Easy French Baguettes Food

FRENCH BAGUETTES

Steps:

• Place 1 cup water, bread flour, sugar, salt and yeast into bread machine pan in the order recommended by manufacturer. Select Dough cycle, and press Start.
• When the cycle has completed, place dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in bulk. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.
• Punch down dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll into a 16x12 inch rectangle. Cut dough in half, creating two 8x12 inch rectangles. Roll up each half of dough tightly, beginning at 12 inch side, pounding out any air bubbles as you go. Roll gently back and forth to taper end. Place 3 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Make deep diagonal slashes across loaves every 2 inches, or make one lengthwise slash on each loaf. Cover, and let rise in a warm place for 30 to 40 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Mix egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water; brush over tops of loaves.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

CRUSTY FRENCH BAGUETTE RECIPE

Steps:

• Measure the warm water in a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside and allow the yeast to dissolve and become foamy.
• 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 in the dissolved yeast.
• Add the cool water, a little at a time, while stirring, just until a stiff, shaggy dough (watch the video below to see what this should look like) has formed (you may not need to use all of the water).
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
• 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.
• 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).
• Divide the dough into 4 equal portions, and shape each one into a long loaf (about 15-inches long and 1 1/2-inches in diameter), with pointed ends.
• 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).
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F, and place a pan of water on the bottom rack.
• Uncover the baguettes and transfer to lightly greased baking sheets.
• Sprinkle with flour, and make 4 elongated slashes down each one with a lame, razor, or sharp knife.
• Bake the breads until crusty and brown (in my oven this takes around 35 to 40 minutes). The baguettes should give a hollow sound when tapped.

FRENCH BAGUETTE RECIPE

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients in a bowl, cover with a plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.
• Over a period of 1 1/2 hours, do 3 sets of stretch and folds, flipping the dough upside down after each set.
• Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight for about 12-14 hours.
• Turn the dough on a lightly floured work surface. Divide into 3 equal parts and shape into rectangles. Cover and let rest for 45-60 minutes.
• Starting preheating the oven to 500F, with a baking stone positioned in the upper half the oven and a bread pan filled with hot water on the bottom rack.
• Stretch each dough rectangle slightly and fold into a cylinder, sealing the seams. Using your hands, roll the cylinders gently stretching them to desired length, about 14-15 inches.
• Place on a lightly floured couche, seam side up. Cover and proof at a room temperature for about 30-60 minutes, or until the dough has sufficiently proofed.
• Transfer the baguettes to a piece of parchment paper, seam side down and dust off excess flour. Using a bread lame, a sharp knife or a razor blade, make 3 scores on each baguette. When scoring, use a swift and firm motion to ensure nice and clean cuts.
• Open the oven, taking caution not to get burned by steam, and slide the baguettes off onto the baking stone. Close the oven and reduce temperature to 475F. Bake for 15 minutes.
• Remove the water pan, rotate the baguettes, drop the temperature to 450F and continue baking for another 15 minutes or until deep golden brown.

FRENCH BAGUETTE

Steps:

• In a big mixing bowl pour water and add yeast. Let stand for 5 min.
• Mix yeast and water until all yeast is disolved.
• Add salt.
• Add flour a bit at a time. When dough becomes to heavy to stir, move to table and knead dough as long as you like. The consistency of the dough should not be sticky and should not be too dry. Once you can 'play ball' from hand to hand with the dough it should be fine.
• Let rise for 30 min in warm place, cover with tea towel.
• Preheat oven to 375.
• Punch dough back down and form into 3-4 long baguettes.
• Let rise for 15 min, cover with tea towel.
• Slit the baguette with sharp knice diagonally accross every 2-3 inches.
• Brush with water (I wet a papertowel and run it quickly along the baguettes).
• Bake for approx 25 min or until bread turns golden.
• Brush with salted butter/becel while baguette is still warm.

