Baguettes, the quintessential French bread, are known for their distinctive long and thin shape and crispy crust. Originating in the 19th century, they have become a staple in French cuisine and are enjoyed worldwide. This article provides a comprehensive guide to making baguettes at home, complete with step-by-step instructions and helpful tips.
Dive into the secrets of crafting the perfect baguette with our detailed recipe, designed for both experienced bakers and novices alike. Discover the intricacies of mixing, kneading, shaping, and baking to achieve that signature golden-brown crust and airy crumb. We'll also explore variations such as the rustic baguette and the baguette tradition, each with its unique characteristics.
But that's not all! This comprehensive guide also includes recipes for delectable accompaniments to elevate your baguette experience. Try your hand at making classic French onion soup, a hearty and flavorful dish that pairs perfectly with a warm, crusty baguette. Or indulge in the simplicity of garlic bread, a timeless combination of butter, garlic, and herbs that turns any slice of baguette into a savory treat.
Whether you're looking to impress your friends and family with homemade baguettes or simply want to savor the taste of authentic French bread, this article has everything you need. Get ready to embark on a culinary adventure that will transport you to the heart of France, one bite at a time!
FRENCH BAGUETTES
Great eaten fresh from oven. Used to make sub sandwiches, etc.
Provided by Judy Taubert
Categories Bread 100+ Bread Machine Recipes
Time 1h50m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Place 1 cup water, bread flour, sugar, salt and yeast into bread machine pan in the order recommended by manufacturer. Select Dough cycle, and press Start.
- When the cycle has completed, place dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in bulk. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.
- Punch down dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll into a 16x12 inch rectangle. Cut dough in half, creating two 8x12 inch rectangles. Roll up each half of dough tightly, beginning at 12 inch side, pounding out any air bubbles as you go. Roll gently back and forth to taper end. Place 3 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Make deep diagonal slashes across loaves every 2 inches, or make one lengthwise slash on each loaf. Cover, and let rise in a warm place for 30 to 40 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Mix egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water; brush over tops of loaves.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 112.9 calories, Carbohydrate 22 g, Cholesterol 17.1 mg, Fat 0.9 g, Fiber 0.8 g, Protein 3.8 g, SaturatedFat 0.2 g, Sodium 195.9 mg, Sugar 1.1 g
HOMEMADE FRENCH BAGUETTES
Provided by Kelsey Nixon
Time 1h35m
Yield 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Combine the honey, yeast and 1/2 cup warm water. Stir to combine and let the mixture stand until the yeast is activated and begins to foam, 5 minutes.
- Mix the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl with a dough hook and slowly add in the yeast mixture. Gradually add 1 cup warm water and mix until the dough comes together into a ball that is not too wet (you may not need all of the water). If the dough is sticky, add a little bit more flour. Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, 2 to 6 minutes. You can do the thumbprint test: press in the dough with your thumb and it should bounce back when it's ready.
- Form the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly-oiled bowl and cover with a dishcloth, so it doesn't dry out. Let rest in a warm environment until doubled in size, 25 to 30 minutes.
- Punch down the dough and divide it in half. Shape into 2 baguettes by making a flat rectangle out of your dough, then folding the top and bottom towards the middle, like an envelope, and sealing the seam with your fingers. Keep repeating the folding and sealing, stretching the rectangle lengthwise as you go, until it's about 12 to 14 inches long and 2 inches wide. Fold and seal either end to round. Flip seam-side down and place on a sheet pan or baguette pan that has been dusted with cornmeal. Score the tops of the loaves, making deep diagonal slits 1/2-inch deep, cover with a dishcloth and let rise in a warm environment until they have doubled in size, 25 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and position your oven racks with one on the bottom and the other in the middle. Place an oven-safe (non-glass) bowl or pan on the bottom rack.
- When your bread has doubled for the second time, remove the towel and quickly and simultaneously, slide the sheet tray with the baguettes onto the middle rack while carefully throwing the ice cubes into the bowl on the bottom rack. The ice will create a burst of steam that will give you a nice crispy crust. Quickly shut the oven door so no steam escapes. Bake the baguettes until golden brown, 15 minutes.
- Cook's Note: If you have a glass window on your oven, place a towel over it when throwing the ice in, hot glass can shatter if ice touches it.
- Serving suggestions: ricotta cheese and acacia honey.
HOW TO MAKE FRENCH BAGUETTES
I always thought you can't make real French baguettes at home, but once I tried it I realized I was wrong. Again. You're going to be fairly shocked when you realize just how simple this is. The only way to make bread this any more French is to put some butter on it!
Provided by Chef John
Categories Bread Yeast Bread Recipes White Bread Recipes
Time 15h5m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Place yeast into the bottom of a large mixing bowl and stir with water; mix in salt. Beat flour into yeast mixture with a wooden spoon until dough is thick and sticky and pulls flour from the side of the bowl, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand in a turned-off oven until doubled in size, 12 to 14 hours. Dough will be bubbly and very sticky.
- Place a silicone baking mat onto a baking sheet and dust generously with cornmeal.
- Use a floured spatula to scrape dough out onto a well-floured work surface and dust dough with flour. With well-floured hands, pat dough into a rectangle and cut into 4 equal-size pieces.
- Dust a piece of dough with flour and use your floured fingers to gently roll and stretch it out into a log about 10 inches long and 1 1/2 inches around. Gently transfer to prepared baking sheet. If desired, wipe off excess cornmeal with a damp paper towel. Repeat with another piece of dough. (Reserve remaining dough to bake later or prepare 2 baking sheets to bake all 4 at once). Dust loaves lightly with flour. Dust a large piece of plastic wrap with flour and drape plastic lightly over the baking sheet with floured side down.
