Quick & Easy Baguettes
Listen- this is the hill I will die on. Making bread is NOT as hard as you think it is AND it is so, so worth it. There is nothing like the satisfaction of eating warm, fresh bread that YOU made with nothing more than flour, water, salt, and yeast. These baguettes are incredibly tasty, they’re ready in less than three hours, and they require no real kneading. You can spread them with jam and butter, you can cut them into slices to eat with a cheese board, or you can use them to make a truly incredible sandwich. The possibilities are endless. This recipe makes four baguettes around 10” long each and takes around three hours including rising and bake time.
Ingredients
450g all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons instant yeast
375ml warm water (around 90F)
Directions
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and instant yeast.
Add the warm water and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until a sticky dough forms.
Cover the bowl and let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours, until close to 2x its original size.
Once the dough has risen, flour your workspace and tip out the dough.
Tuck in the corners and then split the mass of dough into four equal pieces
Gently pick up a piece and stretch it at each end until elongated to about 8-10 inches. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and repeat with the other three pieces of dough.
Stretch the (lengthwise) edge of each piece over to the other side and tuck it in to give them a more uniform look.
Dust the baguettes lightly with flour, then cover and let them rise again for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 450F.
When the baguettes are done rising, fill an oven-safe tray with ice cubes and place it on the bottom rack of the oven.
Uncover the baguettes and slash them each three times (using a sharp knife or razor blade), then place the baking sheet in the oven on the middle rack above the ice cube tray.
Bake approximately 30 minutes or until golden brown. These are best the same day they’re baked, but to keep them for later, wrap them well in plastic and reheat them in the oven at 300F for a few minutes. Enjoy!