homemade beef stew!!!

Ingredients // 

BONUS:  Homemade French baguettes!

(recipe source)

We’ve been on a bread making kick lately-NOT good for our waistlines :/ And now it’s addicting! I’ve been making pizza dough as well and recreated the Mellowterranean pizza from Mellow Mushroom that I’ll have to share soon! 

Ingredients // 

2 envelopes dry active yeast (1 1/2 tbsp)

2 tbsp agave nectar

3 1/2 to 4 cups of all purpose flour, plus more for dusting

2 tsp salt

olive oil, for greasing bowl

3 to 4 ice cubes

Instructions // 

Combine honey, yeast and 1/2 cup warm water. Mix and let sit until foamy.

Mix flour and salt in large mixing bowl, gradually adding water until the dough comes together into a ball. Add flour if the dough is too sticky. Turn out the dough onto floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic, 2-6 mins. Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it sit on counter until doubled in size (25 mins). 

Divide dough in half. Shape 2 baguettes by making a flat rectangle out of your dough, then folding the top and bottom towards the middle, like an envelope, and sealing the seam with your fingers. Keep repeating folding and sealing, stretching the rectangle lengthwise as you go until it’s 12-14 in. long, 2 in. wide. Flip seam down and place on flour dusted sheet pan. Score the tops of the loaves, cover with plastic wrap and let double in size again for 25 mins. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and position your oven racks with one on the bottom and the other in the middle. Place an oven-safe (non-glass) bowl or pan on the bottom rack. 

When your bread has doubled for the second time, remove the towel and quickly and simultaneously, slide the sheet tray with the baguettes onto the middle rack while carefully throwing the ice cubes into the bowl on the bottom rack. The ice will create a burst of steam that will give you a nice crispy crust. Quickly shut the oven door so no steam escapes. Bake the baguettes until golden brown, 15 minutes. 

Cook’s Note: If you have a glass window on your oven, place a towel over it when throwing the ice in, hot glass can shatter if ice touches it.