Traditional Artisan Style Baguette - Rustic French Bread
- 1 (1/4 ounce) packet active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon organic honey
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 2 teaspoons natural sea salt
- 4 - 4 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- Place the yeast, honey and warm water in a large bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the salt and the flour. Use a wooden spoon to stir 2 cups of the flour mixture into the yeast mixture; stir in the remaining flour mixture (dough will be stiff).
- Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead with floured hands until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5-7 minutes. Add a little flour, 1 tablespoon at a time as necessary, to prevent dough from sticking.
- Place in an oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with plastic wrap (or a clean kitchen towel) and leave to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
- Gently punch dough down to deflate it and shape into two oblong baguettes. Dust tops lightly with flour and place on a lightly greased baking sheet; let rise uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Use a serrated knife to cut 3-5 small diagonal slits across the tops of the baguettes, and lightly sprinkle with cool water.
- Bake in the middle of oven for 25-30 minutes, until golden. Transfer to a rack to cool.
- Best eaten the same day.
active dry yeast, honey, water, natural sea salt, flour
Taken from www.food.com/recipe/traditional-artisan-style-baguette-rustic-french-bread-391163 (may not work)