Catskill Mountain French Bread

Catskill Mountain French bread is a bread machine take on a simple rustic French-style loaf, crowned with toasted sesame seeds that give every slice a nutty crunch right at the crust. The recipe carries Jewish-deli DNA in its sesame-topped crust and its use of margarine instead of butter, a nod to parve baking traditions from the Borscht Belt resorts of the Catskills era.

The ingredient list looks austere, and that’s the point. Bread flour’s higher protein gives you the chewy, elastic crumb and crisp crust of classic French bread without any fuss. The two teaspoons of sugar feed the yeast into an active rise, while margarine tenderizes the crumb just enough so slices don’t shatter when you bite. Toss everything in the bread machine, add sesame seeds at the beep (or per your machine’s instructions), and walk away.

Kitchen Tips

• Add liquids first, then dry ingredients, with yeast on top. Standard bread-machine layering prevents yeast from waking up too soon in salt.
• Use warm (not hot) water, around 105F (40C). Above 120F (49C), yeast starts dying before it can proof.
• Add sesame seeds at the mix-in beep if your machine has one, otherwise sprinkle on top of the shaped loaf for the best crust coverage.
• Let the loaf cool on a wire rack before slicing. Cutting too early collapses the tender crumb.

Variations

• Swap sesame for poppy seeds for a different classic deli topping.
• Replace margarine with olive oil for a more Mediterranean profile.
• Brush the hot loaf with a light egg wash at the shape stage if your machine allows, for a glossier, more golden crust.