Real Bread

"Real" bread is hard to come by in Taipei. Sure, there is the overly sweet, oily bakery breads on every corner. And there is the delicious steamed bread in the form of mantous and baozi. But when you are craving a nice crusty French baguette, they are nowhere to be found. You might think you see them, as there are similarly shaped productions in some bakeries. But when you bite into it, you realize it's been buttered, sweetened or in some other way tampered with to be nothing close to what you were expecting.

So tonight I made my own...

Bread Machine Baguettes
The original recipe called for splitting the dough into 2 pieces. However, the mini oven I'm using doesn't have that much room, so I split it into thirds, making 2 baguettes tonight and saving one piece in the fridge for tomorrow's lunch. This bread is best eaten fresh, as there aren't any preservatives and you want a crisp crust and a chewy inside.

1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 t)
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups warm water

1. Place ingredients in bread machine according to manufacturers directions. Start dough cycle.
2. Remove dough with floured hands and cut in thirds on floured surface.
3. Take each piece of dough and roll to make a loaf about 12 inches long in the shape of a baguette. Taper ends.
   
4. Place on greased baking sheet and cover with a towel.
5. Let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
6. Preheat oven to 450°F/230°C. Place pan of water on bottom rack (This ensures a nice crust).
   
7. Make diagonal slashes about 2 inches apart down each baguette.
   
8. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
9. Cool. Eat immediately - plain or filled!