You know those days when you're craving something a little special, but you're just not in the mood to fuss? I get a lot of those days!!
Time to pull the old breadmaker out of the panty. I should really name my breadmaker. It's been around a long time. A very long time. It's surefooted, reliable, hard-working, turns an old-fashioned task into modern day convenience. It keeps on ticking and makes whole batches of yummy. Often. Name worthy indeed.
Hmmm.....Freddy (you know, like steady Freddy), or maybe Betty (a name that's been around a long time, rhymes with spaghetti, which goes with bread). I don't know, got any thoughts?
But I digress. I was deep into one of those 'craving' days, when, click, click, before I knew it I was searching for possibilities in one of my favorite places, Steamy Kitchen.com. Eureka!
Pull out the WelBuilt. I found a fantastic idea that I can twist one of my old stand-by bread maker recipes around. Ohhh, you're going to like this one. It turned out just right. I'll be making this one again, and again!
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Here we go..........Once your breadmaker has done the Dough Cycle, it's time to play. Have a large rimmed baking sheet ready, ready, freddy with a good smearing of great quality extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of cornmeal. Plop your dough out onto prepared baking sheet.
With a sharp knife cut the anxious dough into 3 equal pieces. No need to get fussy with dividing the dough just so, eye it up and slice away.
Now, take each piece and pulllllll out to form a rough baguette shape.
Once you have your baguettes formed, time to garish them with some flavour, flavour. I used ripe, red grape tomatoes, pickled hot peppers and mildly peppy pepperoncini. Then a sprinkling of chunky, crunchy sea salt and a brushing of a little more extra virgin olive oil. Next time I'm going to try a trio of different olives, maybe jalapeno stuffed, Greek Calamata and jumbo Queen. The flavour garnish possibilities are gloriously endless. Let me know if you hit on a terrific taste combo.
No matter what flavour garnishes you choose, your baguettes will boast beautiful before they're even baked.
Lookin' good!! You can let them rise for 15-20 minutes, but not necessary. Bake at 400F for 15-25 minutes until scrumptiously, golden brown. Remove from oven to cool.
Lip-smacking, fresh from the oven, yeasty goodness.
Break or slice and eat right away. If you're not serving right away, when you are, pop baguettes back in the oven for a few minutes, just long enough to crisp up again.
EASY PEASY BAGUETTES
3 teaspoons breadmaker or traditional active dry yeast
2 tablepsoons sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for baking pan and brushing baguettes
Just about 1 1/4 cups warm water
Cornmeal
Grape tomatoes, pickled hot peppers, pepperoncini peppers, olives
Your favorite sea salt for sprinkling
Set breadmaker to Dough Cycle, add ingredients in order given, yeast, sugar, flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, warm water. Close the lid and let 'Betty' do her thing. While she is, smear a large rimmed baking sheet with a good splash of olive oil. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Set aside.
When dough is ready plop onto prepared baking sheet and preheat oven to 400F. Cut dough into 3 equal pieces. Stretch each piece of dough into long, kind of irregular baguette shapes. Top each baguette with your choice of a few grape tomatoes, pickled peppers, or olives. Sprinkle with some kind of yummy, crunchy sea salt. Brush with a little more extra virgin olive oil. Bake 15-25 minutes until crusty golden brown. Cool 5 minutes before munching. Then, munch happy.