Healthier French Bread

Hey there!

Today I have a healthier version of my French Bread made with white flour. I've been trying to get over some type of influenza/cold from H-E-Double Hockey Sticks, and I wanted homemade chicken noodle soup the other day. {Try this version!}

While the soup was cooking, I realized that I had not made French bread in AGES. Since I'm a cleaner-eating, healthier version of myself lately, I decided to make the bread healthier too. This is what I came up with, and it turned out SO good. Note that in the original version, I use olive oil, which is definitely healthy, but since I've discovered avocado oil, I wanted to try it out in this bread. Worked like a charm! I used a ratio of about 2/3 whole wheat flour to 1/3 white flour, just because I didn't want the finished product to be too heavy. You can definitely use only wheat flour if you like.

Healthier French Bread
makes one loaf

1 3/4 cups warm water
1 T. yeast
2 T. avocado oil
2 T. raw, unfiltered honey
1 t. sea salt
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 to 1 1/2 cups white flour

I mix and knead all the ingredients in my bread machine. After the first rise, remove the dough from the bread machine and roll into a log about a foot long. Place the loaf on a baking sheet, on a piece of parchment cut just wider than the loaf. Slash the top of the loaf 3 or 4 times diagonally across the top, making each slash about 1/2" deep.

Place the loaf in a preheated 400 degree oven and bake for approximately 25-28 minutes, or until deep golden brown. Cool about 15 minutes before slicing--if you can wait that long!