, cutter, oven mitts and gloves

Precision food scale 0.1g

7 Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer

Water sprayer

Instructions

Follow these steps for perfect results.

Mixing30 min
Resting1 h 16 min
Shaping36 min
Baking1 h

Total3 h 22 min

Mixing30 min

1
5 min Add all ingredients, except the butter, to the mixer bowl.
2
10 min Mix for 10 minutes on speed 2.
3
5 min Let it rest for 5 minutes.
4
10 min Add the butter and mix for 10 minutes on speed 2.
5
— The mixing is done.

Resting15 min

6
15 min Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 15 minutes in the fridge.

Shaping36 min

7
— ×18 Weight it and divide it into equal portions based on the quantity specified. Always cover the dough with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.
8
— ×18 Keep all portions about the same weight to ensure even baking.
9
— ×18 To make the loaf, flatten it with the palm of you hand.
10
— ×18 It does not need to be perfect, just a rough shape is enough.
11
— ×18 Roll it from the top with your fingers.
12
18 min ×18 The pre-shaped loaf should look like this. Pre-shape all first and them move to the next step.
13
— ×18 Place the pre-shaped loaf with the join facing down and fatten it using the dough rolling pin.
14
18 min ×18 Roll it from the top with your fingers. The shaped loaf should look like this. Repeat until all loaves are shaped.
15
— On the right are the pre-shaped loaves, and on the left the shaped loaves.

Resting1 h 1 min

16
1 min Using oil spray and a basting brush, grease the perforated tray and place all shaped loaves in the perforated tray with the join facing down, keeping an space around them.
17
1 h Let them rise for 1 hour. I like to keep them inside the oven so they are not exposed to drafts. You can also cover them with plastic wrap. The loaves should be doubled in size.

Baking1 h

18
5 min 175°C · Rear heat · 100% steam · 100% fan · Rack 0 Preheat the oven to 175°C, with 100% steam and heating from the hear with fan at 100%. If your oven does not have a steam function, you can use a backing tray with water at the bottom of the oven.
19
2 min ×2 Using the water sprayer, give it 5 pumps so all loaves are evenly moist. Make one 45-degree cut on the top of each loaf with a sharp knife or razor blade.
20
22 min ×2 165°C · Rear heat · 100% steam · 100% fan · Rack 5 Place the tray in the top rack of the oven and bake for 11 minutes. Keep the oven at 165°C with 100% steam and heating from the heat with fan at 100%.
21
20 min ×2 165°C · Rear heat · 0% steam · 100% fan · Rack 2 Move the tray to the middle rack and rotate it so the darker ones are facing the door. Bake for 10 more minutes at 165°C with 0% steam and heating from the heat with fan at 100%. No steam in this stage.
22
10 min Remove the tray from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. You will see that they come out with a nice golden color and no visible crust (left side). As they cool down, you will hear some cracking sounds and the crust will become crispier (right side). The loaves are ready to be served.
23
1 min You can also freeze the loaves and reheat them in the air fryer, or 20 seconds in the microwave. Let it cool for 5 minutes, and it is ready to eat. They should last for about 3 months in the freezer. Enjoy!

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