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Baguettes

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I promise, there really is a difference in taste between homemade bread and the ones from the store. For me, I find homemade bread is more fresh, digests better, and makes me salivate more vs. the ones from the store (which are dry and make me thirsty). This particular recipe does not make crunchy crusty French baguettes; rather, they are soft and can easily be made crunchy by re-baking in the oven as needed when ready to be served. I usually store them in an airtight plastic bag at room temperature for 3-4 days, and then put the remainder in the fridge (it lasts about 1.5 weeks after that in the fridge but obviously the sooner you eat it, the fresher it tastes!)

Approx:
Serving size: Three 2 inch x 8-10 inch thick baguettes, or two 3.5 inch x 10-12 inch thick baguettes
Duration: 3 hours

Ingredients

  • 1.5 tbsp quick rise yeast*
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 3.5 to 4 cups all-purpose flour**
  • 2 tsp salt
  • Olive oil, for greasing bowl
  • Boiling water (see directions below)

Directions

  1. In a medium mixing bowl, add honey, yeast and 1/2 cup of warm water (125 F). Mix well. 
  2. Leave the mixture in a warm environment*** to activate the yeast; this takes about 5 minutes and you should see a thick foamy layer.
  3. Add salt and about 3.25 cups of flour to the mixture. Gradually add 1 cup of warm water (120 F ish) and mix until the dough comes together in a smooth ball but not too wet (you may not need to use all the water). Can use a dough hook if needed to mix, but don't over mix it or else the dough will get very thick and difficult to knead later.
  4. Set aside about 0.25 cups of flour to dust your work space and also to gradually add to the dough if it becomes too sticky.
  5. Lightly grease a separate bowl with olive oil.
  6. Lay the dough on a clean surface (e.g. silicone mat) dusted with flour and knead (see video link below) for about 5 minutes. You should be able to press into it with your thumb and see the dough bounce back.
  7. Form the dough into a round ball and place it in the pre-greased bowl. Cover with a semi-wet towel and let it rest in a warm environment*** for about 30 minutes until it has doubled in size.
  8. Lightly grease a large baking sheet with olive oil (or 1 large + 1 medium if making 3 baguettes).
  9. Divide your dough into 2-3 smaller balls depending on how many baguettes you want to make (see Serving Size above). Shape each ball into a flat rectangle and fold (see video link below) to about 8-12 inches long (see Serving Size above). Taper the ends by twisting, and tucking underneath, along the seam-side.
  10. Place folded baguettes on pre-greased baking sheet, cover with a semi-wet towel, and let it rest in a warm environment*** for 45 minutes. It won't double in size, but it should rise enough that it looks like a puffy marshmallow.
  11. Towards the end of the rise time, pre-heat oven to 450 F. Separately, boil water.
  12. At the end of the rise time, score the tops of the baguettes with a sharp knife, half inch deep at a 45 degree angle.
  13. Once the oven is at the right temperature, place a pan of 1 cup of boiling water on the lower rack (this will help enhance the crispiness of the crust). Place your baguettes in the oven and bake for 20-24 minutes until it is a golden brown colour.
  14. Once baking is done, DO NOT slice the bread. Let it cool completely (it will continue to cook inside) before you slice the bread. You can do this by taking it out of the oven, or cracking open the oven door and letting it naturally cool down.
* I've only ever used quick rise yeast, but the original recipe calls for "dry active yeast"
** I usually use 3.5 cups of flour total, but the original recipe allows up to 4 cups.
*** Methods for warm environment: (A) Heat the oven to 100 F and then turn it off, you can stick your bowl in here to let it rise in the warm environment. (B) Place bowl/baking sheet on top of a drying machine that is running or was just run. (C) Place bowl near stove top that was just turned on (but not directly on it!) (D) Place over heat vent.