Best French Bread Ever!

This is, so far, the best french bread recipe the wife has come across.

It comes from the Heritage Cookbook by the Junior League of Salt Lake City, Inc. 

(On page 56 under Fabulous French Bread, for those who might own it.)

Ingredients:

• 2 packages dry yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 cups hot water
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp salt
• 5 tbsp shortening or oil (I use canola oil)
• 6 cups flour
• 1 egg white

Instructions:

1. Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water and let stand 10 minutes.
2. Thoroughly mix 2 cups hot water, sugar, salt, shortening/oil, and half the flour in a large bowl.
3. Add the yeast to the mixture in the large bowl.
4. Add the rest of the flour to the mixture in the large bowl.
5. (This is where you might want a mixer) You allow the dough to sit for 10 minutes and then stir it really well. You repeat this process 5 times, or for 50 minutes. The dough gets really huge and fluffy during this time. Keep it covered; you don't want it to dry out.
6. Knead the dough on a floured surface 1-2 times.
7. Divide dough in half.
8. Roll out each half into 9'' x 12'' rectangles.
9. Loosely roll up each rectangle (hot-dog style) and pinch the the seams closed. 
10. Cover a large cookie sheet with a thin layer of corn meal. 
11. Place both rolls seam side down onto the sheet. 
12. Allow the rolls to rise for 30 minutes.
13. Brush a thin layer of beaten egg white onto the tops of the rolls. 
14. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes at 400 degrees F (my oven cooks hot, so I usually bump the temperature down to 380). You can tell they're done cooking if the loaves sound hollow when you tap them. 

The crust is so golden brown, and the insides are delicious!

Enjoy!