Homemade Staples: French Baguette

We are finding that one of our favorite meals, especially on a Friday night after a long week, is to have a fresh baguette with a variety of cheeses, olives, fruits, and nuts.  Pair that with a bottle of wine and sitting out on the deck, well you’ve got perfection in simplicity!

This is a great and easy recipe for making it so you always can have a fresh baguette on hand.  I have dreams about owning a true baguette pan (as well as a wider oven), but in the meantime, I just get the shape as good as I can get it.  The recipe makes two loaves.  I generally will make one for us immediately, and then put the other dough in a sealed container in the refrigerator.  That way I can pull out the other dough later in the week and bake it.  The second baguette is just as fresh, crispy, and delicious.

French Baguette — from Cooking Light Magazine

• 1 1/4 cup warm water (100-110 degrees)
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 3 cups flour, divided
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• Cornmeal
• Olive Oil

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large bowl.  Let stand for 5 minutes.

Add 2 3/4 cup flour to the yeast mixture, a cup at a time, stirring until a soft dough forms.  Cover and let stand for 15 minutes.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and spread out dough until you have a rectangle surface area.  Sprinkle dough evenly with salt and knead until salt is incorporated.

Add enough of the remaining flour, a little bit at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to your hands.  Knead until dough is smooth and elastic.

Place dough in a large bowl coated with olive oil.  Flip dough around in bowl to coat top with the oil.  Cover and let rise in a warm place (about 85 degrees) for 1 hour, or until dough is double in size.

Punch dough down.  Cover and let rest for 5 minutes.

Preheat the oven t0 450 degrees.

Divide dough in half.  Working with one portion at a time, roll each portion out on a floured surface into a 12 inch “rope” type loaf shape, slightly tapering the ends.  Place each loaf on a large baking sheet, sprinkled with cornmeal.  Lightly coat dough with olive oil and cover.  Let rise 20 minutes, or doubled in size.

Uncover the dough and cut 3 diagonal slits across the top of each loaf, about 1/4 inch deep.

Bake for 20 minutes or until browned on bottom and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.