FILONCINO - ITALIAN BAGUETTE

Italians love their bread and while we have a vast variety to choose from, one of the most loved by my family growing up was the Filoncino. Long in shape like a baguette, this bread has a soft interior and a chewy exterior crust. Fairly simple to make, without all the fuss and proofing time of other breads.

Another great bread for sandwich making or simply to enjoy on its own as a snack, perhaps with some fresh mozzarella di bufala and sun dried black olives.

FILONCINO

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Rise Times: 2 Hours

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Total Time: 2 Hours, 50 Minutes

Servings: 2 Baguettes

Ingredients:

Dough

• 4 cups all purpose flour

• 1 1/2 cups warm water (45 degrees C)

• 1/2 cup warm water for proofing yeast (45 degrees C)

• 2 packages of active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons per package)

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Instructions:

1. First, proof your yeast by mixing the yeast with 1/2 cup of warm water. Stir until it's dissolved and then set it aside, until it has bubbled and grown in volume.

2. Next, in a large bowl, sift the flour and salt.

3. Once the yeast has proofed, add the remaining warm water and yeast mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and begin to mix it well.

4. Once the dough is well mixed, put the dough onto a lightly floured surface and begin to knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic, approximately 10 minutes.

5. Next, place the dough into a well greased bowl (I prefer olive oil) and be sure to flip the dough to ensure it's well greased to prevent a dry crust from forming. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and then with a kitchen towel, and set aside somewhere warm and draft-free for 1 hour.

6. After 1 hour, the dough should be doubled in size. Do not punch down on the dough! This will remove all the air bubbles it has developed, which is crucial to the bread making.

7. Prepare 2 baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper and flour them well. As the dough is soft, this will help to ensure no sticking.

8. On a lightly floured surfaced, remove the dough and divide it in half by using the side of your hand, pressing down and separating it slowly. This is to avoid any harsh pressure on the dough.

9. Next, without placing too much pressure onto the dough, gently roll each piece of dough into a long log, approximately 14 to 16-inches long. Be sure to pinch any seams and gently taper the ends by rolling it back and forth.

10. Place each baguette onto a baking sheet. With a razor, preferably, or a sharp knife, cut 3 to 4 diagonal slashes, approximately 1/4-inch deep) across the top of each baguette.

11. Next, cover the baguettes with a damp kitchen towel and set aside somewhere warm and draft-free for 1 hour.

12. Approximately 30 minutes before the final proofing, preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

(Tip: If you are using a baking stone, begin to preheat the oven 45 minutes beforehand.)

13. After the final proofing, remove the kitchen towels from the baguettes and lightly dust the tops with flour.

14. Next, place one baking sheet into the oven and immediately lower the heat to 450 degrees F.

(Tip: If using a baking stone, gently lift the baguette with the parchment paper and place it on top of the stone.)

15. For the next 10 minutes, you will mist the bread with water 3 times and then continue to bake the bread for an additional 20 minutes, for a total of 30 minutes.

(Tip: You can use a spray bottle or your hands to spritz water from a cup. I prefer a spray bottle as it provides an even mist and coverage)

16. Once the baguette is cooked, remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

17. Repeat steps 15 and 16 for the second baguette.

Ta-dah... you have fresh homemade Filoncini (more than one is Filoncino and only one, singular, is Filoncino!)

Enjoy!