Actually it is called “French Bread” in Denmark so the title name is not exactly precise. Another curious naming is “danish pastry”, which is called “danish” everywhere else than in Denmark, where it is called Viennese Bread. Anyways, it is a classic white bread mostly used for breakfasts and sometimes for finishing off a “smorgasboard” with cheese.
The trick is to make it spongy and soft on the inside, while crusty on the outside. It is a simple recipe but must be followed carefully for good results.
Ingredients:
Use a big bowl.
Pour in the liquids. Make sure it is NOT too hot. Cold milk from the fridge can be warmed at bit using tempered water, but make sure it is cool after all.
Put in the salt and the suger. Stir it till it is disolved.
Add the yeast and stir gently till it is dissolved too.
Stir in some flour a handful at a time. When it starts to become a firmer dough, quit the spoon and start using your hands. Knead the dough until it is nice a silky. Make sure to use as little flour as possible, so that the dough is still slightly sticky, yet does not stick to your hands.
Put some baking paper in a baking form and shape the dough so that it fits well inside.
Let it raise for around 1,5 hours. It should raise well above the form, but not too much. The amount of yeast in the recipe is for quick raising dough, which I prefer, but if you want longer raising time, use maybe half amount of yeast.
Set the oven at 250 dgr C (Do it about 15 mins before the raising is done preferably so that it is ready at the right time)
Brush it with cold milk quickly and immediately after put it in the oven at the bottom rung. Bake it at 250 for 10 mins and then turn down the temperature to 200 dgr C for another 18-20 mins.
Take it out of the form and let it rest on the paper, on the side, until its only lightly warm.
Eat a big slice with cold, salted butter... and enjoy :-)
