Crusty French Baguettes Recipe

How to make it

---

• This makes 4 to 6 long baguettes.
• Dissolve the yeast in the water in a container larger enough to accommodate expansion, make sure it starts working before you get going on mixing ingredients.
• In a large bowl such as a stand mixer bowl, reserving at least 1 cup of the flour, mix the flour and water.
• Add the yeast.
• When just mixed add the salt.
• If using a stand mixer, mix on speed 2 for 8 to 10 minutes with a dough hook, until dough becomes smooth and elastic. If kneading by hand it may take slightly longer. Do not pull dough apart when kneading, just gently stretch and press back together while rotating about a quarter turn with each kneading action. Think of it as massaging the dough, not beating it up. You may need to add the reserved flour during this process so the dough is not too wet or sticky. If kneading by hand, keep the surface of your kneading area lightly dusted with flour until the dough does not stick.
• In a large bowl lightly coated with vegetable oil proof the dough for 60 to 90 minutes. A good place for this is on top of the fridge. Cover lightly with plastic wrap or a dish towel. Lightly punch down once only, about half way through this proofing.
• Turn fully proofed dough out onto lightly floured work surface and gently punch down with fingertips.
• Divide into desired numbers of loaves, keep portions equal so they can all bake together.
• Do a preliminary shaping of loaves, just general shape and size because now they are going to rest for another 20 minutes. I put them on baking sheets with parchment paper, cover with a dish towel and pop them back on top of the fridge.
• Now for the final shaping. Gently press down loaves with your finger tips, then fold top third of dough down to middle of dough and bottom third up to middle of dough to form a loaf shape. Press this seam down so it stays, I use the heal of my hand to seal the seam. On a lightly floured surface, using your hands, roll the loaf back and forth (like making a Playdough snake) to desired loaf size.
• Place back on baking sheets and proof for another 20 minutes, until an indent made with your finger holds in the dough.
• Preheat oven to 340 degrees (yep, 340 is what the recipe calls for)
• Score the tops 3 or 4 times, at evenly spaced intervals, with a sharp knife.
• Place in loaves in oven, spritzing the sides of the oven, but not the loaves, with water for steam, which gives the loaves that wonderful crisp crust. Do this only once and don't open the oven during baking.
• Bake 30 to 45 minutes or until crusts are a deep golden brown. Loaves should sound hollow when tapped on when done.
• Cool on wire racks. Let them rest a bit before slicing, even though it's really hard to wait any longer and warm bread and butter so so so good!