HOW TO MAKE FRENCH BAGUETTES

Steps:

• Place yeast into the bottom of a large mixing bowl and stir with water; mix in salt. Beat flour into yeast mixture with a wooden spoon until dough is thick and sticky and pulls flour from the side of the bowl, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand in a turned-off oven until doubled in size, 12 to 14 hours. Dough will be bubbly and very sticky.
• Place a silicone baking mat onto a baking sheet and dust generously with cornmeal.
• Use a floured spatula to scrape dough out onto a well-floured work surface and dust dough with flour. With well-floured hands, pat dough into a rectangle and cut into 4 equal-size pieces.
• Dust a piece of dough with flour and use your floured fingers to gently roll and stretch it out into a log about 10 inches long and 1 1/2 inches around. Gently transfer to prepared baking sheet. If desired, wipe off excess cornmeal with a damp paper towel. Repeat with another piece of dough. (Reserve remaining dough to bake later or prepare 2 baking sheets to bake all 4 at once). Dust loaves lightly with flour. Dust a large piece of plastic wrap with flour and drape plastic lightly over the baking sheet with floured side down.
• Let loaves rise, covered, until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hour.
• Move oven racks to the bottom and middle positions. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C) or as high as your oven will go. Place an oven-safe baking dish full of water into bottom rack of the oven.
• Use a sharp kitchen shears to cut 4 or 5 angled slashes into the top of each loaf. Poke down the little sharp tips of dough left by the scissors. Spray loaves with water, using a spray bottle.
• Bake in the preheated oven until baguettes are browned, about 15 minutes, spraying loaves with water after 5 minutes and 10 minutes. Turn the pan around on the second spraying.
• Transfer baguettes to a cooling rack and let cool to room temperature before slicing with a serrated knife.

BAGUETTES (FRENCH BREAD)

Steps:

• To make the poolish, mix the flour and yeast in a medium, deep bowl. Add 200ml room temperature water and stir to a very thick batter. Cover with cling film then chill overnight, after which time the batter will have doubled in size.
• The next day, combine the flours, remaining yeast and the salt in a large mixing bowl. Add another 250ml water to the poolish, then pour into the flours and mix to make a very wet, sloppy dough. Let this sit for 20 mins, which helps the dough to come together more quickly as you knead.
• After 20 mins, the dough will still be wet - possibly much wetter than you're used to, but this is important for a delicious loaf. Either knead by hand for 10 mins (see tip on kneading a very wet dough, below), or in a mixer with a dough hook for 5-8 mins, until the dough firms up and becomes smooth and elastic. It will still feel sticky but have shape and spring.
• Dust a clean patch of worktop and the dough with a little more flour, then fold the dough inwards on itself to make a ball. It will be dry to touch on the outside, but pleasingly wobbly and alive within. Transfer to a lightly floured large bowl, cover with a clean teatowel and let rise for 1½ hours in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size.
• Dust a heavy teatowel or baker's cloth with plenty of flour, and put it onto onto a large kitchen tray or board. Shape three long, baguette-width ridges in the cloth. Turn the dough onto a floured worktop, then flour the sticky side lightly. Cut into 3 equal pieces using a large knife. Do not knead the dough or 'knock it back'.
• Working one at a time, press each piece of dough into a rough oval about 25cm long and 20cm deep. Fold one of the long sides to the middle and press it down well with your fingers. Fold in the other long edge in the same way, and press well again to make a long strip of dough with a groove down the centre. Now fold the dough over itself lengthways into a sausage, pressing the two sides together well in a tight seam against the worktop. Roll very lightly under your palms to seal and make the ends a little pointy. The loaf will be about 40cm long.
• Place the dough seam-side down in your prepared cloth, then repeat. Dust all the loaves with a little flour, cover with a clean teatowel and leave at room temperature for 1 hour, or until almost doubled in size.
• Heat oven to 240C/220C fan/gas 9. Put a roasting tin on a shelf towards the bottom of the oven, plus set a shelf in the top third. Scatter semolina or more flour over one or two large baking trays. Carefully roll or lift the breads onto the trays, leaving space for them to grow. If they stretch or go wonky don't worry, just pat them back carefully into place.
• With a very sharp craft knife or blade, slash the loaves diagonally 5 or 6 times, cutting 1-2cm in. Bake one tray at a time, adding 100ml water to the hot roasting tin and closing the oven door as quickly as you can. Bake for 20 mins or until dark golden, risen and crisp. Cool on racks and enjoy same day, or warmed in a hot oven for a few mins next morning.

