Hooray! I'm so glad most everyone is on and posting now :) In celebration, I'm posting a picture of...my first yeast bread! Ever! It's a simple bread, but it turned out well.

The crust is light and crispy. Mom said that she always taps on the bottom of her loaves, and when the tapping sounds hollow, they're done. So I tried to tap on the bottom so Mom could hear it over the phone....and she just laughed at me because she thought it just sounded hard as a rock! But they're not that bad....after their first rising, I shaped the loaves into little baguettes and baked them on a cookie sheet instead of a bread loaf pan, which contributed to the extra crispy-ness. And I think the cell phone distorted the extra glorious overtones of the tapping. Trust me, they're fantastic.




Simple Sandwich Baguettes
Makes 4 (I split the recipe in half to make 2).
Adapted from Cuban Bread recipe on Baking Bites.

1 package yeast (2.5tsp)
2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp sugar
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
Egg wash, if preferred

In large bowl, mix yeast, sugar and water. Let stand for 10 min, until yeast is foamy. With wooden spoon, mix in flour until combined (dough will be sticky). Let rise for 2.5 hrs (I turned out the dough, cleaned out the bowl and sprayed it lightly with canola oil, then put it back in to rise. I don't know that it makes a huge difference). Cover bowl with saran wrap. Once the dough has doubled, knead in another half cup or so of flour, until the dough no longer feels sticky to the touch. Let rest for 15 min. Divide dough into 4 portions, and shape into baguettes. Place on lightly greased pan and cover with clean tea towel. Let rise 45 additional minutes. While loaves are rising, preheat oven to 400. Brush with egg wash (if desired) and bake 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.

I didn't use an egg wash, but I think I will next time, to give the loaves a better visual appeal. All in all, a basic, no-fail white bread. :)