Baguettes

The smell of freshly baked bread is absolutely irresistible. Today, I decided to make some multigrain baguettes for us to enjoy. The recipe below is for regular baguettes, but you can substitute some or all of the flour for different kinds depending on what kind of baguette you want to make. For my multigrain baguettes, I substituted 1 cup of multigrain bread flour for the white flour. You can also use an egg wash instead of the milk for a harder, crispier crust. To make the egg wash, mix 1 egg or 1 egg white with 1 tablespoon of water.

Baguette Recipe

INGREDIENTS

1 cup very warm water

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons yeast

2 1/2 cups bread flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons milk

STEPS

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar into the water. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water and let sit for 5 minutes.
2. Add the bread flour and mix together to form dough. Then add the salt and knead in. Knead dough for a few minutes until it forms a ball of dough. It should still be slightly sticky. Once kneaded, cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
3. Once the dough has risen, punch it down. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 16 x 12 inch rectangle. Cut the dough in half, forming two 8x12 inch rectangles. Beginning from the 12 inch side, roll each half of dough up tightly, then gently pinch in the ends and fold over to seal. Turn the roll over and pinch the seam shut. Gently roll it back and forth to smooth out the seam. Cover and allow to rise for another 35 minutes.
    
    
    
   
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. If you have a baking stone, preheat the stone in the oven. If not, you may transfer the baguettes to a cookie sheet for baking.
5. Once the baguettes have doubled in size, gently brush the milk over the tops of the loaves. Then, with a very sharp knife, make deep diagonal slashes across each loaf about 2 inches apart. 
   
6. If using a baking stone, bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. If using a cookie sheet, bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool on a rack.