In a large bowl (or the bucket of your bread machine), combine all of the ingredients until a rough dough forms, then knead (about 10 minutes by hand, 5 to 7 minutes by bread machine) until the dough is smooth and satiny. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise for 1 hour (or allow the bread machine to complete its cycle). The dough will become somewhat puffy, but probably won't double in bulk. Shape the dough into a loaf, and place it in a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" bread pan. Cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise until it's crowned about 1" over the rim of the pan (about 1 to 1 1/2 hours). Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the bread for 35 minutes, or until its interior registers 190°F on a digital thermometer. Remove the bread from the oven, take it out of the pan, and allow it to cool on a rack.

Place all of the ingredients into the bucket of your bread machine. Use the smaller amount of water in the summer, or during humid conditions; use the larger amount of water in winter, or if you're in a dry climate. Program your machine for basic white bread, light crust. Midway through the second kneading cycle, check the dough; it should be soft, smooth and slightly sticky. Adjust the dough's consistency with additional flour or water, if necessary. For a true English muffin effect, remove the dough after either the final kneading or before the final rise and roll it in cornmeal. Place the dough back in the machine to rise and bake. Remove the finished bread from the machine, and cool it on a rack.

To bake in a bread machine: Place all of the ingredients into the pan of your bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Program the machine for the basic cycle, and press Start. Check the dough's consistency about 10 minutes before the end of the final kneading cycle, adding additional water or flour to form a soft, smooth ball of dough. Allow the machine to complete its cycle. Cool the bread completely before serving. To bake in an oven: Program your bread machine for the dough or manual cycle. When the cycle is complete, remove the dough, and place it in a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan. Allow the dough to rise, covered, for about 1 hour, or until it's crowned about 1" over the rim of the pan. Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until it's a deep golden brown and a digital thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf registers about 190°F. Remove the bread from the oven, turn it out of the pan, and let it cool on a rack. Store completely cooled bread, well wrapped, at room temperature for several days. Freeze for longer storage.

The first goal of every budding artisan bread-baker is a crusty, flavorful baguette. Let this recipe be the starting point on a journey that may last for quite a long time — the "perfect" baguette is a goal pursued by even experienced bakers. Just remember — the pleasure is in the journey, not the destination! This recipe will yield excellent flavor and texture every time you experiment.

Poolish Combine the flour, water and yeast; mix until well-blended. Let the poolish rise, covered, at cool room temperature for 12 to 24 hours. It should dome slightly on top, and look aerated and bubbly. Try to catch it before it starts to fall, as it will be at its optimum flavor and vigor when it's at its highest point. Mixer method: Place the flour, yeast and salt in the bowl of your mixer. Pour some of the water around the edges of the poolish in its container to loosen it. Pour the poolish and water onto the flour. Using the flat beater paddle, mix the dough on low speed for 3 minutes, adding more flour or water if necessary to bring the dough together. The dough should look a little sticky, but should clean the sides of the bowl. Switch to the dough hook, knead for 4 minutes, cleaning the dough from the hook at the 2-minute mark. Bread machine method: Place the flour, yeast and salt in the bucket of your bread machine. Pour some of the water around the edges of the poolish in its container to loosen it. Pour the poolish and water onto the flour. Program the machine for dough and press Start. Check the dough after about 10 minutes of kneading; add more flour or water if needed to create a sticky dough. To mix by hand: In a large bowl, combine the dough ingredients with the poolish. Stir until the dough begins to come together. Oil your hands and use a dough scraper to knead the dough right in the bowl - this will help knead the dough without adding too much flour. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl (or oil your mixer bowl, and leave it in there). Cover the bowl, and let the dough rise for 2 hours, folding it over after the first hour (or more frequently, if the dough is very slack or wet; this folding helps strengthen the gluten). Divide the dough into three pieces and gently pre-form it into rough logs. Let it rest for 20 minutes, and then shape it into baguettes. Proof the baguettes, covered, on your baguette pan until they're puffy looking, 30 to 40 minutes. Preheat your oven (and your baking stone, if you have one) to 500°F. Just before putting the loaves into the oven, slash the tops several times. Hold your knife at a 45° angle to the dough's surface, and slice quickly and decisively, about 1/2-inch deep. Spritz the loaves with water, place them in the oven, and reduce the oven temperature to 475°F. Bake the loaves for 18 to 24 minutes. Remove the loaves from the oven when they're a deep, golden brown, and transfer them to a rack to cool.