FRENCH BAGUETTES

Steps:

• 1. Put 1 cup water, flour, sugar, salt and yeast into bread machine. Select dough cycle and press start
• 2. When cycle has completed place dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover, let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes or until doubled. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.
• 3. Punch down dough. On lightly floured board, roll into a 16 x 12 rectangle. Cut doughh in half creating two 8 X 12 inch rectangles. Roll up each half of dough tightly, beginning at 12 inch side, pounding out any air bubbles as you go. Roll gently back and forth to taper ends. Place 3 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Make deep diagonal slashes across loaves every 2 or 3 inches or make one lengthwise slash on each loaf. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 to 40 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
• 4. Preheat oven to 375F. Mix egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water, brush over tops of loaves. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven or until brown.

3 CLASSIC FRENCH BAGUETTE SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Slice the baguette in half lengthwise, almost all the way through, and open.
• Slather both sides with the butter. Layer with the ham and cheese. Close, press, and divide into two or three sandwiches.
• Slice the baguette in half lengthwise, almost all the way through, and open. Drizzle the top and bottom baguette halves with olive oil.
• Slice the tomato slices in half, so they are in half moons. Slice the goat cheese into thin rounds, then slice them in half into half moons.
• If using, layer arugula, then ham onto the bottom of the sandwich. Then add alternating slices of tomato and goat cheese along the length of the sandwich.
• Sprinkle with herbes de Provence. Close the baguette, press, and divide into halves or thirds.
• Make the Vinaigrette: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the parsley, vinegar, Dijon, salt, pepper, anchovies, shallot, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Whisk until emulsified.
• Slice the baguette in half lengthwise, almost all the way through, and open. Drizzle the top and bottom baguette halves with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
• To the vinaigrette, add the tuna, bell pepper, haricots verts, and arugula. Stir to mix well. The tuna will break apart somewhat.
• Spread the tuna mixture along the bottom half of the baguette. Layer the sliced hard-boiled egg and olives atop the tuna mixture.
• Sprinkle with herbes de Provence. Close the baguette, press hard, and let rest for 2 to 24 hours, preferably weighted down. Tip: Suggestions for weighing down the pan bagnat: the bottom of a cast-iron skillet, or sheet pan with heavy cookbooks on it. Slice into halves or thirds, and serve. Note: If the sandwich will rest for more than two hours, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Before serving, allow to return to near room temperature.

EASY FRENCH BREAD RECIPE

Steps:

• 1. Mix: Using your electric mixer with a dough hook, mix the water, sugar, yeast and 2 cups of flour into the bowl. Allow to sit until yeast activates and begins to bubble. Add oil and salt.
• 2. Add: Slowly mix in remaining flour. You want the dough to just barely pull off the sides of your bowl once the flour is fully incorporated. It should still be a soft dough.
• 3. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
• 4. Rise: Remove dough hook and form dough into a ball inside the bowl. Cover and allow to rise until double, about one hour.
• 5. Place dough gently onto a lightly floured surface. 6. Divide into four equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a general triangular shape. 7. Roll: Starting on the small point, roll and seal your way across the triangle until you have a small log. Roll the log on the counter to stretch your baguette to the proper length, keeping the thickness uniform across the loaf. Place dough into greased french bread pan, slit the top with a sharp knife and brush with an egg wash if desired. Allow to rise about 15-20 minutes.
• 8. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. The bread is completely baked at this point and can be cooled on racks. When it is time to serve, I prefer to place the loaves on the oven racks and bake them for an additional 5-7 minutes. This heats the bread and creates that great crust while keeping the interior soft and chewy. In my opinion, this last step makes all the difference.

