A Leapin' Good Daring Baker's Challenge!

Today is of course Leap Day and the last day of February, so what better way to "celebrate" than by baking and eating some delicious, homemade bread! In this installment of the ever-so-exciting Daring Baker's Challenge, we were given the task of baking Julia Child's French Bread. I have to be honest and tell you that I almost did not attempt this one because after reading the recipe and the very detailed instructions, I felt a bit intimidated by it all. I am also leaving for a 3 week trip to Asia tonight so I didn't think I had the time dedicated to baking the bread. But miraculously yesterday, I woke up early (3:40am to be exact), feeling willing, ready and able to tackle the challenge after all, and since I had the whole day off from work, I went for it. The bread making process, though a long one with 3 different risings, was very enjoyable and even relaxing. There's something quite meditative and peaceful about bread making, isn't there? And though my French bread may not be the prettiest on the block ( I had a hard time forming my long baguette), it sure tasted delicious! We toasted a few slices for breakfast this morning. I loved the crispy crust and the slightly chewy inside. My boyfriend slathered his with peach jam but I ate mine plain and simple. I will definitely be packing some of this with me for our plane trip this evening! If you would like to give this challenge a try for yourself, check out the recipe which was chosen by Breadchick Mary of The Sour Dough and Sara of I Like To Cook.
Since I'll be on vacation, this will likely be my last post for the next several weeks. So thank-you Mary and Sarah for February's French Bread challenge. I'm happy I made it! Aur revoir for now!