This recipe literally has 4 ingredients! If you have the time to make this to go alongside your dinner, DO IT. I have made these baguettes many many times, and everyone in my family LOVES them!
Ingredients:
3 1/2 - 4 cups of all purpose flour: start with 3 1/2 cups. Only use the last 1/2 cup if your dough is really too sticky. I usually end up using all 4 cups.
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 tsp. dry active yeast
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
Add the sugar and yeast to your warm water. Let the yeast activate. It will take about 4-5 minutes.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, add in the flour and salt. When your yeast is ready, add in that mixture as well.
Mix on medium-low speed for about 6 or 7 minutes or until your dough is smooth. Beware--- this is a very sticky dough. But that is what you want! Even after you add all 4 cups, it will still seem very sticky. Don't panic!
In a large bowl, brush some vegetable oil all around. Dump your dough into the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it somewhere warm to rise. This will take an hour or 2, depending on how warm the environment is.
When your dough has doubled in size, dump it onto a floured surface. Briefly kneed the dough so it comes together. Cut the dough into 3 equal pieces.
Roll each piece into a 12 inch rope and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Cover them with a towel and let them rise again for about 30 minutes.
In the meantime, get your oven preheated to 475 degrees. *IMPORTANT- Take an empty cast iron skillet and put it in the oven while it preheats. Put it on the lowest rack possible. Take another oven rack and put it at the very top (this will be for the baguettes).
When your baguettes are ready to bake, place them on the top rack of your oven. As soon as you're finished with that, pour 1 cup of cold water into your cast iron skillet. This will create steam which will make your baguettes crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Don't skip this part! :)
Let them bake for about 30 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.
Allow them to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!