Baguette

Tomorrow is Lord's Supper Sunday at church and I decided to try my hand at making a baguette for our appetizer tonight. The rest will be served at church tomorrow.  Jud said this was the best baguette he has ever tasted.  I consider that a success. This recipe makes two loaves, but I have the other dough in the refrigerator. I plan to make it at the first of the week. You can find the recipe Here
I did not grease the bowl or use the cornmeal or ice cubes. Check the original recipe if  you want to use those.


Ingredients:
2 envelopes dry active yeast (1 1/2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons honey
3 1/2  - 4 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Combine honey, yeast and 1/2 cup warm water. Stir to combine and let the mixture stand until the yeast is activated and begins to foam, 5 minutes.

Mix the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl with a dough hook and slowly add in the yeast mixture. Gradually add 1 additional cup of warm water and mix until the dough comes together into a ball that is not too wet. You may not need the full cup so add it slowly. I needed it all and I only used 3 1/2 cups of flour. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, 2-6 minutes. You can do the thumbprint test: press in the dough with your thumb and it should bounce back with it is ready. I did not use additional flour, but just kneaded it on my cutting board until smooth.

Punch down the dough and divide it in half. I let mine rise for 25-30 minutes in a bowl.  Shape into 2 baguettes by making a flat rectangle out of the first half. The rectangle should be about 16 inches long and about 12 inches wide.  I did not do this part like the recipe. I rolled the dough from the16" side into a baguette. Press the middle to disperse the dough evenly. You can watch a video Here
Bake 20 - 25 minutes at 375 degrees.  As you can see, I combined two recipes. It was so much easier than I thought. I may never buy another baguette.