Baguette II.

This is another recipe that produces an acceptable baguette, but I'm not satisfied, yet. The weird look to the bread here is due to my oven's crappy state. It doesn't heat on top, and heats too strongly on the bottom. So I need to turn the breads upside-down halfway through cooking, when I bake it in my oven instead of my husband's.

Ingredients
2-3 cups flour
1 cup warm water
0.5 tbsp active dry yeast
0.5 tsp salt
0.25 tsp sugar

Preparation
Mix the warm water, yeast, sugar salt and 1 cup of the flour.

Allow to sit at room temperature covered for 30 minutes, until a sponge forms. Add another cup flour.

Mix and pour the soft dough onto a well-floured surface. Knead for about five minutes, until it becomes a smooth and elastic dough.

Lightly coat with oil, cover and allow to rise at room temperature for 1 hour.

Shape the baguette by gently flattening into a rectangle, folding in half and pinching it closed. Allow to sit for 15 minutes and repeat the process twice more, elongating the bread without deflating it.

Preheat the oven to 450F. Allow the baguette t rise for 20 more minutes.

Score the bread, spray it with water for optimal crust formation (this will work if your oven is not crappy like mine), and place on the middle rack of the hot oven.

Remove from the oven and cool on a cookie rack when the baguette us crusty, golden brown.

Comments