Walnut and Raisin French Bread

Sometimes I just cook to satisfy my curiosity. I know it's a little bit risky, because I don't know whether I'll love the taste of the food I cook or not. I could've just bought it first before try to make it in my kitchen. But, where's the fun ? Even small mistakes can be a valuable lesson. In the end, after one or two trials, you can enjoy what you cook with a smile and say "I did it !"

This French Bread is only one of my craziest idea when I decided to put it on my recipe-to-try list. I've kneaded bread dough without food processor, twice or trice. As you all probably know that kneading the bread dough with your bare hands (ehem... yup, we are talking no food processor here) is a good exercise for your biceps. Build your muscles in the kitchen, lol, you don't need to go to the gym.

Why French bread ? My motto is "Cook everything at least once", hence I always feel the excitement when I try to cook something new that I never cook before. This is recipe was adapted from Crunchy Bottoms but I omitted the coffee and caraway seeds which I think nothing really change except for the coffee flavor. When I lay my eyes for the first time on French bread in a bakery, sexy was the word comes to mind. I love the golden brown crust with slightly dark burnt color, hard and strong shape. 

By law in French, bread can not have added oil or fat. For instance,  French baguettes must be made from water, flour, yeast, salt and a little amounts of dough improver allowed. French bread also incorporates whole wheat or rye flour in its ingredients. As you know, this bread can be consume in the morning with jam of your choice or honey. You also can combine it with cheese, butter, herbs, anything you like.

Enjoy....