FRENCH BAGUETTES
Yield: 3 long skinny loaves.
1 package FLEISCHMANN'S Active Dry Yeast
2 1/2 cups lukewarm water
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups bread flour
3 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
Cornmeal, for sprinkling on pan
1 egg white beaten with 2 tablespoons water, for egg wash (optional)
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Directions
Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl. Add salt and bread flour; beat until smooth. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let yeast develop at room temperature for 3 hours. The batter will triple in volume and then begin to fall.
Uncover bowl and stir down batter. Add 3 cups of the all-purpose flour, 1 cup at a time, stirring after each addition until flour is thoroughly incorporated. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 8 to 10 minutes, adding small amounts of remaining all-purpose flour as needed. The dough should be manageable, but still soft and rather moist. Rinse and dry the bowl, then oil the surface of the dough and place it in bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place about 1 hour, or until doubled.
Punch down dough. Knead briefly. Divide dough into three equal pieces. Roll each piece into an oval about 12x5 inches. Brush any excess flour off the top of the oval. Starting with a long edge, roll each oval into a cylinder. As you roll, pull the dough slightly to stretch it tight, so there are no air pockets. Pinch the seam to seal (if necessary, brush edge with water first).
Lightly grease an 18x12x1-inch baking pan; lightly sprinkle with cornmeal. Space loaves evenly, seam-side down, on prepared pan. Cover with a clean, dry cloth. Let rise 30 to 45 minutes, or until doubled.
About 30 minutes before baking, place a shallow pan containing 3/4 cup water on bottom shelf of oven. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
If desired, brush risen loaves with egg wash. With a sharp knife or razor blade, slash long diagonal cuts in tops of loaves. Bake in 450-degree oven 25 to 30 minutes, or until done. (The breads could come out after as little as 20 minutes, but the longer baking time makes for a sturdier crust). Remove from pan and let cool on wire racks. Baguettes are best if served the same day they are baked.
Note:The bread flour used at the beginning is able to stand up to the long process of a three-hour fermentation, and the all-purpose flour added later on makes for a softer interior. But if you have only one kind of flour in the house, make the loaves anyway.
Many baguette recipes recommend a 60-minute final rising, but every time I've let the loaves rise that long, they completely deflated when I slashed the tops and the resulting loaves weren't as light as I had hoped. If your kitchen is air conditioned, you might need that long, so experiment with different rising times. Remember, it's bread, it's going to forgive you!
These are delicious!!!!
Yield: 3 long skinny loaves.
1 package FLEISCHMANN'S Active Dry Yeast
2 1/2 cups lukewarm water
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups bread flour
3 to 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
Cornmeal, for sprinkling on pan
1 egg white beaten with 2 tablespoons water, for egg wash (optional)
Send it to a friend!
Directions
Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl. Add salt and bread flour; beat until smooth. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let yeast develop at room temperature for 3 hours. The batter will triple in volume and then begin to fall.
Uncover bowl and stir down batter. Add 3 cups of the all-purpose flour, 1 cup at a time, stirring after each addition until flour is thoroughly incorporated. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 8 to 10 minutes, adding small amounts of remaining all-purpose flour as needed. The dough should be manageable, but still soft and rather moist. Rinse and dry the bowl, then oil the surface of the dough and place it in bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place about 1 hour, or until doubled.
Punch down dough. Knead briefly. Divide dough into three equal pieces. Roll each piece into an oval about 12x5 inches. Brush any excess flour off the top of the oval. Starting with a long edge, roll each oval into a cylinder. As you roll, pull the dough slightly to stretch it tight, so there are no air pockets. Pinch the seam to seal (if necessary, brush edge with water first).
Lightly grease an 18x12x1-inch baking pan; lightly sprinkle with cornmeal. Space loaves evenly, seam-side down, on prepared pan. Cover with a clean, dry cloth. Let rise 30 to 45 minutes, or until doubled.
About 30 minutes before baking, place a shallow pan containing 3/4 cup water on bottom shelf of oven. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
If desired, brush risen loaves with egg wash. With a sharp knife or razor blade, slash long diagonal cuts in tops of loaves. Bake in 450-degree oven 25 to 30 minutes, or until done. (The breads could come out after as little as 20 minutes, but the longer baking time makes for a sturdier crust). Remove from pan and let cool on wire racks. Baguettes are best if served the same day they are baked.
Note:The bread flour used at the beginning is able to stand up to the long process of a three-hour fermentation, and the all-purpose flour added later on makes for a softer interior. But if you have only one kind of flour in the house, make the loaves anyway.
Many baguette recipes recommend a 60-minute final rising, but every time I've let the loaves rise that long, they completely deflated when I slashed the tops and the resulting loaves weren't as light as I had hoped. If your kitchen is air conditioned, you might need that long, so experiment with different rising times. Remember, it's bread, it's going to forgive you!
These are delicious!!!!
