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the water remaining in pan and add to it, if necessary, to bring it to 1½ cups. Combine the mashed potatoes and potato water, stir, and set aside to cool.
    In a bowl of at least 6-quart capacity or, better yet, in a stainless steel pan with straight sides and flat bottom, combine 2½ cups of flour (including any of the flours listed under “variations” below) with wheat germ, powdered milk, and salt. Stir well with a fork. When the yeast mixture has doubled in bulk and been deflated at least two times, add it to the dry ingredients in the large bowl along with the potato slurry. Stir 1 or 2 minutes with wooden spoon, until all the ingredients are blended. Cover with a cloth and set this second sponge aside in a warm, draft-free place to double in bulk, about 1½ to 1¾ hours.
    Take 1 cup of flour and spread it into a 14-inch circle on a board at least 16 by 18 inches. Spoon out the bread dough onto the flour, then wash the bowl or pan the dough was in, and butter it liberally. Set bowl aside.
    Take the last cup of flour, sprinkle some of it over the dough on the board, and begin to knead the dough, scooping it up from below and turning it over frequently to incorporate the flour. Add the remaining flour and knead vigorously until the dough is smooth and elastic. (The total kneading time will be 10 to 12 minutes.) Roll the ball of dough in the well-buttered bowl or pan to coat evenly. Cover with a cloth and set aside in a warm, draft-free place to double in bulk, about 1 to 1½ hours. Butter hands lightly, punch the dough down, divide in half, and form into 2 loaves. Place each in a buttered 9 × 5 × 3-inch baking pan. Cover with cloths and set aside in a warm, draft-free place to double in bulk, about 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes.
    Arrange the pans on a single rack in the center of a preheated 450° oven. Reduce the heat immediately to 400° and bake for 40 minutes, or until the loaves are dark brown and rapping on top produces a hollow sound.
    Turn the loaves out onto a wire rack to cool.
VARIATIONS
    • Substitute for 1 cup of white flour any of the following: 1 cup stone-ground flour, 1 cup rye flour, 1 cup whole-wheat flour, or ½ cup rye and ½ cup whole-wheat.
NOTE
    Mr. Gohs twists the dough after it has been formed into a loaf, stretching it between his two hands and turning it clockwise several times at one end while turning counterclockwise at the other, in the way in which you would gently wring dut a towel. He then fits it into the pan. You will find that this gives an interesting and unusual texture to the bread.

French-Style Bread
    French bread, as we all know, has been praised and prized above all other breads in the world for its distinctive crumb, crisp crust, and superb flavor. However, the carefully controlled preparation of it in commercial bakeries is difficult to duplicate in one’s own kitchen. If you are ready for the challenge, you should search out a recipe that is as complete as the one developed by Julia Child and Simone Beck for Volume 2 of
Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
Their method seems tremendously complex but it is great fun to follow through to the final goal (and once mastered, not difficult to do again); the loaves are startlingly good and genuinely French.
    The bread I am giving here is not truly French, and for that reason it is called “French-style.” Actually it could be called “Continental,” because it is very much like the bread one finds in Italy, Spain, and Portugal. It has also been known for many years as “Cuban bread.” It is a casual, easy-to-make bread that can be played with in several ways. If made according to the basic recipe below it produces a good loaf ready for eating almost the minute it comes from the oven. It will not hold for more than half a day but, of course, can be frozen .
    [2 long loaves]
    1½ packages active dry yeast
    1 tablespoon granulated sugar
    2 cups warm water (100° to 115°, approximately)
    1 tablespoon salt
    5 to 6 cups