It rained today! Isn't that just lovely! All of those rain dances with the lipstick all over my face in my front lawn must have worked. Don't question my alternative lifestyle, we are in a drought and I am just doing what I can to help. Because it was raining today and I am on pot roast duty (so cool!) I decided to try my hand at making French baguettes. Now I cheated a little bit by using my bread machine, but let's not get into logistics. Rainy days and French bread, I swear I could die today and be very happy with the life that I have lived.
As I peeked every couple of minutes at the pot roast, using all of my will power to not dig in right away, I also checked, kneaded, and rolled my baguette dough. I once blogged awhile back about not knowing how to cook. Even simple mashed potatoes seemed elusive. I have been studying though, like the good student that I am, with the use of several different cookbooks. I was even so bold as to rent a Julia Child cookbook. As much as I would like to cook like Julia Child, I was not very interested in some of the food. I am adventurous, but not that adventurous. Plus, I have never heard of most of the ingredients nor do I know where to find these ingredients. So I have been dilly dallying in the Betty Crocker field of cookbooks, which have been wonderful mostly because it is for the clueless people like myself. I learned how to make mashed potatoes! Isn't that cool?! I've also made meatballs, homemade tomato sauce, and meatloaf. I'm a little awesome, not like the 7th grade use of awesome (in reference to skateboards and Avril Lavigne) but like the old fashioned way.
Tonight I will get to add to my list of accomplished cooking a pot roast served with homemade French baguettes. The house smells so amazing, like buttery fresh bread and mouth watering roast. I hope the family will also enjoy this meal, they have been a couple of brave souls trying all of my dishes. It's still raining (wonderful, just so wonderful!) and I am in the middle of watching "Valentine's Day" because I cannot help but be a hopeless romantic (a curse that can only be broken with loves first kiss), see, too many love movies, Taylor Swift songs, and Jane Austen novels.
French Baguettes Recipe
1 cup water (heated to 100 degrees F)
2.75 cups bread flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1.5 tsp active dry yeast
Layer ingredients in the order as listed, not allowing the yeast to touch the water.
Set machine to dough cycle.
With lightly floured hands, remove dough from bread machine. Oil a medium sized bowl and add dough, covering all sides of the dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12inch by 16 inch rectangle and cut into two rectangles lengthwise. Roll rectangles, starting at the long side and pinch the seams to make sure it is fully closed.
Place loaves on a greased cookie sheet. Cut three slits into the top of the baguette. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
Mix 1 egg yolk and 1 Tbsp cold water and brush on top of loaves. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes.
As I peeked every couple of minutes at the pot roast, using all of my will power to not dig in right away, I also checked, kneaded, and rolled my baguette dough. I once blogged awhile back about not knowing how to cook. Even simple mashed potatoes seemed elusive. I have been studying though, like the good student that I am, with the use of several different cookbooks. I was even so bold as to rent a Julia Child cookbook. As much as I would like to cook like Julia Child, I was not very interested in some of the food. I am adventurous, but not that adventurous. Plus, I have never heard of most of the ingredients nor do I know where to find these ingredients. So I have been dilly dallying in the Betty Crocker field of cookbooks, which have been wonderful mostly because it is for the clueless people like myself. I learned how to make mashed potatoes! Isn't that cool?! I've also made meatballs, homemade tomato sauce, and meatloaf. I'm a little awesome, not like the 7th grade use of awesome (in reference to skateboards and Avril Lavigne) but like the old fashioned way.
Tonight I will get to add to my list of accomplished cooking a pot roast served with homemade French baguettes. The house smells so amazing, like buttery fresh bread and mouth watering roast. I hope the family will also enjoy this meal, they have been a couple of brave souls trying all of my dishes. It's still raining (wonderful, just so wonderful!) and I am in the middle of watching "Valentine's Day" because I cannot help but be a hopeless romantic (a curse that can only be broken with loves first kiss), see, too many love movies, Taylor Swift songs, and Jane Austen novels.
French Baguettes Recipe
1 cup water (heated to 100 degrees F)
2.75 cups bread flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1.5 tsp active dry yeast
Layer ingredients in the order as listed, not allowing the yeast to touch the water.
Set machine to dough cycle.
With lightly floured hands, remove dough from bread machine. Oil a medium sized bowl and add dough, covering all sides of the dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12inch by 16 inch rectangle and cut into two rectangles lengthwise. Roll rectangles, starting at the long side and pinch the seams to make sure it is fully closed.
Place loaves on a greased cookie sheet. Cut three slits into the top of the baguette. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
Mix 1 egg yolk and 1 Tbsp cold water and brush on top of loaves. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes.
Voila!
You have no freaking idea how excited i am for you to come back so you can make me bread. lol
ReplyDeleteLoveee youuuu. I'm making cinnamon sugar bread Saturday sans bread machine. I'll let you know how it goesss :)
I am so excited to share my bread machine with ya!
ReplyDeleteCinnamon sugar bread sounds so amazing!!
Miss ya chica :)