Ficelles ñ String Bread

Place the tepid water in the bowl of a food processor, and sprinkle the yeast and sugar over it. Mix a few seconds, just long enough to combine and then let the mixture sit and proof for 5 minutes. It should be foamy and have a yeasty small.

Add the flour, bran, bulgur, and salt and process about 45 seconds. The mixture will form a soft ball.

Grease a mixing bowl with the oil, and place the ball of dough in the bowl, turning it once to coat it on both sides with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 45 minutes, until it is puffy and about triple in size. Bread the proofed dough by gently pulling it from the sides of the bowl and pushing it down into the center.

Transfer the dough to a cookie sheet, and extend it by alternately rolling and squeezing it until you form it into a cylinder about 16 inches long. Cut the cylinder lengthwise into 4 equal strips or cut half and form baguettes.

Sprinkle the cornmeal on the cookie sheet and roll the dough in it. Then arrange them on the sheet with enough space between so they have room to rise. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 30 minutes.

After about 20 minutes, place a small cake pan on the bottom shelf of the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

When the dough has risen, cut several gashes about 1/4 inch deep in the tops of them or snip them on top with scissors, creating a design.

Place the bread on the middle shelf of the oven and throw the ice cubes in the hot cake pan to create steam which helps make the exterior of the bread crustier. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the loaves are brown and crisp. Cool on a rack, and serve lukewarm or a room temperature.