French Bread (for Steam Oven)

Makes 2 small baguettes (about 16 servings)

1¼ teaspoons active dry yeast pinch granulated sugar 1 cup warm water (105-110˚F), divided 3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt egg wash (1 large egg and 1 tablespoon water, whisked together)

Nutritional information per serving:

Calories 81 (3% from fat) • carb. 17g • pro. 3g

• fat 0g • sat. fat 0g • chol. 12mg • sod. 148mg

• calc. 2mg • fiber 0g

1. In a measuring cup, dissolve the yeast and sugar in ¾ cup of the warm water. Reserve the remaining ¼ cup. Let the yeast mixture stand 5 minutes, or until foamy. 2. Put the flour and salt into the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the dough or metal chopping blade and process for 10 seconds. 3. With the machine running, slowly add the liquid with the yeast through the feed tube and process until a dough ball forms. Add reserved water 1 tablespoon at a time if dough is too dry. Continue processing 1 minute to knead the dough. Shape the dough into a ball and put in a large bowl. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 1 hour, until doubled in size. 4. Punch down the dough, reshape into a ball and cover the bowl again with a clean piece of plastic wrap. Let rise 1 hour. 5. Punch down the dough once more and cover again with a clean piece of plastic wrap. Put the bowl in the refrigerator overnight. 6. The next day, remove the dough from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Line the baking tray with a piece of parchment. 7. Gently punch down dough and divide in half. Press and roll each dough half into baguette form, about 9 inches long. Put the loaves side by side on the tray in the steam oven with the rack in the lower rack position. Set to Steam at 100˚F for 25 minutes to proof. 8. Remove the tray from the oven and using a serrated knife cut three slits across the top of each loaf, brush with egg wash and return to the oven. Set to Bread at 400˚F for 30 minutes to bake the loaves, rotating the tray halfway through. 9. Bread should be nicely browned and have an internal temperature between 200˚F and 207˚F. Remove bread from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.