Homemade French Bread

I’ve tried a lot of french bread recipes but I’ve never found one that I LOVED until this one. This one had the perfect crusty exterior but the bread inside was actually soft. Try this next time you need some bread with a meal. It makes 2 large loaves and the leftovers are perfect for making some toasted sandwiches the next night for dinner.
Recipe from A Bountiful Kitchen:

• 2 Tablespoons dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 cups hot water
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon (yes tablespoon) salt
• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 6 cups flour, divided
• 1 egg, beaten- for glazing bread
Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. In a separate large bowl combine hot water, sugar, salt, oil and 3 cups of the flour. Stir well. Add the yeast mixture to the hot water-flour mixture. Mix together with large wooden spoon or paddle attachment. Add the remaining 3 cups of flour a cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. After all of the flour is added, let sit for 10 minutes, Stir. Repeat 5 times.
Divide the dough in half. Roll in a 9x12 rectangle on a floured surface. Roll the dough up like a jelly roll (long way). Place the dough on a greased baking pan (jelly roll pan), with the seam side down. Both loaves fit on one pan. Score the bread across the top 3 or 4 times, and brush with beaten egg. Let rise for 30 minutes in warm place. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes in lower half of oven, until golden brown.
Yield 2 large loaves french bread.
This was a little different process than most breads I’d made. I actually used the paddle attachment on my KitchenAid which I’d never done for bread. Instead of using that 5 times I just kneaded by hand 5 times, and then let it rise again. This give it that airy french bread texture.