French baguette

This is the recipe that was chosen for this months Tame the yeast challenge. This is Pradnya's recipe who blogs at The Pumpkin Farm. When this was shared I was very thrilled because I love crusty breads. I am great fan of baguette and our Indian brun pav. Whereas my daughter and hubby do not like crusty breads. They say it hurts their pallet. 

When I was in Europe for a brief stay of 45 days what I enjoyed the most was this French baguette. Early morning I use to go to the boulangerie to buy this freshly made bread. I can eat crusty bread with anything, be it dal, soup or butter and jam. I love to dip these slices in hot cup of chai and enjoy eating it. 

Ingredients are sufficient for creating 2 loaves of this size each – about inch length thin bread or 6 inch thick sandwich loaf.

Ingredients

2 cups All purpose flour
3 Teaspoon Honey or 4 teaspoons Sugar
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 ¼ Teaspoon Instant yeast
¾ Cup warm water
1 Cup ice cubes (to be kept in refrigerator until the last step)
½ Teaspoon oil only to brush the top of the dough

Method

In a large bowl, mix the flour, yeast and salt well.
Add the honey to the flour mixture and mix using a spoon.
Now slowly add ½ cup of water and mix using hands until the flour gathers to form a crumbly dough.

Now gradually add a teaspoon of water at a time while kneading with one hand to smoothen the dough.
Now knead the dough at least 10 minutes till the dough is smooth, elastic and stretches easily. 

Now dip your 2 fingers in oil and lightly rub the top of the dough to cover the exposed surface from drying.

Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 45 minutes or until it doubles.

Now take the dough and punch it using your knuckles and flatten the dough. 

Roll out the dough using a rolling pin on a flat surface. Roughly in rectangular shape, first time about 4 inch in width and 6 inches in length.
Now fold the top lengthwise , until mid way, to look like an envelope

Now fold over the bottom half over the top. Seal the edges well and roll it out width wise and repeat the envelope folds again

Continue until you reach desired length, either 6 or 8 inch or maximum 12 to 14 inch in length

See below
Do not forget the seal the edges well at each step

Now just gently twist it using four fingers of both your hands, right hand moving upwards and left hand moving 

downwards, as if you are wriggling the dough. Do this gently and then set aside for 30 minuts more.

During this time, preheat your oven at 230 C for 10 minutes.

Now after the second rise – roughly 25 minutes, place the risen dough on greased baking tray.

Take ice cubes in a oven safe pan. Open the oven door, and slid the baking tray on the top rack and the ice cubes on the bottom rack.  Close the oven door , cover it with a kitchen towel to ensure the vapor steam does not shatter the glass door. It normally does not happen, but as a precaution, do this, alternatively you can put a barrier to the oven door, to ensure that it does not close fully.Bake it for 20 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when tapped.

Look out for the post as to how I served this bread.

This bread was crusty and yummy, but not so crusty like the ones available in Europe boulangeries, may be because of their baking technique and ovens.  But still we enjoyed this bread so did my hubby and daughter. 

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#46.


Labels: Breads, Continental Cuisine, Vegan, Blogging Marathon, France

For other recipes on bread check Recipe Index.