Baguettes

These aren't traditional, there's no special baking sleeves or sponges, but they are attractive, crusty and tasty. If a slightly rustic messy look is ugly to you, throw your back out keeping the loaves a perfect shape :)
1)Combine 340g sw bread flour, 2 teaspoons of salt, a tablespoon of sugar and 1 and a half teaspoons of fast action yeast. Make sure the yeast and salt don't directly contact.
2)Stir in 240ml of water and a tablespoon of good virgin olive oil until you have a firm but not stiff dough. Knead it for about 10 mins by hand, or 5 in a mixer or machine.
3)Leave it to prove at room temperature for 1-2 hours in an oiled bowl covered with cling film. An alternative that I did was to make it the night before and leave it to prove in the fridge overnight as I don't have enough time after rehearsals to make it. If you leave it overnight you have to keep it in the fridge or it will over prove and lose it's structure. Leaving it overnight gave a noticeably deeper yeasty flavour, so I recommend trying the overnight prove.
4)Turn the dough out and punch it down first with your hands and then with a rolling pin until you have a rough, thin rectangle. Divide the dough into two and ,slowly and gently, with both hands, roll it out into a thin baguette shape. To keep it's shape, give it a slight twist from both ends.
5)Place them on two separate greased baking sheets and cover them with greased cling film. Cooking oil spray has become my new best friend for this process.
6)Leave to prove again for about an hour. This can't be done overnight.
7)Bake in a 190 degrees Celsius oven for about 20 minutes until golden brown and they sound hollow when the base is tapped.