Baguettes Fait Maison — Home Baked French Baguettes

Is there anything more French than a freshly made baguette? Memories of picking one up for a few francs at the bakery on the corner, breaking off the top to eat on the way home. The anticipatory smell and the comforting sound of tartines to come.

In my mind, this is the ultimate of home baking and actually quite simple to do. With a bit of time.

Inspired by: My longing for France

If you’re making mussels for dinner, for example, imagine how wonderful it would be to dip a piece of that still hot baguette into the sauce. (Almost as good as home made fries…I’ll show you how to do those soon!)

Want your baguettes crispy crust? Add a water bath at the bottom of the oven while baking, or do what I read somewhere Julia Child did: open the oven door and throw in some water. I like that approach best. Hands-on!

All you need is:

• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• parchment paper
• baking sheets
• time

(printable recipe at the end of post)

Not a lot of ingredients needed; simplicity at its best.

Add the yeast to the lukewarm water, stir to combine, and let sit for about 10 minutes, until bubbles form.

Pour the flour into a baking bowl, add the salt, then pour in the water and yeast and stir to combine.

Once the dough is coming together — add some extra flour if it’s sticky — use your hands to knead into a smooth ball.

Leave to rise in a warm spot away from drafts, covered with a kitchen towel. Be patient! Go for a walk or read a few chapters of your (cook)book. This may take a few hours.

Divide the ball and shape into logs, drizzle with flour, and leave to rise again.

Once fluffy, score with a sharp knife and dust with flour before putting into a 400F warm oven.

For the crispy crust, throw in some water every five minutes or so to steam.

After 15-20 minutes (depending on your oven), remove and cool on a wire rack.

Don’t pick them up with bare hands; they’re hot! Resist the temptation to take a bite right away, they’re still baking inside and need a few minutes to slow down and rest.

Get your favourite jam out, or your homechurned butter to soften (you won’t believe how easy that is to make!) — or start slicing your cheese. This is going to be good.

Cut into prefered shape for dipping into this:

Or call a few friends and put together a cheese platter.

Or simply tear off a piece and eat as is. Simple goodness.

Enjoy!

 

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