French Bread

6 cups warm water

1/4 cup sugar

2 TB yeast

1/4 cup butter or oil

2 TB salt

15 - 16 cups white bread flour

1 egg

Sesame Seeds

Add together water and yeat with a pinch of sugar.  When it starts to foam, add butter, sugar and salt.  Mix together and add flour to make a stiff dough.  Let rise, punch down.  Form into loaves.  Place on  greased cookie sheets sprinkled with cornmeal (you can skip the cornmeal step.) Mix egg and 1/2 cup water and brush on loaves.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds.  With a long, serrated knife, make about 5 or 6 deep slashes across each loaf.  Brush with a beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Let rise until loaves are double in size.  I usually put one pan in a warm (180 degree) oven and let it rise about 25 minutes.  I then turn the oven up to 350 or 375 degrees and bake for 30 to 40 minutes.  By that time, the other loaves have risen enough and can go in the oven.