I make bread about 2-3 times/wk and this is the first time I've had a loaf collapse on me. I followed the recipe exactly with the Med crust and the French cycle. The top looked like a huge crater. The flavor was good and the inside was almost a sourdough texture which isn't what I expected but wasn't bad. The crust was crunchy but chewy at the same time. Not quite what I'm looking for.

soft and flaky. one to use often.

This bread is actually perfection! Sooooo good! And sooo super easy too. I do not have a bread machine so here is how to make it without one: First mix the yeast, sugar, and water and let that proof for about 10 minutes. Then, mix in the flour and salt and knead until smooth (okay, so I DO have a KitchenAid Mixer, which helps immensely), about 5-7 minutes with the dough hook in the KitchenAid. Place in a greased bowl (make it a BIG bowl, this rises sooo much) and cover with greased plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled (about an hour). Then punch down and knead another two minutes or so on a lightly floured surface, flatten slightly (maybe an inch thick) and roll once into an oval shaped loaf (be sure to pinch the seal closed). Make three diagonal slices on top of bread, place on greased cookie sheet, cover and let rise another hour. Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom. Oh, also, I used an extra 1/2 cup of flour, but my house must be extra humid because I always have to add extra flour to my bread recipes. You are looking for the dough to pull completely away from the edge and bottom of the bowl when you are doing your first knead. This bread is soooo good it is really a must try!

This is the best regular white bread I've ever had. Look out though, it rises up huge. At least for me.

Simple, tasty bread! Thanks for the recipe! If you're having problems with your bread, here are some things to consider: 1. Double-check the settings on your bread machine--and if you've never used it before, be aware that your first loaf will probably be a "throw-away" loaf (don't worry, it's not you, it's the machine). 2. Check your ingredients. They should be at room temperature when added, not cold--especially the yeast. Also, if your yeast is not fresh enough, your bread may not rise enough, or at all. 3. If the top of your bread consistently falls, check the seal on your bread machine, or try setting it in an area that has no drafts. Failing that, you can adjust the ingredient amounts, using the recipes given by the manufacturer as a guide. 4. Be sure you're using BREAD flour, not "all-purpose." Bread flour has added gluten, which helps the rising and the texture of the bread. 5. Don't expect this to come out tasting or feeling like purchased sandwich bread or those "brown-and-serve" breads. It won't. HTH!

I have made this bread for New Year's Day for about 3 years now. This year was the first time it fell in my bread machine---the top caved in! I hope that is not bad luck! I think it is my new bread machine. I have made 3 different loaves in it and all of the tops have fallen. Anyone have any suggestions/solution for this problem? This is a really good loaf, I agree it tastes like French bread. Very dense, but yummy. I used the French bread cycle on my machine as others suggested.

This is the first time I have attempted a bread recipe that did not call for any fat...I won't be trying any other fat free bread recipes any time soon. The dough was just a sticky mess. It rose well but had no structure at all...it was just a big lumpy blob. Then on the second knead the sticky mess stuck to the sides and had to be manually pushed down with a spatula. When it finished cooking the crust was strange there were so many holes and the inside was like a sponge...massive craters and a rubbery texture. I said I was going to throw it away but my father who loves bread begged me not to...that is until I cut into it and revealed the spongy texture...he then offered to take care of the disposal himself.

Great flavor and texture

This is delicious! Definitely best when using the French cycle with light crust when using the machine. The crust was very crispy and wonderful! I will never again waste my time or money on store-bought crusty breads. This is more like Italian or Vienna, with a lightly sweet flavor. We ate it up in one sitting, it was so good!

Great bread for toast and sandwiches!

This is the best bread machine recipe for a chewy, French style bread. I love it warm, served with soup. (My favorite non-machine recipe for a crusty bread is Essence of Bread, on this site.)

It was like pankake batter and didn't rise at all. Won't be using this recipe at all.

Very bland. Very heavy dough, needs a longer cook time. Won't make this again.

Easy and turned out great.

I let this bread mix and rise in the machine, then take it out to shape. One more rise before I bake it in the oven with a shallow pan of water on the bottom rack for an extra crispy crust. Yum!!

This is a good but very basic recipe. I might try some seasoned butter on the remainder. It was my first successful attempt using my bread machine. I used regular all-purpose flower.