Baguette Bread

Oh, I love baguette bread. Since I made lasagna this weekend, I figured I would make up some bread to go with it. I actually made the dough the night before and refrigerated it until I was ready for the second rise.

The crust was crisp with a soft inside. This bread accompanied the lasagna nicely. The left over bread we placed in the freezer to make some croutons at another date. Next time, I'm going to knead some herbs into the dough before baking.

The Almost No Knead Baguette
3 cups lukewarm water
5 cups all purpose flour
3 cups white whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp instant yeast

Directions:

1. Spray a large bowl with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In another large bowl, add the water and yeast. Allow to rest for 5 minutes to make sure the yeast proofs.
3. Add the flour and salt to the yeast water and stir to combine. 
4. Mix the dough until no dry spots remain and the dough is fairly soft.
5. Knead the dough by hand for a few minutes. The dough will be sticky.
6. Add the dough to the greased large bowl and flip.
7. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
8. Divide the dough in half and shape into a slightly flatten oval. 
9. Fold the dough lengthwise in half. 
10. Seal the edges of the dough with the heel of your hand.
11. Flatten the dough slightly and fold in half lengthwise. Seal the dough with the heel of your hand.
12. With the seam side down, gently roll the dough into desired size.
13. Place the dough seam down on a lightly greased of a baking sheet or a baguette pan.
14. Roll out the other half of the dough.
15. Cover the dough and allow the dough to rise for about 1 1/2 hours.
16. When ready to bake, heat the oven to 450 degrees F.
17. Slash three or four times onto the baguette diagonal.
18. Spritz the dough with warm water and bake for about 25 minutes or deep golden brown. 
19. Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool.

Recipe adapted from King Arthur website.

Did you know...
-The bakers of Vienna invented the steam ovens and were the first to begin to bake hard crusty breads.
-In France around 1920, a law went into affect that did not allow bakers to begin work before 4 am. The bakers needed a bread for their customers. Since the baguette baked faster, the baguette bread became popular with bakeries.