To make the starter: Mix the 1 1/4 cups flour, salt, yeast, and 1/2 cup water in a medium-sized bowl. Mix till well combined; the starter will be very dry. Cover and let rest overnight at room temperature; it'll become bubbly. To make the dough: Combine the risen starter with the water, salt, flour, and yeast. Knead—by hand, mixer, or bread machine set on the dough cycle—to make a smooth dough. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, till it's nearly doubled in bulk. Gently deflate the dough, and pat and stretch it into a 3/4"-thick rectangle, about 9" x 12". Spritz with water, and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Starting with a long side, roll it into a log, pinching the seam to seal. Place the log, seam-side down, on a lightly floured or lightly oiled surface. Cover it and let it rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, till it's puffy though not doubled in bulk. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F. Gently cut the log into four crosswise slices, for mini-breads; or simply cut the dough in half, for two normal-sized loaves. Place them on one (for two loaves) or two (for four mini-loaves) lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheets, cut side up. Spread them open a bit, if necessary, to more fully expose the cheese. Spritz with warm water, and immediately place them in the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes (for the mini-loaves), or 35 minutes (for the full-sized loaves), or until the cheese is melted and the loaves are a very deep golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Combine all of the ingredients, and beat at high speed, using an electric mixer, for 2 minutes. To use your bread machine, put everything in the bucket, and let the dough go through its dough or manual cycle; skip to step 3 below if you're using a bread machine. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl or rising bucket, cover it, and let it rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until it's noticeably puffy. Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into 6 pieces; each will be about 111g, a scant 4 ounces. Shape the dough into balls, and place them in the wells of a lightly greased hamburger bun pan. If you don't have a bun pan, space them on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Gently flatten the buns with your hand to fill the bottom of the pan's wells, or until they're about 3 1/2" to 4" wide. Cover the buns, and let them rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until they're noticeably puffy. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush each bun with some of the melted butter. Bake the buns for 16 to 19 minutes, until they're a light, golden brown, and their interior temperature is at least 190°F, measured with an instant-read thermometer. Remove the buns from the oven, transfer them to a rack, and brush with the remaining melted butter. Allow the buns to cool completely, then store airtight at room temperature. Yield: 6 big buns.

To make the biga: Mix all of the biga ingredients in a medium-sized bowl until well-blended. Cover the bowl, and leave it at cool room temperature (68°F-70°F) for 12 to 20 hours, until the biga is very bubbly. To make the dough: Mix the biga and the remaining dough ingredients, except the cheese, using an electric mixer set on slow speed, for 2 to 4 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and mix for about 4 minutes; the dough should be soft and slightly sticky. Add additional water or flour if necessary. Mix in the cheese; don't worry if some pieces pop out. To make dough in a bread machine: Add all of the ingredients and mix this dough on the dough cycle; add the diced cheese several minutes before the end of the final kneading cycle. Allow the dough to rise, in a greased, covered bowl, for 1 to 2 hours, until it's very puffy. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, and shape it into two long loaves, about 12" x 4" inches each. Place the loaves, floured side up, onto parchment paper (if you plan to bake on an oven stone) or baking sheets. Cover the loaves with a proof cover or well-greased plastic wrap, and allow them to rise for 45 minutes, or until they're very puffy. Sprinkle them with additional grated cheese. While the bread is rising, preheat the oven to 450°F. Bake the ciabatta for 22 to 26 minutes, until it's golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and cool on a rack. Wrap well, and store for 2 days on the counter. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Mix, then knead together all of the ingredients except the ham and cheese, making a dough that's smooth and resilient. Knead in the ham and cheese. Gather the dough into a ball and place it in a greased bowl. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 1 hour, or until it's noticeably puffy. Gently deflate the dough and divide it into 7 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Place the dough balls in a lightly greased 1 ½-quart baker or 9" round cake pan. Cover the pan and allow the dough to rise until puffy, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Near the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 325°F. Bake the buns for 35 to 40 minutes, tenting after 20 minutes to prevent over-browning. Remove them from the oven, turn them out of the pan, cool completely, and serve. Yield: 7 buns.

