Baguette

Happy Easter Sunday! I hope you are all enjoying yourselves and getting plenty of chocolate - it is probably the only day you can indulge without feeling the extreme guilt afterwards... then again I never get that guilt. I will update you guys on our easter shenanigans soon! In the mean time, something to keep you salivating... I made Baguette! Being the french that I am... it is no wonder why I love baguette so much. It is simply delicious. This recipe is extremely easy, and sooo healthy considering there is no butter whatsoever. You should definitely try it. It was a breeze! It last two days without going hard or moldy! Amazing! I got it from the book by Mireille Guiliano - French Women Don't Get Fat. 

• 1 tsp of active dry yeast
• 500 ml of warm water
• 550g of flour
• 3 tsp of salt (preferably sea salt)
• 1 egg wash (egg beaten and mixed with 1 tbsp of water)

1. In a bowl, dissolve the yeast with 100ml of the warm water. Mix using a fork and set aside for the next ten minutes. 
2. In a big bowl, combine the flour and the salt. Add the yeast and about 400ml of water... mix thoroughly until you get a soft dough. Knead the dough for about ten minutes. Set aside for an hour. 
3. Divide the dough into 4 different balls, and shape like a baguette. Put on your baking tray and let rise a bit more. (wait till it has nearly doubled). 
4. Preheat oven at 230 degrees. Brush the bread dough with the egg wash and make diagonal cuts on your dough to make it look like a baguette. 
5. Put in the oven with a bowl of 500ml of hot water in the oven so the bread can keep moisture. 
6. Bake for about 15 minutes and lower the temperature to 200 degrees and bake for 7 minutes or until golden brown. 
7. Remove and let cool.
8. Enjoy!

* You could use wheat flower for an even more healthy approach!