Crispy homemade French baguette

Hey foodies!

A special little baguette tutorial. Perfect for breakfast or dinner. :o)

Plus, the recipe is ultra simple so no more excuses for not making your own homemade bread!

For info, I've had this recipe for years so I didn't invent or modify anything (this time). But I can no longer give you the link... sorry!

For 2 baguettes, you will need:

- 490gr white flour

- 2 tsp salt

- 1 tsp sugar

- 7gr dry yeast

- 1 tsp olive oil

- 300gr water

In a bowl, pour 490gr of white flour and add 2 tsp of salt. Mix both ingredients together well.

It's important to mix the salt into the flour well to dissolve it into the mixture. This way, we avoid a direct clash between the salt and the yeast later. :o)

Add 1 tsp of sugar and mix again.

Then add 7gr of dry yeast (baker's yeast, not baking powder), 1 tsp of olive oil and 300gr of lukewarm water.

It's important to use lukewarm water so the yeast develops more quickly.

Mix everything together with a dough hook for 10 minutes at medium speed.

It's very important to knead the dough for a good 10 minutes so the gluten can develop and the dough can rise well afterwards.

After 10 minutes, form a ball, place it in your bowl and cover it with a damp cloth.

Let your dough rise for about 1h30. It should double in size.

After 1h30-2h of rising, dust your work surface with a little flour.

Then work your dough by hand. You'll notice that at first it stiffens slightly, but the more you knead, the more elastic your dough will become. :o)

Knead your dough well for about 5 minutes.

You can add a little flour if your dough is too sticky, but avoid adding too much... It would dry out the dough and your baguette might crack during baking.

Cut your dough into two pieces of about 405-410gr. Set one piece aside in your covered bowl and take the other one.

Flatten your dough with the palm of your hand to get a small rectangle.

Fold your rectangle into 3.

First, fold the top of the rectangle down to a third. Press firmly on the seam to slightly seal it.

Then fold the bottom part over the top part. This way, you will have folded your rectangle into 3.

Then pinch the seam along the entire length as shown in the third photo.

In the first photo, the seam is barely visible anymore. That's exactly what we want. :o)

Then flatten your dough slightly again by hand. Be careful not to crush it! Just flatten it a little.

Fold the dough in half, pinching along the entire length again.

Even the ends, like a ravioli. :o)

Don't hesitate to press firmly so the dough sticks together well. Avoid adding too much flour to make sure it sticks properly.

Turn your dough so the seam is facing down.

Then roll your log to get a nice baguette of about 32 cm.

Lightly flour your baguette pan.

Place your baguette with the seam facing down.

Score your baguette 3 times using a scoring knife.

Do the same with your second piece of dough.

Dust both baguettes with flour (just a little).

Then cover them with a damp cloth.

Let your baguettes rise for 45-60 minutes at room temperature.

You'll notice that your scores will have widened slightly. That's perfect.

Preheat your oven to 220°C, fan-assisted.

Pour a little olive oil into a bowl and brush your baguettes with olive oil using a pastry brush.

Be careful not to soak them! We just want to lightly brush them. :o)

Bake your baguettes in the preheated oven at 220°C, fan-assisted for 20-25 minutes.

For an even more developed baguette, place a small bowl of water in your oven during baking.

And here is the result after 20 minutes of baking! :o)

At home, they were enjoyed warm and my kids literally asked me to make them every day! A real hit for the whole family!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.

Have a great Sunday foodies!

Karin

P.S.: All the equipment used can be found at the bottom of the recipe.