In a small bowl, combine the sponge ingredients. Stir well to combine, loosely cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to proof for 10 to 15 minutes. In the bowl of your stand mixer combine the sponge, yogurt, butter, eggs, sugar, salt, and flavoring. Add 4 1/2 cups of flour and mix with the paddle attachment until the dough is a rough, shaggy mass. Switch to the dough hook and knead on speed 2 until a soft, smooth dough forms, about 5 to 6 minutes, adding more flour if needed to achieve the correct consistency.If you're using a bread machine, combine all the dough ingredients in the pan and set the machine on the dough cycle. Be sure to check the dough as it kneads and adjust the flour or water as needed to achieve a soft, supple consistency. Let the cycle complete itself. If working by hand or stand mixer, place the kneaded dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until quite puffy and nearly doubled. While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. Combine all the filling ingredients (except the lemon curd) in a small bowl, mixing until smooth and lump-free. Reserve the filling and lemon curd until ready to fill the braids. Gently deflate the dough and divide it in half. Cover half with plastic wrap and set it aside as you roll out the first piece into a 10" x 15" rectangle. Rolling on parchment paper makes moving the bread to the baking sheet much, much easier. Lightly press two lines down the dough lengthwise, to divide it into 3 equal sections. Spread half the cream cheese filling down the center section, and top with half the lemon curd, leaving 1" free on all sides of the filling. To form the mock braid, cut 1" crosswise strips down the length of the outside sections, making sure you have the same number of strips down each side. Beginning on the left, lift the top dough strip and gently bring it across the filling diagonally. Repeat on the other side with the top dough strip, so that the two strips crisscross each other. Continue down the entire braid, alternating strips to form the loaf Repeat the rolling, filling, and braiding steps for the second piece of dough, using the remaining cream cheese filling and lemon curd. Set both loaves aside, lightly covered, to rise for 45 to 50 minutes, or until quite puffy Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brush the loaves with egg wash (one lightly beaten egg, 2 teaspoons water and a pinch of salt), and sprinkle with coarse sparkling sugar, if desired. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Yield: 2 loaves.

This soft white loaf features a lovely spiral of cinnamon-sugar inside. It makes a delicious peanut butter and jelly sandwich. And, of course, it's ideal for cinnamon toast, and French toast. Our guarantee: This tender, close-grained loaf rises to a lovely dome, and bakes up golden brown. The thin layer of cinnamon filling forms a pretty spiral inside. From amaranth to teff, ancient grains offer a world of baking possibilities. Find out how to make this recipe using ancient grains in our complete guide to baking with ancient grains.

If you're using "highly active" or active dry yeast, dissolve it with a pinch of sugar in 2 tablespoons of the lukewarm water. Let the yeast and water sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, until the mixture has bubbled and expanded. If you're using instant yeast, you can skip this step. Combine the dissolved yeast (or instant yeast) with the remainder of the ingredients. Mix and knead everything together—by hand, mixer or bread machine set on the dough cycle—till you've made a smooth dough. Adjust the dough's consistency with additional flour or water as needed; but remember, the more flour you add while you're kneading, the heavier and drier your final loaf will be. If you're kneading in a stand mixer, it should take about 7 minutes at second speed, and the dough should barely clean the sides of the bowl, perhaps sticking a bit at the bottom. In a bread machine (or by hand), it should form a smooth ball. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise, at room temperature, until it's nearly doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Rising may take longer, especially if you've kneaded by hand. Give it enough time to become quite puffy. While the dough is rising, make the filling by stirring together the sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and pat it into a 6" x 20" rectangle. Brush the dough with the egg/water mixture, and sprinkle it evenly with the filling. Starting with a short end, roll the dough into a log. Pinch the ends to seal, and pinch the long seam closed. Transfer the log, seam-side down, to a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan. Tent the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap. Allow the bread to rise till it's crested about 1" over the rim of the pan, about 1 hour. Again, it may rise more slowly for you; let it rise till it's 1" over the rim of the pan, even if that takes longer than an hour. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the bread for 40 to 45 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after the first 15 minutes. The bread's crust will be golden brown, and the interior of the finished loaf should measure 190°F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the bread from the oven, and gently loosen the edges with a heatproof spatula or table knife. Turn it out of the pan, and brush the top surface with butter, if desired; this will give it a soft, satiny crust. Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing.

