First time baking French bread at home

Oh the crazy things Robyn Webb makes me do ;) I've roasted a whole chicken, made several dishes with anchovies, cooked paella and even tested vegan recipes. She pushes my culinary repertoire and gives me a chance to cross many "I've never done this" things off of my list.

A few weekends ago for Fabulous Food Finds I baked a French Baguette. From scratch! Without a machine. And you know what? It was a great success.You can find a full recipe with directions here.

The only ingredients you need are bread flour, yeast, sugar, water, oil, salt and fresh parsley.

You first combine flour, sugar, yeast and water in a bowl. Let it sit for a bit, then knead it into a ball with oil and herbs and salt. Robyn used parsley, but you can use whatever you like. I'm thinking of trying this recipe with garlic, red pepper flakes and olives next time!

After the ball sits covered (in order to rise), you flatten it out into a rectangular shape. Obviously I had a hard time doing it: mine looks more like an oval. You then fold the two long sides toward the center.

Next, roll the dough to a shape that resembles a baguette. Make a few cuts on the top with a sharp knife.

Let the unbaked baguette rise (covered for an hour). {Thank you to a reader, Jennifer, for pointing out that I left out this step originally!}
Brush the baguette with some water and bake in the oven. Trust me, your place will smell amazing!

Here is the final product! Mine turned out more like French bread than a baguette: next time I'll have to roll it into a thinner shape. But I was really pleased with the results. So were Jenna and Mary who got to try the bread when they came over for our whoppie pie baking date.

Have you baked bread lately? If so, which kind?