Just in the past few months, I have been trying to make homemade breads rather than buy them from the store. I started noticing that the breads sold in stores still contain several ingredients that one can't pronounce or even begin to know what they are. While there are some very healthy choices in the bread aisle at the grocery store, there is nothing quite like fresh, homemade bread. If you want to start taking on the adventures of making your own bread, I highly recommend the book "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day". It was given to me by my dear friends, Jamie and Dave McHenry, and I love it. I've made homemade wheat pizza dough, homemade loafs of bread, and whole wheat dinner rolls with the book.
This was my first attempt at making a baguette, so the shape was a little off, but it tastes very good. We have been slicing small pieces and having it with dinner all week. It would also be good to use for bruschetta, panini's, or french toast. The choices are limitless.
Recipe:
Serves 4-6
*You will need a breadmaker for this recipe
1/2 cup of warm water + 2 tbsp
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp white sugar
1 1/4 cups of flour
3/4 tsp active dry yeast
Corn meal for dusting
1 egg + 2 tsp water, mixed
Directions:
-Place the water, salt, white sugar, flour, and yeast into a bread machine pan in that order. Turn the bread machine to the dough setting and push start.
-Once the dough cycle has completed, deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle then fold in half and seal the seam firmly with the side of your hand. Roll up dough jelly roll style very tightly and pinch the seam closed really well. Place the loaf onto a silicone pastry mat that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover with a cloth and let rise, until doubled in size, about 40 minutes.
-Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the egg with the water and beat until thoroughly mixed. Brush the egg mixture on the top of the loaf. Carefully slice three diagonal slits across the loaf with a very sharp knife. Place the silicone pastry mat onto a baking sheet.
-Place into the oven and bake for 17-22 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let it cool on a rack before slicing and serving.
-Enjoy your fresh bread.
*To make the baguette healthier, I used 1/2 cup all purpose flour and 3/4 cup of whole wheat flour. I thought about doing all whole wheat flour, but was afraid of how it would turn out. I am making this again for my parents this weekend and will be trying it with 100% whole wheat flour and will let you know how it turns out.
*I also used 2 egg whites, instead of 1 large egg, to lower the cholesterol in the recipe.
*To add flavor to the bread, I added some garlic powder (1/4 tsp) and some fresh diced herbs from my herb garden (just a pinch). Get creative and add your own additional spices for flavoring, but do not add any extra liquid ingredients.
*If you have more than 4 people in your family, you may want to make a double batch and make 2 baguettes.
Nutritional Information:
1/2 cup of warm water + 2 tbsp - 0 calories
1/2 tsp salt - 0 calories
1 1/2 tsp white sugar - 25 calories
1 1/4 cups of flour - 500 calories
3/4 tsp active dry yeast - approx 9 calories
Corn meal for dusting
1 egg + 2 tsp water, mixed - 70 calories
=604 calories/6 servings = 100.67 calories per serving
1/2 tsp salt - 0 calories
1 1/2 tsp white sugar - 25 calories
1 1/4 cups of flour - 500 calories
3/4 tsp active dry yeast - approx 9 calories
Corn meal for dusting
1 egg + 2 tsp water, mixed - 70 calories
=604 calories/6 servings = 100.67 calories per serving
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