1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the instant yeast, flour, water and salt. Knead for 5 minutes on medium-low speed. The dough is soft and will be slightly sticky, as this is a higher hydration dough (80%). If it is too sticky, add 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup more all-purpose flour. Transfer dough to a large greased bowl. Spray the top of the dough with nonstick spray or a light drizzle of oil (this is to help prevent the dough from drying out and from sticking to the plastic wrap cover). Cover the dough with plastic wrap.

2. Allow the dough to rise for 1 hour in a warm place. (I like to turn my oven on until it reaches 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Once it reaches this temperature, I turn my oven off and place the covered dough in the warm oven. This allows for the bread to rise in a warm place.)

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased surface, or a surface very very lightly dusted with flour (you don’t want to add too much flour, because you want the dough to stick together when rolling into a cylinder). Divide into two roughly equal pieces. Working with one piece of dough at a time and keeping the other covered, pat the dough into a rectangle that’s approximately 9×13 inches. Starting from the long edge, roll the dough up into a cylinder, pinching the dough together with each roll. Pinch the edges together to seal. Place the bread onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet, seam side down, or onto a baguette baking pan, seam side down.

4. Cover bread with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 30 minutes in a warm place.

5. Preheat oven to 450F.

6. Dust/sprinkle the bread with all-purpose flour, then using a bread lame, or very sharp knife, cut 4 slits in bread at an angle.

7. You will need two oven shelves, one directly above the other. Fill an 8×8 pan or 9×5 loaf pan halfway with hot water. Place the pan with the water on an oven shelf directly below the bread. Place the bread in the oven, above the water pan. This will create steam in the oven and help develop a crispy crust on the bread.

8. Bake for 10 minutes with the steam, then remove the pan with water and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, so 20-25 minutes total. Bake until the loaves are a deep golden brown.

9. Allow the baguette to cool 1 hour before slicing. I love pairing this bread with my bread dipping oil, but feel free to eat as is or with butter. You can also use the baguette to make garlic bread or a delicious sandwich.