To make the dough: Whisk together all of the dry ingredients, then add the butter, vanilla, egg, and milk, mixing until a shaggy dough forms. If your schedule permits, let the dough rest for 30 minutes; this resting period allows the flour to absorb the liquid fully, making it easier to knead. Knead the dough — by hand, using a mixer, or in a bread machine set on the dough cycle — until it's smooth and soft, though still slightly sticky. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover the bowl, and let the dough rise until it's almost doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The amount of time this takes will depend on the temperature of your kitchen; yeast works the fastest at about 85°F, but we prefer the flavor the bread gets from a longer, cooler (about 70°F) rise. If you're using a bread machine set on the dough cycle, simply allow it to complete its cycle. While the dough is rising, make the filling. To make the filling using cornstarch: Toss the grated apple with the lemon juice in a saucepan. Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and cinnamon, and add to the pan, stirring to combine. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the apple starts to release its juice. Increase the heat to medium, and bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring, until the mixture thickens, 1 to 2 minutes; drawing a spatula across the bottom of the pan should leave a track that doesn't readily fill in. Remove from the heat, and set aside to cool to room temperature; if you want to hasten the process, place in the refrigerator. To make the filling using Instant ClearJel: Whisk together the sugar, ClearJel, salt, and cinnamon. Toss the grated apple with the lemon juice, then add that to the sugar mixture. Mix well, and set aside. To assemble the loaf: Gently deflate the risen dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured or greased work surface. Divide the dough in half. Roll the first half into a 10" x 12" rectangle. Spread half the filling over the rolled-out dough, leaving a 1/2" margin clear of filling along all sides. If adding chopped nuts, sprinkle them evenly over the filling. Starting with a long side, roll the dough into a log, sealing the edge. Use a bench knife, pizza cutter, or sharp knife to cut the log in half lengthwise. Place the half-logs, filled side up, side by side on a well-greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Keeping the filling side up, twist or "braid" the two logs together, working from the center to each end. Pinch the ends together. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Cover the twists lightly, and set them aside to rise for 1 to 2 hours; they should be puffy but not doubled in bulk. Want to make the bread ahead, then refrigerate overnight and bake the next morning? See "tips," below. To bake the bread: Bake the loaves in a preheated 350°F oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until they're lightly browned. Check the loaves after 20 minutes and tent with aluminum foil if they're browning too quickly. When the loaves are fully baked, a digital thermometer inserted into a loaf (be sure to position the thermometer in the bread, not the filling) should register about 190°F. Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool for about 1 hour before glazing and serving. To make the glaze: Mix together all of the glaze ingredients. Drizzle over the loaves once they're cool. Store leftover bread, loosely covered, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage. If you know ahead of time you're going to freeze one or both of the loaves, don't glaze; wrap completely cooled, unglazed bread tightly in plastic, and freeze for up to a month. When ready to serve, remove from the freezer, unwrap, cover loosely with plastic, and let thaw at room temperature. Glaze and serve.

