One-Hour French Bread

I have relied on my bread machine for mixing bread dough for the last 15 years, but sadly a couple of weeks ago my dearly loved bread machine mixed its last batch of dough.  I thought about looking for a replacement, but instead I did a search for a fast easy yeast bread recipe and this recipe for One-Hour French Bread showed up time and time again, so I gave it a try.  I am hooked!  This recipe makes a fantastic loaf of bread in one hour start to finish...faster and better than any bread machine!  I think my bread machine days are over and that I will just enjoy the extra counter space in my kitchen! 

One-Hour French Bread

1½ cups warm water
1 tablespoon honey
1½ teaspoons salt
1½ tablespoons Active Dry Yeast
3 - 4 cups flour (any combination of white and whole wheat)

Preheat oven 450º. Combine water, salt, honey, and yeast in a medium bowl. Let sit 5 - 10 minutes, until bubbling. Add flour, stirring with a wooden spoon, until dough is no longer sticky (I'll sometimes dump the dough out onto the cutting board with what flour is in the bowl and roll it around,adding a bit more flour, until it's not sticky). Roll dough into a 12 - 14" roll (or you can divide it in half and roll it into two long skinny baguettes). Place dough roll(s) on a cookie sheet (this won't work in a bread pan), greased or sprayed with non-stick spray, cover, and let sit 20 minutes. Make diagonal slits, 1/2" deep, on top with a razor blade. (Optional: spray with salt water). Bake 20 minutes.