Ingredients for Baguette Bread Recipes

Series Summary

Bread has been a staple food of humankind for literally thousands of years. Even before the yeast bacteria that make it rise were discovered, bread nourished people in almost every civilization. It is thought that the first bread dates back as far as the Neolithic era, perhaps stumbled upon through the accidental cooking of water and cereal grains. Yet a simple crust of bread has forever changed how man survives vicious, cold winters with no crops or a scarcity of animals to hunt. And bread is still one of the most widely consumed foods in the world today. As modern as we are, we are still largely dependent on bread and food products derived from bread for our daily sustenance.

In this free baking video series, learn how to make a traditional French baguette bread recipe. Our expert will walk you through the hand-crafted, artisanal process for creating this beloved loaf with a firm outer crust and spongy insides, including how to mix the ingredients by hand, how to knead the dough, by hand, how to prepare the yeast, how to get the bread to rise, how to bake a baguette, and finally, what your bread should look and taste like when it’s done. France has very strict food laws on what can actually be sold as bread, i.e. it only contains flour, salt, water, and yeast. This recipe adheres to these standards, and it’s also terribly delicious. Bon appetit.

Video Transcript

"My name is Brandon Sarkis on behalf of Expert Village. Today I am going to show you how to make a real french baguette. For our French bread we don't need a whole lot in the way of ingredients. All you need is four cups of flour. I would actually recommend using unbleached flour or if you can get something that is specifically designed for baking or maybe something on the package that says specialized for bread making. That seems to work a little better. I have also got one tablespoon of active dry yeast, pretty easy to find at the grocery store. Make sure you get the active dry stuff and not the powdered stuff. I have one tablespoon of salt. I use sea salt just before it is a little more authentic and I also prefer the flavor of the sea salt. I have got over here two cups of warm water which we will be using to add to the dough later. Right here I have got about an ounce of olive oil, just enough to grease the pan up for later when it actually comes time for a step. That is pretty much all you are going to need. There are four ingredients. The most important thing you are going to need is a big space that you don't mind getting a whole lot of flour on. I prefer a wooden board because wood soaks up the moisture and will not hold the moisture up against the bread when you are working with it. The other thing you are going to need is a whole lot of time because this bread has to rest twice, once for three hours and once for an hour so this is something you are going to start just before dinner you need really a good five hours from start to finish to get this made. With that, let's show you what equipment you are going to need and we will be on our way."