There is nothing like the smell of bread baking. Its so comforting.
This is THE easiest recipe for Baguettes (or French Bread, what most Texans call it.) It calls for four ingredients (I never count water as an ingredient, if you don’t have running water you probably shouldn’t be cooking!) and the ingredients are staples that most home bakers should have on hand.
And what does the bread taste like? Deliciousness. That’s what.
The crust is so crispy and perfect and the inside is very moist and airy. Next time I may make one large loaf (so I can make sandwiches) and I will try to make my cuts prettier, but there is nothing I can think of to improve the taste! Oh and I accidentally got sweet cream butter last week. Oh. Mah. God. So good on the bread straight out of the oven.
Simple Baguette
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 1/2 teaspoon yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- cornmeal for dusting
Instructions
- preheat oven to 425 degrees
- Add the first three ingredients to your electric bread maker. Let rest for 5 minutes before adding the flour and turning the machine to the 'dough' setting. If you do not have a bread maker, you can make the dough as you would any other bread recipe and let rise until doubled its size. Finger Test: Poke your finger in the dough, if it smooths back out its not ready. If it stayed pushed in its ready.
- Flour your work area and divide the dough in two pieces. Roll out each piece until it is as long as your baking sheet (mine were about 13 inches long), sprinkle some cornmeal on the baking sheet and place the dough on top and let rest one hour (preferably on top of oven as its preheating).
- Using a serrated edge knife, cut three lines in the bread at an angle. Using a pastry brush, brush water on top of the bread and on the sides. (just a thin layer, it should stick to the dough, you don't want water running down the sides)
- Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes (if you can wait that long) before slicing.
Video
Notes
That are strictly platonic,
But diamonds are a girl's best friend. And I think affairs
That you must keep liaisonic
Are better bets
If little pets get big baguettes. (Never told yall this, but I LOVE Marilyn Monroe's music (and showtunes, oh how I love old showtunes!!) A few of my favorite songs of hers are My Heart Belongs to Daddy, Bye Bye Baby, Heat Wave, and of course Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend.
Tips and Tricks
First, prepare the dough. You will need about five and a half cups of all-purpose flour, four and a half teaspoons of active dry yeast, and one teaspoon of salt. You will also need to add less than a tablespoon of olive oil to the bowl and a sheet of plastic wrap or a paper towel. Once you’ve prepared the dough, sprinkle it with flour and shape it into a ball. Cover the dough with a towel or plastic wrap and allow it to rise for one to two hours.
To make a baguette, the dough needs to be very wet and has a slightly elastic texture. It’s important to knead the dough as little as possible to prevent sticking. The dough needs to rest in the refrigerator or at least one hour before baking to ensure a chewy texture. The dough can be folded and stretched, creating pockets of air bubbles. The dough should be allowed to rest for about half an hour or overnight before baking.
After proofing, you’ll need to roll out the dough into a log shape. After rolling it out, fold it in half and press the ends together to seal the dough. Use parchment paper to form the baguette log. To make a crusty French baguette, follow the steps outlined below. If you don’t have the time to make a dough of this size, you can use a pizza cutter to slice it in half and use it as a cutter.
After making the dough, it’s essential to leave it to rest overnight. The dough is too moist to bake properly and should be left to ferment. The dough is also very wet, so the baguette must be stored in the refrigerator. In order to create a baguette, you need to place the dough on a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal. Depending on the size of the baguette, you can use parchment paper instead.
After you’ve rolled out the dough, fold it in half again and repeat the process to make another baguette. After you’ve rolled out the dough in half, you should place it on a rimmed baking sheet, and flip it over so that it becomes a baguette. Once baked, place the baguette on the pan. It should be golden brown and crisp in color. It should be shaped like a rectangle.
The dough for a baguette is very wet. In order to make a baguette, you must let it rest in a couche for a while. After letting it rest for a while, you should roll it into a long loaf. Using a rolling pin, turn it over several times to make sure that it is well-baked. This will ensure that it stays light and flaky.
The dough for a baguette should be soft and moist. It is made by rolling out the dough into a long log. Depending on the thickness of your dough, you may need to roll the dough out several times before it becomes firm. The dough should be firm enough to hold its shape, and it should be as large as your desired size. Once the dough is ready, you can cut it into slices. Once the slices are cut, you should shape the loaf into thin wedges.
When preparing a baguette, you should prepare the dough for several days in advance. The dough should be rolled into a long, flat log. Usually, the dough is folded at the center and sealed with the heel and thumb of the hand. Once it is rolled, the dough should be stretched into a long, thin, twelve- or fourteen-inch log. You can taper it by adding some water and flour to the dough.