- Let loaves rise, covered, until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hour.
- Move oven racks to the bottom and middle positions. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C) or as high as your oven will go. Place an oven-safe baking dish full of water into bottom rack of the oven.
- Use a sharp kitchen shears to cut 4 or 5 angled slashes into the top of each loaf. Poke down the little sharp tips of dough left by the scissors. Spray loaves with water, using a spray bottle.
- Bake in the preheated oven until baguettes are browned, about 15 minutes, spraying loaves with water after 5 minutes and 10 minutes. Turn the pan around on the second spraying.
- Transfer baguettes to a cooling rack and let cool to room temperature before slicing with a serrated knife.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 304.7 calories, Carbohydrate 63.8 g, Fat 0.8 g, Fiber 2.3 g, Protein 8.7 g, SaturatedFat 0.1 g, Sodium 681.8 mg, Sugar 0.2 g
BAGUETTES (FRENCH BREAD)
Make fresh, French bread at home with this simple recipe - an overnight starter called a poolish gives a golden crust and chewy middle.
Provided by Jane Hornby
Categories Side dish
Time 50m
Yield Makes 3 40cm baguettes
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- To make the poolish, mix the flour and yeast in a medium, deep bowl. Add 200ml room temperature water and stir to a very thick batter. Cover with cling film then chill overnight, after which time the batter will have doubled in size.
- The next day, combine the flours, remaining yeast and the salt in a large mixing bowl. Add another 250ml water to the poolish, then pour into the flours and mix to make a very wet, sloppy dough. Let this sit for 20 mins, which helps the dough to come together more quickly as you knead.
- After 20 mins, the dough will still be wet - possibly much wetter than you're used to, but this is important for a delicious loaf. Either knead by hand for 10 mins (see tip on kneading a very wet dough, below), or in a mixer with a dough hook for 5-8 mins, until the dough firms up and becomes smooth and elastic. It will still feel sticky but have shape and spring.
- Dust a clean patch of worktop and the dough with a little more flour, then fold the dough inwards on itself to make a ball. It will be dry to touch on the outside, but pleasingly wobbly and alive within. Transfer to a lightly floured large bowl, cover with a clean teatowel and let rise for 1½ hours in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size.
- Dust a heavy teatowel or baker's cloth with plenty of flour, and put it onto onto a large kitchen tray or board. Shape three long, baguette-width ridges in the cloth. Turn the dough onto a floured worktop, then flour the sticky side lightly. Cut into 3 equal pieces using a large knife. Do not knead the dough or 'knock it back'.
- Working one at a time, press each piece of dough into a rough oval about 25cm long and 20cm deep. Fold one of the long sides to the middle and press it down well with your fingers. Fold in the other long edge in the same way, and press well again to make a long strip of dough with a groove down the centre. Now fold the dough over itself lengthways into a sausage, pressing the two sides together well in a tight seam against the worktop. Roll very lightly under your palms to seal and make the ends a little pointy. The loaf will be about 40cm long.
- Place the dough seam-side down in your prepared cloth, then repeat. Dust all the loaves with a little flour, cover with a clean teatowel and leave at room temperature for 1 hour, or until almost doubled in size.
- Heat oven to 240C/220C fan/gas 9. Put a roasting tin on a shelf towards the bottom of the oven, plus set a shelf in the top third. Scatter semolina or more flour over one or two large baking trays. Carefully roll or lift the breads onto the trays, leaving space for them to grow. If they stretch or go wonky don't worry, just pat them back carefully into place.
- With a very sharp craft knife or blade, slash the loaves diagonally 5 or 6 times, cutting 1-2cm in. Bake one tray at a time, adding 100ml water to the hot roasting tin and closing the oven door as quickly as you can. Bake for 20 mins or until dark golden, risen and crisp. Cool on racks and enjoy same day, or warmed in a hot oven for a few mins next morning.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 765 calories, Fat 3 grams fat, SaturatedFat 1 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 155 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 1 grams sugar, Fiber 5 grams fiber, Protein 26 grams protein, Sodium 2.5 milligram of sodium
Tips:
- Use the right flour: Bread flour is the best choice for baguettes because it has a high protein content, which gives the bread a chewy texture. If you don't have bread flour, you can use all-purpose flour, but the bread will be less chewy.
- Make sure the water is the right temperature: The water should be warm, but not hot. Hot water will kill the yeast and prevent the bread from rising.
- Knead the dough properly: Kneading the dough develops the gluten, which gives the bread its structure. Knead the dough for at least 5 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic.
- Let the dough rise in a warm place: The dough should rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until it has doubled in size. You can place the dough in a warm oven turned off, or in a warm spot in your kitchen.
- Shape the dough properly: When you shape the dough, be careful not to overwork it. Overworking the dough will make the bread tough.
- Score the dough: Scoring the dough helps the bread to rise evenly and prevents it from cracking. Use a sharp knife to score the dough about 1/2 inch deep.
- Bake the bread at a high temperature: The bread should be baked at a high temperature for about 20 minutes, or until it is golden brown. A high temperature will help the bread to develop a crisp crust.
Conclusion:
Making baguettes at home is a rewarding experience. With a little practice, you can make baguettes that are just as good as the ones you buy from the bakery. By following the tips in this article, you can make sure that your baguettes turn out perfect every time.
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