This bread takes a little more watching and tending (throwing the ice cubes in the oven every ten minutes or so makes the crust really crisp and chewy), but it's entirely worth it! A golden, chewy crust hides a soft white interior, and nothing is better for sopping up pasta sauce or dipping oil! You can make this in a cake pan (the shape will be odd), but if you really love French bread, then invest in a good French bread loaf mold (the kind without the holes). It will run you about 20.00 on Ebay, and it's worth every penny.
This recipe makes 1 large baguette. You'll want to double it for two.
1 package active dry yeast
2.5 cups warm water
2 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups Better Batter Gluten Free Flour
1/4 c cornmeal
1 egg white, lightly beaten with a Tbsp water
Ice cubes
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Grease a french bread mold, or cake pan,and sprinkle with cornmeal, and set aside.
In the bowl of your electric mixer, mix together the yeast and water and let sit for five minutes. Add the water, salt, and flour and beat on high speed for five minutes.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan/tin, spray with water (or wet your hands and shake them over the loaves a few times, and let rise for 35 minutes.
Brush the tops lightly with the egg and water mixture and cut three deep slashes along the tops of the loaves.
Place into the oven, throwing about 4 ice cubes onto the floor of the oven as you do this. Bake for 15 minutes, at 450 degrees.
Turn the oven to 375 degrees and throw in about 4 more ice cubes. Bake for fifteen more minutes, then throw in another few ice cubes, and bake another 15 minutes.
The crust should be golden brown and hard. Cool on a wire rack.
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