Bread machine french bread

1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm water (75 to 85 degrees)

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Bread machines mix, knead and bake perfect loaves of bread. The recipe for this impressive loaf of plain French bread comes from recipe/instruction booklet included with a Sunbeam bread maker.

2 teaspoons softened butter

3-1/4 cups bread flour (I like King Arthur brand)

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

2-1/2 teaspoons "bread machine" yeast

Attach kneading blade into the bread pan.

Place ingredients in the bread pan in the following order: water, butter, flour, sugar and salt. With your finger, make a small indentation on one side of the flour. Add yeast to indentation, making sure it does not come in contact with the liquid ingredients.

Carefully insert bread pan into bread machine; close lid. Use the French bread setting on your machine and start machine.

When cycle is complete, remove bread pan from machine and allow bread to cool before removing from pan.

Once bread is removed from pan, allow to cool 20 minutes more, on a wire rack, before slicing.

Makes one 1-1/2 pound loaf.