Title: Bill's sourdough french bread
 Categories: Breads, Sourdough, To/from bre, To/from eat
      Yield: 12 Servings
 
      6 c  All-purpose flour; more if
           -needed
  4 1/2 ts Yeast
      1 tb Sugar
      1 tb Salt
      1 c  Water; very warm (120F)
      2 c  Sourdough starter; room
           -temperature
      1 tb Oil
           Yellow cornmeal
      1    Egg white
 
  Feed your starter at least 12 hours before making bread.
  
  Combine 2 1/2 cups of the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large
  bowl. Add water, oil and starter and beat 3 minutes with an electric
  mixer.
  
  Work in additional flour by hand until dough can be handled.  Amount
  will vary, depending on consistency of starter used. Decant dough to
  a lightly floured board and knead until smooth, satiny and elastic,
  about 10 mintues,working in additional flour in small amounts as
  needed to keep dough from sticking to board or hands.
  
  Place in a large, oiled bowl, turning once to coat dough ball; cooking
  spray works well for this. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise
  in a warm place until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
  
  Punch dough down and divide into either 2 or 4 pieces, depending on
  size of loaves desired.  Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
  
  Roll each piece out into a rectangle and roll up from long side,
  pinching seam closed and tapering ends. Place loaves, seam side down,
  either in baguette pans or on a baking sheet which has been oiled and
  sprinkled with cornmeal. Gash top 1/4 inch deep either along the
  length or diagonally every 2 or 3 inches. Beat egg white with 1 tbsp
  water until frothy and brush loaves with it. Cover and let rise in
  warm place until doubled, about
        1    hour.
  
  Bake at 375F 20 mintues,  then brush again with egg white and bake an
  additional
       20    minutes.
  
  Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.