French Baguettes

Contributed by Jennifer Anderson.  Thank you!

Jennifer is my go-to gal for use on the Silform High-Sided Bread Tray.  She's been there to answer all my questions!  I finally ordered myself a tray so I could stop bugging her...but have yet to use it.  She made this fantabulous french bread for her AMAZING show a couple weeks ago, but we failed to preserve the beauty of the bread on film (or I should say digitally).  Until I can pretend to be an incredible french bread maker like Jennifer, and actually take a picture of it, just close your eyes and imagine beautiful, golden, steaming hot french bread fresh from the oven.  Yummmm!!  Here's her recipe (she uses a bread maker machine to mix the ingredients):

French Baguettes

2 Cups Water 80 degrees F 

2 tsp Lemon Juice    

5 Cups Bread Flour (you can mix half whole wheat with white)

2 tsp salt

2 TBL sugar

3 tsp active dry yeast

Wash:

2 egg yolks

2 TBL Water

Place ingredients in bread pan in order listed (not the wash - it is to be brushed on the formed dough loaves prior to baking).  Use Dough Setting and press start.  When complete remove dough from bread pan.  Divide dough into sections (based on your bread mold size).  Roll dough sections out individually into rectangles.  Roll up up tightly, jelly-roll style, starting at the short side.  Shape into a loaf.  Place on the bread mold.  With a sharp knife, make 3 to 4 diagonal slashes across loaf.  Cover and let rise in warm, draft-free place, 30-40 minutes, or until doubled in size.  Brush combined Wash ingredients over top of loaf.  Bake in preheated 375 degree F oven 20 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.  Yields 3 medium loaves, 4 slim loaves, or halving the recipe-one round loaf.

UPDATE:  While visiting my parents over Spring Break, I made some French Baguettes and remembered to take a picture!  Yay!  I think my first shot at the bread was decent, but they definitely didn't look as fantastic as Jennifer's!  At least you don't have to use your imagination now.  And by the way, they tasted great!  I probably ate one loaf all on my own.  I shouldn't admit to that.