Julie & Artisan Bread - Week 1 - Baguette

Since I had the day off yesterday, I made the boule dough (Artisan free-form loaf) in the afternoon, so that I could bake my bread in the evening when my husband got off work. I mixed it up in one of my plastic cambros with a wooden spoon and let it sit for 2 hours to let it rise.

Once it had filled the container I made sure that the lid was on (not air-tight) and stuck it in the refrigerator it for 3 hours so that it's easier to work with. With enough dough now to make 4 loafs that will last up to 2 weeks, I won't have to make another batch for a few days.

The next step was to form a loaf for a Baguette by taking a grapefruit sized piece of dough from the cambro and forming it into a 2" thick log.

Since a traditional baguette doesn't have flour on top I had to brush on come water before making slits with my bread knife.

Then I slid it off on a hot pizza stone in the oven and 25 minutes later we had fresh baked bread.

I have to say, this loaf by far this was the best bread I have EVER made. The bread was light and fluffy and had a great taste even before I added any butter or cheese on top. I can't wait to get started on my next loaf!