recipes {homemade baguettes}

any french baguette lovers out there???

when my good friend told me that she made fresh baguettes in her own kitchen i was shocked & immediately had to know how it was done! this recipe was relatively straight forward, although you do need to prepare the dough a day in advance & allow enough time to let the dough rise, etc. BUT once you taste the bread you will forget about all of the little steps & be in bread 'n' butter heaven. i am a HUGE lover of bread & this baguette recipe did not disappoint. i ended up making this for the first time last week for my husband's french inspired birthday dinner.

>> what you'll need
yields 4 loaves

5 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour {all purpose flour will work too}

1 tbsp coarse kosher salt

2 1/4 tsp instant yeast {or 1 packet of yeast}

2 cups warm water

>> directions
this is a two day process!

day one:

1. combine all ingredients in bowl of mixer, set with paddle attachment, and mix on lowest speed for one minute until well blended and smooth. {add the flour a cup at a time until you get the right consistency. i used 5 cups of flour} dough should form a coarse, shaggy ball.  let rest, uncovered for 5 minutes.  

2. switch to dough hook and mix on medium-low speed for 2 minutes. dough should be smooth, supple, and tacky but not sticky.  

3. knead dough by hand on lightly floured work surface for 1 minute, then transfer to a large clean, lightly oiled bowl. cover with plastic wrap and immediately refrigerate overnight or up to 4 days.

** dough can also be made without the use of a stand mixer. combine all the ingredients – start with a wooden spoon then switch to your hands when the flour is incorporated. lightly knead until all the ingredients are well blended. let rest for 5 minutes then knead for about 5 more minutes until dough is smooth and slightly tacky.

day two:

1. remove dough from refrigerator 2 hours prior to baking.  

2. gently transfer to lightly floured work surface, taking care to release as little gas as possible.  divide dough into four equal portions. ** i prepared two baguettes & kept the remaining two portions in the fridge to bake during the week

3. pat each individual portion of dough into a thick rectangle.

4. fold the bottom half to the center and seal the seam. fold the top half to the center and once again seal the seam.

5. roll the top half of the dough over the seam to create a new seam on the bottom of the loaf. 

6. with seam side underneath, gently rock loaf back and forth, with hands moving out toward and increasing pressure at the ends, to slightly taper the loaf until baguette is the length of baking sheet. place the formed baguettes on a baking sheet that has been oiled or covered with parchment.  mist top of dough with oil, loosely cover with plastic wrap, and proof at room temperature for about 1 1/2 hours, or until increased to 1 1/2 times its original size.

7. preheat oven to 450 degrees. place a sheet pan, which will serve as steam pan, with a 1-inch rim on shelf under which baguettes will be baked.  

8. remove plastic wrap from the dough 15 minutes prior to baking.  just prior to baking, score the dough 1/2 inch deep with a serrated knife or razor.  transfer dough to the oven, pour 1 cup hot water into the steam pan. {when you pour the water into the pan it will make a really loud noise so be aware!}

9. bake for 10-15 minutes, then rotate pan and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until the crust is rich golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when thumped. cool on wire rack before slicing or serving. 

original recipe from notwithoutsalt.com

um, yum right???