Reviewed: Jan. 17, 2009

Fantastic!! I used a Kitchenaid mixer and followed the advice of adding the salt later in the recipe and put 1/4 cup of water in the oven as it baked. Loved the chewy crust. I think one of the suggestions says to bake immediately and eliminate the 2nd rising process (perhaps I misunderstood). I did this and although the bread was truly wonderful, you could see each layer of rolled dough in the finished process. I did not like that so I will let it rise a second time to see if that fixes that problem. It's been dubbed 'my best bread ever'.

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ryann

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Kelseyville, California, USA

Living In: Seymour, Texas, USA

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Reviewed: Jan. 16, 2009

Everyone is really impressed with these baguettes even though it is so easy in the bread maker.

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Megan

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Reviewed: Jan. 15, 2009

These came out pretty good. I think I let it rise too long before going into the oven (if thats even possible) because once it was baking it didn't rise anymore. Pretty good though. I tried the ice cube technique...the crust didnt come out as flaky as I had hoped...it was my first time so I will def. to making again...maybe with better results. UPDATE: I made this a 2nd time and used my kitchen aid. I kneaded the salt in after like other reviewers suggested. I also put some water in the oven with it. Came out crispy on the outside. I made one loaf into garlic bread (roasted garlic, butter, evoo and fresh basil and oregano from my garden) and the other Im saving for sammies for lunch tomorrow. Im much happier with my results the 2nd time around.

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Baby Pop

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Santa Clarita, California, USA

Living In: Simi Valley, California, USA

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Reviewed: Jan. 15, 2009

This bread was delicious! My first time making a french bread, advice for first timers: when you roll out the dough, get it right the first time because you can just squish it back into a ball and reroll it, it won't stretch out the same as when you do it the first time. Awesome bread, making again today.

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Andrea G.

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Jan. 12, 2009

This bread is simply the best. My sister demands I make it every day for her to eat fresh from the oven. A whole loaf is gone within 10 minutes flat. No joking. I add a half a tablespoon more of sugar than directed just because we like it a little sweeter. This bread is great plain right out of the oven or with a little cream cheese. MMMMH. It is also very versatile in terms of forming it. I've made large loaves, small loaves, flat rolls, round loaves. They really work well when rolled tightly and not allowed to rise very much (About 1.5 inch diameter or so) - To make a perfect 'scooping' size for dips.

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Juavichar

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Reviewed: Jan. 12, 2009

This bread is excellent. I have still not found my favorite recipe that I lost in a house fire, but this comes the closest. Most french bread is to dense and this is very light and soft in the middle. I could also see where this would be great for bruessetta. Good Job!

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tmcintosh

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Reviewed: Jan. 11, 2009

New family fav!!

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Tiffany

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Reviewed: Jan. 11, 2009

Excellent..Didn't change a thing and it was gone within the hour.

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JETOFT

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Reviewed: Jan. 10, 2009

After reading all of the rave reviews I decided to try my hand at this recipe. Because it doesn't call for any fancy ingredients I thought the bread would be floury and bland, but I took a chance anyway. OMG it came out perfect! It was crunchy and golden on the outside (thanks to another reviewers advice to use egg white) and so soft and chewy on the inside. I recently got a bread machine to cut myself off from the store bought garbage, but I hadn't found any recipes that were satisfying. This recipe is it!

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Muncher

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Metuchen, New Jersey, USA

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Reviewed: Jan. 3, 2009

Over the past few years I have used MANY recipes from this site, most with some degree of success. However, this has to be the best recipe I have tried from here. The bread was absolutely amazing although my shaping technique needs a lot of help. I used the bread machine and followed the recipe exactly. I actually set the timer so it was completed when I woke up. I then shaped it, let it rise for 40 minutes and placed in the oven. One loaf is gone already and I have another batch mixing as I type. We are going to try it as pizza crust tonight. My wife kept saying it was the best bread ever with every bite. Seems like it would be good as a pepperoni bread too.

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JimB.

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Reviewed: Jan. 2, 2009

I made this without a bread machine, and it turned out great. The recipe is simple, and I wound up with two crunchy on the outside-soft on the inside baguettes. Unfortunately, only one of them made it to the dinner table -- the other one was devoured before it made it off the baking sheet! Like others, I used just an egg white wash and tossed a couple of ice cubes onto the bottom of the oven for the perfect crust.

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Boise Bengal

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Reviewed: Jan. 1, 2009

Followed the recipe exactly and the bread was delicious. It looked so good, my husband thought it was store-bought! Using the dough cycle on my macine, I did not need to proof it once more after it was finished. Just rolled it out, shaped, and let it rise for an additional 30 minutes before putting it in the oven. Sprinkle some garlic powder after applying the egg wash for more flavor!

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BOBSEY95

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: La Mirada, California, USA

Living In: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

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Reviewed: Jan. 1, 2009

These were very good and easy, and that says a lot coming from a bread novice like me! Followed recipe exactly and the one thing I didn't like was the way the egg wash made the loaves look - not what I'm used to in a baguette. Maybe next time I'll just sprinkle with some water. But flavorwise, this bread was excellent!

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Christine M

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Hopedale, Massachusetts, USA

Living In: Holden, Massachusetts, USA

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Reviewed: Dec. 30, 2008

I finally signed up for this site after friends bugging me to, and this was the first recipe I tried, and it was delicious! I changed a few things, I let the yeast stand for 12 hours and I used egg whites instead of egg yolks.

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Jess015

Cooking Level: Expert

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Reviewed: Dec. 28, 2008

These are delicious if you make them right. It should note that most bread machines have proofing built into the dough cycle, so you dont' need to let the bread rise twice after taking it out of the machine. The first time I did this and the bread was ruined. The second time, I just shaped them and let them rise once out of the machine, and they are PERFECT. Easy, and good.

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Mary

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Reviewed: Dec. 23, 2008

YUMM-0!!!! This was the EASIEST bread recipe I have ever made! I hate making bread, because I am no good at it. BUT THIS bread WORKED for ME! Easy! Easy! Easy! And WAY GOOD!!!! My 14 year old son picked at it when it came out of the oven, I could not keep him out of it! I do not have a bread maker so I just mixed the flour and salt together in my kitchen aid, then mixed the warm water with the yeast and sugar in a seperate bowl and let it proof. BOY DID IT PROOF! It proofed right out of the bowl. Then I added the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and then needed it and let it rise. EASY BREEZY!!! The dough was SO NICE, really different than any other dough I have ever made! Thank you SO MUCH FOR SHARING! (Oh, and I waited half way through cooking and brushed olive oil on top and sprinkled with garlic powder & put the ice on the bottom of the oven like others said)

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cookin43

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Ogden, Utah, USA

Living In: Eatonville, Washington, USA

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Reviewed: Dec. 23, 2008

Great bread, I don't have a bread machine, so I used the same amount of regular yeast and mixed in my kichenaid with the dough hook.

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bostoncook

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Living In: Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

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Reviewed: Dec. 22, 2008

The best bread recipe I have tried! I used AP flour b/c that is what I had and still turned out great. I followed others suggestions and used egg white wash rather than egg yolk. I also place a oven safe container with water in the oven for the humidity.

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