Baking bread can be one of the most satisfying kitchen experiences. Forget the non-yeast “quick breads” or leaving the dirty work to a robotic bread machine, putting your hands on raw, yeasty dough is a fun and rewarding process that appeals to the senses. The kneading and crafting; the ritual of preparing the yeast and watching it come alive as the loaves rise; the warm aroma that emmanates from the hot baker’s oven in action.
These baguettes are crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside — particularly delightful eaten warm with a smear of butter and jam or a slice of good cheese.
Crusty French Baguettes
(1) Mix 1 cup of warm water (120-130 degrees) with a packet of yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar, stirring to dissolve. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes.
(2) Blend 2 1/2 cups of bread flour with 2 teaspoons of salt. Add the yeast liquid and knead into a dough until it’s not sticky anymore. Use your hands!
(3) Place the ball of dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a dish cloth, and let it rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
(4) Punch the dough down. Then, on a lightly floured surface, roll out to a 16×12 inch rectangle. Cut the dough in half, creating two 8×12 inch rectangles. Roll up each half of dough tightly, pounding out air bubbles as you go. Roll gently to taper the ends.
(5) Place the loaves on a greased cookie sheet or in a bread pan. Make deep diagonal slashes across the loaves every 2 inches, or make one lengthwise slash. (In the photo above, I did one of each.)
(6) Cover the loaves and let them rise in a warm place 40 minutes until they double in size. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375.
(7) Mix one egg yolk with a tablespoon of water and brush over the top of the loaves. Then bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