Combine the milk, butter, sugar, and salt in a microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl; or in a saucepan. Heat, stirring, until the butter melts. Let the mixture cool to lukewarm. Transfer the milk mixture to a mixing bowl, and add the eggs, yeast, 4 cups of the flour, and the potato flour and mix to form a shaggy dough. Knead the dough — using your hands, a stand mixer, or your bread machine set on the dough cycle — until it's smooth. The dough will remain somewhat sticky, but should definitely form a ball. During the summer, or in a warm/humid climate, you'll probably find you have to add the remaining 1/4 cup flour. Place the dough in a greased container, cover, and let it rise for about 90 minutes, until it's puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk. While the dough is rising, place the filling ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine. After the dough has risen, deflate it and divide it in half. Working with one piece at a time, place the dough on a lightly greased or lightly floured surface (your preference), and roll/pat it into a 12" circle about 1/4" thick. Cut 3 1/2" to 4" circles with a cutter, large canning jar lid, or English muffin ring; you should have about 10 circles. Spread the butter-herb filling on half of each circle, fold in half, and place fold-side down in a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan. Repeat with the remaining half of the dough, filling another 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" bread pan. Or place all of the circles in a 12" x 4" x 2 1/2" tea loaf pan. Shape any scraps into small rolls; or butter them, and pile them into the wells of a muffin tin. They won't look pretty, but they'll taste just fine. Cover the pan(s) with greased plastic and let the dough rise for about 90 minutes, until it's puffy and starting to fill the pan. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F. Uncover the loaves, and bake them for 25 to 30 minutes. Bread baked in a ceramic pan will take 5 to 7 minutes longer to bake than in a metal one. Tent the loaves with foil if they look like they're browning too quickly. Remove the bread from the oven; brush it with additional melted butter, if desired. Turn the loaves out of the pan, and serve warm. Store any leftovers, well wrapped, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.

Combine all of the dough ingredients, and mix and knead them together — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — until you've made a soft, smooth dough. Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 1 hour. Roll the dough into a 12" x 18" rectangle. Brush all over with mustard, leaving a 1" mustard-free zone all around the edge. Add the cheese in a single layer, then the ham; again, leave the border bare. Starting with a long edge, roll the dough into an 18" log. Pinch the long seam closed, then fold the ends over and pinch them closed, too. Curve the log into a horseshoe shape on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet, seam-side down. Cover the sheet, and allow the roll to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours; it should look puffy, though not doubled. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F. Slash the roll crosswise, about 1/2" deep, at 3" to 4" intervals along its length. There's no need to use a knife for this; making snips with a pair of scissors works just as well. Bake the roll for 35 minutes, until it's golden brown, tenting it lightly with foil if it appears to be browning too quickly. Remove it from the oven, and allow it to cool for 20 minutes before serving.

The most basic of all no-knead loaves, this is a wonderful way to get into yeast-bread baking. The easy stir-together dough rests in your refrigerator, developing flavor all the time, till you're ready to bake. About 90 minutes before you want to serve bread, grab a handful of dough, shape it, let it rise, then bake for 30 minutes. The result? Incredible, crusty artisan-style bread. If you're a first-time bread-baker, you'll never believe this bread came out of your own oven. And even if you're a seasoned bread baker, you'll love this recipe's simplicity.

Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl, or a large (6-quart), food-safe plastic bucket. For first-timers, "lukewarm" means about 105°F, but don't stress over getting the temperatures exact here. Comfortably warm is fine; "OUCH, that's hot!" is not. Yeast is a living thing; treat it nicely. Mix and stir everything together to make a very sticky, rough dough. If you have a stand mixer, beat at medium speed with the beater blade for 30 to 60 seconds. If you don't have a mixer, just stir-stir-stir with a big spoon or dough whisk until everything is combined. Next, you're going to let the dough rise. If you've made the dough in a plastic bucket, you're all set — just let it stay there, covering the bucket with a lid or plastic wrap; a shower cap actually works well here. If you've made the dough in a bowl that's not at least 6-quart capacity, transfer it to a large bowl; it's going to rise a lot. There's no need to grease the bowl, though you can if you like; it makes it a bit easier to get the dough out when it's time to bake bread. Cover the bowl or bucket, and let the dough rise at room temperature for 2 hours. Then refrigerate it for at least 2 hours, or for up to about 7 days. (If you're pressed for time, skip the room-temperature rise, and stick it right into the fridge). The longer you keep it in the fridge, the tangier it'll get; if you chill it for 7 days, it will taste like sourdough. Over the course of the first day or so, it'll rise, then fall. That's OK; that's what it's supposed to do. When you're ready to make bread, sprinkle the top of the dough with flour; this will make it easier to grab a hunk. Grease your hands, and pull off about 1/4 to 1/3 of the dough — a 14-ounce to 19-ounce piece, if you have a scale. It'll be about the size of a softball, or a large grapefruit. Plop the sticky dough onto a floured work surface, and round it into a ball, or a longer log. Don't fuss around trying to make it perfect; just do the best you can. Place the loaf on a piece of parchment (if you're going to use a baking stone); or onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Sift a light coating of flour over the top; this will help keep the bread moist as it rests before baking. Let the loaf warm to room temperature and rise; this should take about 60 minutes (or longer, up to a couple of hours, if your house is cool). It won't appear to rise upwards that much; rather, it'll seem to settle and expand. Preheat your oven to 450°F while the loaf rests. If you're using a baking stone, position it on a middle rack while the oven preheats. Place a shallow metal or cast iron pan (not glass, Pyrex, or ceramic) on the lowest oven rack, and have 1 cup of hot water ready to go. When you're ready to bake, take a sharp knife and slash the bread 2 or 3 times, making a cut about 1/2" deep. The bread may deflate a bit; that's OK, it'll pick right up in the hot oven. Place the bread in the oven — onto the baking stone, if you're using one, or simply onto a middle rack, if it's on a pan — and carefully pour the 1 cup hot water into the shallow pan on the rack beneath. It'll bubble and steam; close the oven door quickly. Bake the bread for 25 to 35 minutes, until it's a deep, golden brown. Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a rack. Store leftover bread in a plastic bag at room temperature.

When the weather is hot, no one wants to stay in the kitchen long. However, those of us who truly enjoy baking bread want our own creations all year long. We soon learn that we must work faster during the summer months, leaving the rest of the year for the more involved recipes with longer, slower rising times. This French-style bread is made in the food processor for speed, but can be made by hand. It's shaped into baguettes, which bake much faster than regular loaves of bread. It's a basic loaf which lends itself to variations. Use your imagination; if an idea sounds good, try it! We've listed some ideas in our "tips" section below.

Combine the yeast, 1/2 cup warm water, and sugar in a measuring cup. Let it sit for 5 minutes, until bubbles appear. Put all of the flour and salt into the work bowl of a food processor. Using the plastic (dough) blade, pulse four times to lighten and mix. With the machine running, add the yeast mixture, then 90°F water as fast as the flour will absorb it. Stop the machine as soon as all the liquid has been added. Check the dough by pulsing it 7 or 8 times. It should pull together to form a ball. Watch the processor bowl where the side meets the bottom; if there are still bits of unincorporated flour, the dough is too dry. Pulse in water 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough pulls together to form a ball. If the dough clings to the sides of the bowl, it's too wet; gradually add more flour while pulsing. The formation of the ball marks the beginning of the kneading process. Turn the machine on and let "knead" for 60 seconds — don't let it knead any longer! If you have to use a metal blade, only "knead" 45 seconds and finish kneading by hand for 3 to 4 minutes. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, turning to grease the top of the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise until puffy, about 1 hour. Divide the dough into four pieces. Roll each piece into an oval about 15" x 8". Starting on the long side, roll the dough into a 15" cylinder. Pinch the edges to the body of dough, tapering the ends evenly. Place the dough seam-side down into well-greased baguette pans or onto parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheets, leaving about 4" between the loaves. Cover the loaves with a piece of greased plastic wrap, and let rise until puffy, about 45 minutes. While the bread is rising, preheat the oven to 425°F. Place a shallow metal pan on the bottom shelf of the oven. Just before baking, slash the loaves diagonally with a sharp blade, about 1/4" deep. Brush lightly with egg glaze. Place the loaves into the oven, and add 1 cup of ice cubes to the pan on the bottom. Close the door quickly to preserve the steam. Bake the bread for 20 minutes, or until its internal temperature reaches 190°F. The loaves should be golden brown all around, smell fragrant, and feel lighter when picked up. Remove the loaves from the oven, and transfer them to a rack to cool. Store the bread at room temperature for 2 days in plastic; or wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.