Easy Baguettes with Herbes de Provence and Garlic

These crispy, crusty baguettes are sure to please, whether they're served with a sandwich or just eaten straight-up.

Active Time

You're going to need about an hour of active time for this recipe, although it does involve some prep work.

The difference between active and preparation time is that active time refers to the amount of time you spend in the kitchen actually making something (as opposed to chopping vegetables or preheating your oven). If a recipe said "active 20 minutes," that means that you can expect to spend 20 minutes on things like mixing ingredients together or baking them off.

Total Time

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Total time to prepare: 15 minutes

Total time to bake: 45 minutes

Yield

1 standard baguette = 1 serving

1 large baguette, at least 15 inches long = 2 or 3 servings

2 small baguettes, each about 10 inches long = 4 servings

Ingredients

• Herbes de Provence: This is a mixture of herbs that you can make yourself or buy pre-made at the store. It's not just for baguettes! You can use it to season anything from grilled meats and fish, roasted vegetables and even pasta (like in this recipe).
• Garlic: Just one clove will do. We're not trying to overpower our baguettes here…
• Black Pepper: A tablespoon or so should be enough for you. You'll want to grind it fresh before adding it in.
• Salt: As much as you like, but we recommend using fine sea salt because it dissolves better than table salt does

Chopped garlic cloves, divided use

If you're using a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic cloves before adding them to the baguette dough. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, use a knife on cutting board to finely chop the garlic into smaller pieces than if you were going to use it in its whole form. If you don't have one of those either, then go ahead and mix everything together in the food processor.

The amount of garlic depends on your taste preferences - you could use anywhere from 1/4 cup (50 grams) to 1/3 cup (75 grams).

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

When you're buying peppercorns, look for ones that are either whole and unbroken or freshly ground. If you do have a mortar and pestle, use it to crush the peppercorns into a coarse powder. If not, then use a pepper mill to grind them down into smaller pieces as well as release their flavor - but be sure not to overdo it or else they'll become too fine. You can also buy already-ground black pepper; just make sure there aren't any added flavors like cayenne or garlic in the mix because those will affect the final taste of your baguettes.

Kosher salt, to taste

Kosher salt is a coarse-textured salt that comes in flakes, and it's ideal for seasoning. It's also called "koshering salt" or "saleratus," and was originally used for preparing meat for Passover. Kosher salt is free of added chemicals, which allows it to dissolve easily and quickly. It has a neutral taste so it won't interfere with the flavor of your food.

Kosher salt works well when baking bread because the flaky texture can absorb moisture from wet doughs better than regular table salt does. The recipe below calls for koshering only, but if you're using fine sea or table salt instead (or both), use half as much: about 2 teaspoons per cup of flour instead of 1 teaspoon per cup.

The sodium chloride content in koshering makes this an especially good choice when cooking meats like steak or chicken that need extra seasoning before they're cooked - the sodium chloride helps lock in juices while helping form a crusty exterior during cooking time

Herbes de Provence blend

Herbes de Provence is a fragrant blend of herbs that are often used in French cooking. The herbs in herbes de Provence include basil, fennel, lavender, thyme, rosemary and sage. You can find this blend at most grocery stores or online.

About 6–7 cups all-purpose flour, divided use (may use up to 1 cup more)

• Using a scale to measure flour is the most accurate way to make baguettes. The weight of your flour will vary depending on how tightly packed it is, so you'll want to scoop the flour into your measuring cup, then level off the top with a knife before dumping it into your mixing bowl.
• Use a large bowl (or another stand mixer bowl) to mix ingredients. This makes it easier for everything to get incorporated nicely and evenly than if you were using something smaller like a glass measuring cup or even two small bowls (one for water and one for yeast). The dough won't rise as much in a large bowl either, so there's less chance of overflowing than if you were using something smaller like two small bowls (one for water and one for yeast). This also helps prevent any cross-contamination between what could be dairy products AND/WASTEFULNESS

Instant or active dry yeast (1 packet of instant yeast, 2 and 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast)

Yeast is a living organism consisting of microscopic cells that feed on the sugars in dough and excrete carbon dioxide gas. As this occurs, it causes the dough to rise and become light and fluffy. Yeast is used to make bread rise and ferment beer among other things.

Instant or active dry yeast (1 packet of instant yeast, 2 and 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast) are two types of yeast that are commonly used for baking bread. Instant yeast dissolves more quickly than active dry but both can be used interchangeably in recipes that call for either type. These instructions will work with either kind of dry yeast as well as fresh cake or compressed fresh yeasts contained within a cake-like container.

Cold water, as necessary (about 2–3 cups)

To make baguettes, you'll need to add cold water to the dough. This helps it rise and creates a lighter texture in your finished product. The amount of water added depends on the type of flour used - you can use more or less than what is called for if you want your buns thinner or thicker - and also on the humidity in your kitchen; this will determine how much longer it takes to bake them.

Warm water, as necessary (about 1 cup)

Warm water (about 1 cup), as necessary to proof the yeast.

• The warm water should be between 110–115 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don't have a thermometer, you can test the water by putting your finger in it; if it feels very warm but not hot, it's good to go!

Baguettes made with herbs and garlic.

Herbes de Provence is an aromatic herb blend that typically contains dried thyme, savory and marjoram with basil and rosemary. The mixture can be used to season foods such as fish, chicken and French bread. Herbes de Provence can be purchased at supermarkets or specialty stores.

To make fresh baguettes you'll need some sort of oven-proof dish (we used our cast iron dutch oven) large enough for two loaves of bread to fit in with some space between them so they can rise before baking in the oven without touching each other - your loaf pan should be around 10"x5"x3", which will give you 4 puffy baguettes with crispy crusts! In this recipe we use all purpose flour because it has a low amount of gluten compared to bread flour which will create lighter texture but both types work fine for this recipe; however since all purpose flour has more moisture content than bread flours do use less water when mixing up your dough!

Preheat your over at 350 degrees Fahrenheit then combine warm milk (about 110 degrees Fahrenheit), yeast flakes mixed into 1/2 cup warm water until frothy then add in salt & sugar slowly while stirring until dissolved into milk mixture then mix together eggs & oil until well combined - it should resemble thick pancake batter consistency now add flour & herbs mix until smooth free from lumps then rest 30 minutes on countertop covered bowl with damp cloth underneath while preheating oven again before shaping loaves onto parchment lined sheet pan sprayed lightly with nonstick cooking spray - shape into long ovals about 3 inches wide x 5 inches long x 2 inches tall - let rest 15 minutes uncovered before baking for 20 minutes uncovered turn off heat but leave door closed another 15 minutes cooling inside closed chamber creates steam helping develop crispy crusts during last 20 minutes just prior serving reheat leftover slices under broiler for 2 min per side turning once heating through

Conclusion

These baguettes are delicious to eat and make a great snack. They are also a great addition to any meal! You can enjoy them with your favorite cheese or even some sliced meats. The possibilities are endless with this recipe so give it a try today!

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