French Bread

I'm a sourdough man. I like raising my little bowl of yeast and bacteria. I like feeding them and mixing them up with different flours to make breads and pizza crusts. I like their wild and slightly unpredictable behavior contrasted with the nurturing and care that they require. Sourdough is some seriously manly stuff.
My wife on the other hand, when she bakes, is a bit more refined. She likes to follow the recipe as written. If it says use 1/2 cup, you use 1/2 cup, not pretty close to 1/2 cup more or less whatever it'll work out. If it says knead for 5 minutes, she's setting the timer and she'll knead until that sucker beeps. She also likes the predictability of domestic yeast. Add this much, rise for this long, get regular, predictable, and I grudgingly admit, yummy, bread.
To go with the shrimp bisque she made last weekend, she made french bread. It didn't have the flavor of my bread, but it was light and tasty and perfect for dipping in soup. It also make a fine sub bun the next day. She's good at this baking thing.

French Bread: from Betty Crocker's New Cookbook.
3-3 1/2 cups flour
1 tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
1 package dry yeast
1 cup very warm water (120-130 degrees)
2 tbs vegetable oil
Cornmeal
1 large egg white
1 tbs cold water
Poppy or sesame seeds if you want

Mix 2 cups flour with sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Add warm water and oil. Mix at low speed (mixer) for 1 minute. Stir in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until dough is easy to handle. Turn it out on a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Place in a greased bowl and turn it so all sides are greased. Cover and let rise somewhere warm for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until double.
When it's risen, divide dough in half and roll each half out to a rectangle 15x8 inches (my wife gets out the tape measure for this, really) Roll up the long way pinching the edges and end to seal. Place both loaves on cookie sheet lightly covered in corn meal. Cut 1/4 inch deep slashes across the top at 2 inch intervals with a very sharp knife. Brush tops with cold water and let rise uncovered for 1 hour or until doubled.
Heat oven to 375. Mix egg while and 1 tbs cold water and brush over loaves, sprinkle with seeds if you want to. Bake 20-30 minutes until golden and hollow sounding when you tap them. Enjoy. I did.