administratorOne of the simplest bread recipes I’ve ever used. No sourdough or starters involved. The baguettes are very tasty, with a perfectly crisp crust.
Ingredients (for 2 small baguettes):
- 375 g (about 3 cups) plain wheat flour
- 250–300 ml (1–1¼ cups) lukewarm water
- 5 g (about 1 tsp) fresh yeast
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions:
Prepare the dough: Sift the flour together with the salt into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Dissolve the yeast in a tablespoon of water. Combine all the ingredients and knead into a smooth dough. The dough may be slightly sticky.
Folding: Fold the dough three times by stretching it and folding the edges over. Place it in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth. After 20 minutes, fold the dough three more times. Repeat this folding process three times at 20-minute intervals. Then leave the dough covered in a warm spot for about 2 hours to rise.
Shape the baguettes: Gently, without pressing too hard, shape the dough into 2 baguettes, ideally by rolling them into long cylinders. Let them rest for 20 minutes to rise slightly.
Bake: Preheat the oven to 250 °C (480 °F). Using a sharp knife, make diagonal slashes on the top of the baguettes. Lightly sprinkle or brush the tops with water. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown.
Cool: Remove from the oven and let the baguettes cool on a wire rack before slicing.