FRENCH BAGUETTES

Steps:

• In a small bowl dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.
• Stir with a fork.
• Set aside for 10 minutes.
• Combine the flour and salt.
• Add the yeast mixture, and stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups water.
• Mix the dough until it is sticky enough to knead.
• On a lightly floured board, knead for 6 to 10 minutes; the dough should be sticky and smooth.
• Put the dough in a bowl, cover with a damp tea towel, and let rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Punch down the dough and divide into 4 pieces.
• Roll each into a ball and shape into a baguette.
• Transfer the loaves to a lightly greased baking sheet or baguette pan and let rise until nearly doubled.
• (I use 2 baking sheets, with 3 smaller loaves per sheet).
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• Brush the baguettes with the egg-water mixture.
• Score the loaves diagonally across the top with a sharp knife.
• Pour 2 cups of hot water into a pan and place in the preheated oven next to the baguettes to provide moisture.
• Bake the baguettes for 15 minutes, and then lower the temperature to 400 degrees and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more, until golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and cool on a rack before slicing.
• Occasionally I burn the bottom of the bread, in which case I scrape it off with a sharp serrated knife and it remains my secret!

FRENCH BAGUETTES

Steps:

• In a small bow, combine 1/2 cup of the water, the yeast, and 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Stir just to combine and cover with plastic wrap or a plate. Let the mixture stand about 5 minutes or until bubble or foamy.
• In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of heavy-duty mixer or food processor, blend the flour, salt, the remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar, and the yeast mixture. Gradually add water, up to the remaining 1 cup, and mix until the dough forms a smooth ball that is not too sticky to handle. (If the dough ends up too sticky, add a little more Kamut flour.) Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead briefly, until the dough is smooth and elastic.
• Cut the dough in half and shape the halves into baguettes. Grease a baguette pan (available at kitchen stores) and place the loaves in the pan. Score the loaves down the middle (make a shallow cut- see the photo on page 217) cover with a dish towel, and let rise in a warm place about 30 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees and place a shallow pan of water in the bottom of the oven to create stream (see the beginning of the chapter) Bake the baguettes for 15 minutes or until they have a hollow sound when tapped with a knife. If desired, brush the tops of the loaves with butter halfway through baking. For a softer crust, brush with butter when they have finished baking.

HOMEMADE FRENCH BAGUETTES

Steps:

• Combine the 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 cup warm water and mix until the dough comes together into a ball that is not too wet (you may not need all of the water). If the dough is sticky, add a little bit more flour. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, 2 to 6 minutes. You can do the thumbprint test: press in the dough with your thumb and it should bounce back when it's ready.
• Form the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly-oiled bowl and cover with a dishcloth, so it doesn't dry out. Let rest in a warm environment until doubled in size, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Punch down the dough and divide it in half. Shape into 2 baguettes by making a flat rectangle out of your dough, then folding the top and bottom towards the middle, like an envelope, and sealing the seam with your fingers. Keep repeating the folding and sealing, stretching the rectangle lengthwise as you go, until it's about 12 to 14 inches long and 2 inches wide. Fold and seal either end to round. Flip seam-side down and place on a sheet pan or baguette pan that has been dusted with cornmeal. Score the tops of the loaves, making deep diagonal slits 1/2-inch deep, cover with a dishcloth and let rise in a warm environment until they have doubled in size, 25 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and position your oven racks with one on the bottom and the other in the middle. Place an oven-safe (non-glass) bowl or pan on the bottom rack.
• When your bread has doubled for the second time, remove the towel and quickly and simultaneously, slide the sheet tray with the baguettes onto the middle rack while carefully throwing the ice cubes into the bowl on the bottom rack. The ice will create a burst of steam that will give you a nice crispy crust. Quickly shut the oven door so no steam escapes. Bake the baguettes until golden brown, 15 minutes.
• Cook's Note: If you have a glass window on your oven, place a towel over it when throwing the ice in, hot glass can shatter if ice touches it.
• Serving suggestions: ricotta cheese and acacia honey.