Tag Archives: french bread

Authentic french baguette

Although typically I only do gluten free breads , every once in a while I get the craving to make a beautiful loaf of baguette .  My son and and husband love this bread and gobble it up every time. This bread is light with airy bubbles and a wonderful crunchy crust. I like to make this recipe 6 baguettes at a time and freeze them. Whenever there’s a last minute dinner party, I just grab one from the freezer and put in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes and it tastes as fresh as the day I made it. Like the traditional french bakers of France , it’s about taking your time and letting the dough rest at least 12 hours so the gluten is more elastic . This recipe is fun and easy and requires almost no kneeding. Just get this dough ready about an hour before you go to bed, stick it in the fridge and take it out the next day when you’re ready to begin baking.   Although I originally made this bread on a cookie sheet, I find a perforated pan gives a much more consistent loaf every time.  I use this same recipe for pizza dough and use a pizza stone for baking. Enjoy!

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Authentic french baguette
 
Recipe type: French Baguette
Cuisine: French bread
Ingredients
  • 31/2 cups unbleached white flour
  • 31/2 cups wholewheat flour
  • 4 tsp salt
  • 31/3 cups of warm water
  • ½ tsp yeast
  • 1 TBLS honey
Instructions
  1. Put flour and salt in large tupperware bucket with lid
  2. Put 1⅔ cups warm water with ½ tsp yeast and 1 TBLS honey.
  3. Let yeast proof for 10 minutes
  4. Add proofed yeast and an additional 12/3 cups warm water to flour
  5. Use your hands to mix dough.
  6. Add extra water to make it a very wet consistency
  7. Mix well and let rest 20 minutes
  8. Turn dough every 20 minutes for 1 hour then put in the fridge overnight with lid loose on top
  9. Leave in fridge at least 12 hours
  10. Remove from fridge next day and cut into 6 equal portions
  11. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  12. Stretch out each piece into long baguette shape and dip in flour
  13. Stretch out 3 long loaves and leave on baguette pan for 30 minutes
  14. Spray pans with pam to ensure they don't stick
  15. Slash loaves closely with bread knife just before putting in oven
  16. Put tray of water at base of oven and mist loaves just before putting in oven
  17. Cook 25 minutes and remove when loaves brown and crusty.
  18. Repeat process with second batch of loaves if only have 3 loaf pan

baguette2Proof yeast

bagette4Add proofed yeast and water and thoroughly mix dough until wet.

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Turn dough 4 times every 20 minutes for 1 hour.

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After at least 12 hours, remove dough from fridge and cut into 6 portions . Let rest 1 hour until warm.

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Dip dough in flour and shape into loaves and let rest 30 minutes in baguette pan

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Draw flour across top of loaves and slash with close vertical cuts.  Place one rack above middle and bake for 25minutes. Don’t forget to mist with water to give it that crunch and add a tray of water at the bottom if you don’t have convection.

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First batch is out. Dump and replay from the beginning. Yum yum everytime.