4-Ingredient French Bread Baguettes

Gather the ingredients.

Combine the water and yeast in the bowl of an electric stand mixer or standard mixing bowl; let stand for about 5 minutes.

Add about half of the bread flour to the yeast mixture and mix with the paddle attachment for about 2 minutes, until smooth. If mixing by hand, use a whisk and mix until the batter is smooth and well blended.

Add the remaining flour and the salt and switch to the dough hook. Mix on low speed until combined, then mix on medium speed for about 10 minutes. If mixing by hand, knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 10 to 12 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Add flour or water in very small amounts if the dough is too sticky or too stiff.

Oil a large bowl with vegetable oil.

With floured hands, gather the kneaded dough up into a ball. Place in the oiled bowl; turn over to oil all sides. cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a draft-free place for 1 hour.

Take the dough out of the bowl, fold it over on itself a few times, then put back in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a draft-free place for another 30 minutes.

Cut the dough into 3 equal portions. On a floured surface, roll each portion of dough out into a rectangle. Starting at the long end, roll up each rectangle to form a long baguette. Pinch the seams and ends and place in a baguette pan or on parchment paper on a large baking pan. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let them rise for about 15 minutes longer (while the oven preheats).

Place a pan of hot water on the bottom of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 F.

With a very sharp knife or baker's lame, cut shallow slits along the top of the baguettes before baking.

Bake the baguettes for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Enjoy!