I've been searching for a good french bread recipe for a while, and this one is easy and tastes great. When it was time to make the baguettes, I pinched the baguettes into eight mini-baguettes. They were the perfect size for a sandwich. I also let them "over-raise." Instead of 20 minutes, they were left to raise for about 30-35 minutes--it gives the bread great texture. When the oven was pre-heating, I added an ovenproof dish of water at the bottom of the oven, to give the bread a chewier crust. When the baguettes were set up and starting to get brown, I slid them off the baking sheet, and let them finish baking on the rack. The bottom gets a great, chewy crust, too. I also turned off the oven, and just opened the door a couple of inches. This helps keeps the baguettes crusty even after they cool.

Reviewed On: May 7, 2009