Amazing French Bread

This bread is so yummy and it's super easy to make!

Dissolve 1 Tablespoon yeast in ¼ cup warm water for 5 minutes
Dissolve 1 ½ Tablespoon sugar and ½ Tablespoon salt in 1 cup hot water

Add: ¼ cup olive oil (extra virgin is best)
Yeast mixture
2 1/2-4 cups flour until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl but still stick, just so you're barely able to handle the dough with light oiled hands.

Oil a bowl and transfer dough to it and cover with oil sprayed plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled (about 1 hour). Punch down and roll out as if you were making cinnamon rolls. Roll up, pinch end and tuck under ends. Brush with egg (yolk makes the bread really pretty) and cut three slits on top. Let rise again until doubled. Cook at 400° for 20 minutes. Let bread cool before cutting. This recipe makes one very large loaf.

If you happen to have to worry about an egg allergy, omit the egg and you can brush with melted butter after baking to give it the pretty color.

Recipe courtesy of my sister Mindy and beautiful picture courtesy of Rachel.