I love to entertain and try new recipes. This is a way for me to share some of the recipes I have tried and what I have thought of them. I hope you enjoy it and let me know if there are some recipes you would like me to try.

Thursday 5 July 2012

French Baguette

After making yeast bread a couple of times I am feeling more confident on trying recipes with yeast so I decided to try another recipe.  Tonight I had my grandmother over for dinner and she loves the different preserves that I make and so I thought I would try making a baguette instead of buying one to serve with the relish and chutneys.
I came across this recipe online and thought it looked easy enough so I went for it.  It is a very straight forward recipe and it doesn't require many ingredients.  The process is a little long and drawn out but if
you are going to be at home anyways I think it is worth the effort.

French Bread Baguette

4 cups Flour
1 tbsp. Dry Active Yeast
1-2 tsp. Salt
2 cups Warm Water
Oil for bowl

1. In a bowl, mix together the flour and the salt.
2. In another bowl, combine yeast, warm water, and half of the flour/salt mixture. Using your hands, mix until it forms a dough. Then, cover with a dish cloth and let sit at room temperature for 3 hours. It should triple in size.
3. Gently incorporate the rest of the flour/salt, using your hands.
4. Place on a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes. It should be supple and elastic when you stop kneading.
5. Lightly oil a bowl. Place dough in bowl. Cover with a dish towel. Let sit for 1 hour. It should double in size.
6. Preheat oven to 450°F. Knead again. Then cut dough into 3 parts and form each part into a long baguette. Place on a baking sheet. Let sit for at least 20 minutes.
7. Place a bowl of water in the oven. Bake baguettes for about 25 minutes (maybe less). Remove the bowl of water after 15 minutes of baking.

Preparation Time: about 25 minutes
Cooking Time: about 25 minutes
Resting Time: about 4 hours, 30 minutes 

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