Baguettes

Baking bread can be really, really simple. Just let yourself give this recipe a shot - I never get really beautiful-looking baguettes out of this, but I do get delicious fresh bread straight from the oven.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 20 mins
• Yields: 4 loaves

Ingredients

• 1  teaspoon dry active yeast
• 2  cups warm water
• 4 -5  cups all-purpose flour
• 2  teaspoons salt

Directions

1. Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Stir with a fork. Set aside for 10 minutes.
2. Combine flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture, and stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups water. Mix the dough until it's sticky enough to knead.
3. On a lightly-floured surface knead for 6-10 minutes. The dough will be sticky and smooth. Put the dough in a bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
4. Punch down the dough and divide into 4 equal parts. Shape each into a baguette, and transfer teh loaves to a lightly-greased baking sheet (you can use butter to grease). Let rise until doubled.
5. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
6. Pour 2 cups of hot water into a pyrex dish or pan and set in preheated oven next to the baguettes. Bake 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 400 and bake another 5 minutes until golden brown.
7. Allow to cool before slicing.