Boule Bread is a traditional French recipe. It is an artisanal bread with a thick, dark crust and the coarse texture of artisan baking. It is a very complicated bread to make from a baking perspective especially as it relates to the rising process, but your bread machine can make part of the process easier using the basic dough setting. The dough is then allowed to rise over a period of time and baked in the oven in a covered Dutch oven for part of the baking process.
Add the ingredients to the bread pan in the order indicated in the ingredient list. Select the basic dough setting and start. If the dough looks too loose, add a tablespoon of flour and give it a minute. If it looks too dry, add a tablespoon of warm water and once again give it a minute until you have a dough ball consistency.
When the dough setting is complete, remove the dough to a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet, dust the top with flour and cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F./176 degrees Celsius.
Whisk the egg and brush the top of the dough after it has risen.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees F./176 degrees Celsius.
Let cool for 10 minutes, slice and serve.