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1. Place active-dry yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer and add the sugar. Warm up the water in the microwave until very warm, about 110-115 F. Start heating for 30 seconds and test. You can usually do this by dipping a pinky in the water. If it feels too hot, do not use it! It will kill the yeast. If this happens, add some cool water to it, and pour off the excess, or wait until the water cools down to very warm. Add the warm water to the sugar and yeast, and whisk together. Let it sit for 5 minutes, or until a bubble of yeast has bloomed. This looks like a beige circle in the middle of the water.
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2. Add the salt and the flour gradually (do not add all at once) and knead until no longer sticky, about 6-8 minutes. A good way to know if the bread is kneaded enough is to poke it with your finger. If it bounces back quickly, it's ready to go. Place the bread in a large bowl that has been oiled (add about 1 tablespoon of oil and spread it around with a napkin until evenly coated). Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the bread rise until doubled in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
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3. Once the bread has doubled in size, punch it down and place it onto a large floured surface (I normally use my large cutting board). Cut the dough in half to make 2 baguettes or into thirds to make 3 baguettes. Roll each dough piece into a large rectangle and roll it up starting from the long side. Place each baguette onto a baking sheet that you've lined with parchment paper or a Silpat.
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4. Cut diagonal slashes along the length of the dough, going about 1/2 inch deep, or make one long slash down the length of the loaf. Cover with a kitchen towel again, and let it rise for 30-45 minutes, until baguettes are almost doubled in size and puffy.
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5. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Whisk together the egg yolk and water in a small bowl. Brush it onto the loaves with a pastry brush.
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6. Bake the loaves for 20-25 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown. Remove from oven. Let them cool for 5-10 minutes, then dig in! Enjoy!
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Note: I put these into freezer bags and freeze them for 1 month or longer sometimes. To reheat them, just put them in the microwave to defrost them, then slice them in half and toast the halves in the oven to make sandwiches.
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Adapted from Allrecipes.
