French Bread

Source: Taste of Artisan

Click here to read about my experience making this recipe for my state meal challenge!

Servings: 4 loaves

Total time: 5 hours, 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ cups water, divided
• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• 3 ½ cups bread flour (or all-purpose flour)
• 2 tsp kosher salt

DIRECTIONS

• In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over ½ cup of warm water and let it sit for 10 minutes, until foaming.
• Add the flour, salt, and remaining water, and stir just enough to form a wet, shaggy dough. Cover with a towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
• Wet your hands, and stretch and fold the dough over itself from all four sides, then flip it seam-side down and let it rest for 45 minutes. Repeat this process three more times, for a total of 3 hours. Don’t add any flour—the dough should stay wet.
• On a lightly floured surface, cut the dough into four equal pieces. Shape the dough into roughly rectangular loaves, cover, and let them rest for 30 minutes.
• Roll each loaf into a cylinder with tapered ends, making sure to seal the seams. Dust with a little flour.
• Transfer the dough to a baker’s couche (or I just used a floured pillowcase), cover, and let them rest for another 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place a pan of boiling water on the bottom rack. You’ll leave it there while baking so the steam will create a crispy crust.
• Carefully transfer the dough to a lightly greased baking sheet. Lightly spray the loaves with water, then score each loaf with 3 to 4 diagonal cuts about ¼” deep. 
• Put the loaves in the oven. Spray the inside of the oven with water to create more steam, then bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Rotate the loaves and bake for an additional 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped. 
• Let the baguettes cool completely before slicing and serving!