One-a-Day Baguette
A classic French baguette made with basic ingredients - flour, yeast, water, and salt. This recipe yields a crusty, golden-brown loaf with a light and airy interior, perfect for sandwiches or serving alongside meals.
Ingredients
- •1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- •1 teaspoon sugar
- •1½ cups warm water
- •4¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- •2½ teaspoons salt
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
In a large bowl sprinkle yeast and sugar over warm water and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. With a wooden spoon stir in 2 cups flour until combined. Stir in salt and 2 cups of remaining flour until mixture forms a stiff dough. On a lightly floured surface knead dough with lightly floured hands 8 minutes, or until smooth and elastic, kneading in enough of remaining 1/2 cup flour to keep dough from sticking. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled deep bowl, turning to coat with oil, and let rise, bowl covered with plastic wrap, until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
98 min
- 2.
Preheat oven to 400° F.
10 min
- 3.
Punch down dough and form into a long slender loaf about 21 inches long and 3 inches wide. Put loaf diagonally on a lightly greased large or 17- by 14-inch baking sheet and let rise, uncovered, about 30 minutes. (Baguette may be made up to this point 4 hours ahead and chilled.)
30 min
- 4.
Make 3 or 4 diagonal slashes on loaf with a sharp knife and lightly brush top with cool water. Bake loaf in middle of oven 30 minutes, or until golden, and transfer to a rack to cool.
30 min