FRENCH BAGUETTE

DIY FRENCH BAGUETTE AT-HOME RECIPE

Let’s be clear…I promise you CAN make a perfectly baked delicious french baguette at home. Will it be perfect the first time? Probably not. Will it be worth the time spent to make this recipe perfect? ABSOLUTELY. I have always been scared of baking bread. But, my mom was a bread-making connoisseur. She always baked the perfect loaf of anything from banana bread to sourdough. She made it seem so effortless. Then I tried to do it myself and it was a complete fail! But, like all good things in life, with some practice, I finally got it right. And you can too! I am here to teach you what I did right and wrong and so you will be able to make this recipe seem EASY, just like my mom. I promise the time and effort will be worth the look on your family and friend’s faces when they say “you made this?!” 

Our Favorite Bread Baskets 

Although this bread may not be the exact same as a freshly baked loaf that you tear off a piece of while picnicking under the Eiffel tower…it is the best recipe for a French Baguette that I have found. That crackly crust, the tender, airy inside, and the steamy-melt-in your mouth flavor. That is what we are aiming for here. There are only 4 simple ingredients and a few easy steps. Most of this recipe is sitting back, relaxing, and enjoying the smell that envelopes your house. 

Ingredients

• 1.75 oz of warm water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (Instant yeast may be substituted.  Rise time may need to be reduced by 10 to 15 minutes.  You’ll know your dough is done rising when it has doubled in volume.)
• 16 oz bread flour
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 10 ounces cool water (you may not need all of it)
• additional flour, for dusting

Perfect Mixing Bowls 

Instructions

1. Pour warm water in a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside and allow the yeast to dissolve and become foamy. Make sure that the yeast is almost all the way dissolved, around 5-10 mins.
2. Measure the bread flour into a large bowl and stir in the salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and stir to combine the dissolved yeast mixture.
3. Add the cool water, a little at a time, while stirring, just until a stiff, shaggy dough has formed (you may not need to use all of the water). Here is what it should look like: 

4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.

5. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface, and gently press it into a rectangle and fold into thirds.  Turn 90 degrees and repeat. 

6. Place the dough in a large oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.  Allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1 to 2 hours).

7. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions, and shape each one into a long loaf with pointed ends.  

8. Place the loaves on a floured towel, cover with oiled plastic wrap, and allow to rise until doubled in bulk (about 30 to 45 minutes).

9. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F, and place a pan of water on the bottom rack (this keeps the bread nice and moist while baking).

10. Uncover the baguettes and transfer to lightly greased baking sheets.

11. Sprinkle with flour, and make 4 elongated slashes down each one with a lame, razor, or sharp knife. 

12. Bake the breads until crusty and brown (in my oven this takes around 35 minutes).  The baguettes should give a hollow sound when tapped. 

OuiPlease Picks for this Recipe! 

And that is it! Making bread is so hard because the dough can be very temperamental. Too much flour, not enough flour, too much water, etc. Take your time and do not get frustrated! If your dough does not look perfect, that is okay. This recipe gives you a lot of room for error. If you feel like you need to add flour (or water or salt or ____) to fix the consistency, do it! It will not dramatically affect the taste. If you have any tips or tricks to perfect your delicious french baguette recipe, let us know! Message us on instagram @ouiplease. 

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Recipe and photo Cred: https://bakingamoment.com/crusty-french-baguette-recipe/