French Baguettes are homemade stick loaves of French bread with a crispy crust and soft, chewy texture baked to a golden brown.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups bread flour
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons bread machine yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- cooking spray
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Place flour, 1 cup water, sugar, yeast, and salt into a bread machine pan in the order recommended by manufacturer. Select Dough cycle; press Start.
- While the cycle is running, grease a bowl and cookie sheet with cooking spray; set them aside.
- When the cycle is complete, place dough in the greased bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.
- Punch down dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 16-x12-inch rectangle. Cut dough in half, creating two 8-x12-inch rectangles. Roll up each half of dough tightly, beginning at a long side, pounding out any air bubbles as you go. Roll gently back and forth to taper ends. Place 3 inches apart on the greased cookie sheet.
- Make deep diagonal slashes across loaves every 2 inches or one lengthwise slash on each loaf. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 30 to 40 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Mix egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl; brush over tops of loaves.
- Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
