There's nothing like warm homemade bread fresh from the oven. This recipe for Homemade French Baguettes is so easy you'll be making it a few times a week for your family!
Combine ½ cup of the water, the yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar in a bowl. Stir to combine. Let the mixture stand for about 5 minutes or until it's bubbly.
In the bowl of your Kitchen Aid Mixer, blend the flour, salt and the other 1 teaspoon of sugar.
Add the yeast mixture.
Gradually add the remaining cup of warm water; slowly until the dough starts to form a ball and pull away from the sides of the bowl.
Set a kitchen timer for 5 minutes and allow the machine to knead the dough adding a little bit of flour if the dough looks too sticky.
Turn the dough out onto a floured board and shape it into a ball.
Place the ball into a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean dishtowel.
Let the dough rest in a warm environment for 30 minutes.
Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a floured bowl.
Divide the dough in half and shape into the shape of a baguette or a long log.
Grease a baguette pan with non-stick cooking spray and place the loaves in the pan.
Using a sharp knife, score both loaves down the middle.
Cover with a dishtowel and place in a warm area to rise for 5 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees while the dough is rising.
Place an oven-safe pan on the bottom rack of the oven and fill with water. This will create steam while the baguettes bake.
Once the baguettes have doubled in size, place the pan in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until they have a hollow sound when you tap them.