2 bread recipes

I've made more bread and baked goods during my 2+ months here in Uganda, than possibly in the entire time I lived in Guelph.
I've referenced this recipe here and possibly tweeted about my love of baking bread.
Here's the recipe I've used and found fairly easy to make.

Easy Bread
*from The Wycliffe International Cookbook
Combine:
4 cups flour {feel free to use any combination of flour; whole wheat, soy, oat, wheat germ, cornmeal, the options are as endless as is the selection at your grocery store!}
3/4 cup milk powder
2 tbsp. dry active yeast
1-3 tsp salt
3-6 tbsp sugar, honey or molasses
3-6 tbsp margarine, shortening or oil

Add and mix well:
2 3/4 cups lukewarm water

Add:
3 1/2-4 cups white flour

Knead for 10 minutes, grease and let rise until double. Punch down, divide in half and let rise in greased bread pans until double. Bake at 375F for 30-40 minutes. Remove from the pans to cool. Makes 2 loaves and a pan of "popovers" {I put smallish balls of dough in greased muffin tins for serving with soup}.

I've made white bread, whole wheat bread, whole wheat molasses bread, cinnamon bread...this recipe is so versatile and it's really hard to mess it up.

And yesterday I decided to make Joy the Baker's Carrot Ginger Coconut Soup {so good. Make it today.} and she said in her recipe that she would serve it {and everything else} with crusty bread. So off I went on the hunt for a French Crusty Bread recipe.
And I found it. And it's amazing. Make this today, too.

Crusty French Bread
*from a Family Circle Cookbook
1 1/2 tbsp active dry yeast
2 cups very warm water
6 cups all purpose flour - you may not use all of it
2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp shortening
flour for dusting the pans
1 egg white
1 tbsp cold water
1. Pour the very warm water in a large bowl. Sprinkle the yeast into the water. Stir until the yeast dissolves.
2. Stir in 3 cups of the flour, the sugar, shortening and salt; beat until smooth. Slowly beat in enough of the remaining 3 cups of flour to make a stiff dough. It will be somewhat sticky in appearance.
3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead for about 5 minutes.Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, using only as much of the remaining flour to keep dough from sticking.
4. Place the dough in a large greased bowl and turn to coat all over with the shortening. Or, brush very lightly with oil. Cover with a clean towel and place in a warm place to rise. It should double in 45-60 minutes.
5. When dough has doubled, punch it down and cover and let it rise a second time, until doubled in size. This will take 30 minutes.
6. Punch down the dough again and knead 1 minute on a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 2-3 equal pieces. Roll each piece into about a 12x9 inch rectangle. Roll up jelly roll fashion and pinch the seam together. Tuck the ends underneath. Grease baking sheet and sprinkle with flour.
7. Place the bread on the prepared baking sheets: cover and let rise until doubles again, about 30 minutes.
8. Make several evenly placed diagonal cuts on top of each loaf. Beat together the egg white and 1 tbspof cold water: brush over each loaf of bread gently with a pastry brush.
9. Place a pan of hot water on the bottom shelf of the oven. Place baking sheet with loaves on shelf above the water.
10. Bake in a hot 400F oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from baking pans and cool on wire racks.
11. ENJOY!