White Baton Bread with Glazed Crusts

4 cups white wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp yeast
2 cups warm water

Stir all dry ingredients inside a large container. Add the water and continue stirring until it forms a sticky lump. Seal the container. Leave to rise at least 4 hours. (or you can refrigerate the dough at this point to use later.) It should appear very bubbly when it's ready. If you leave it to rise longer than 10 hrs the dough will turn slightly sour. Not true sourdough, but a similar flavor.

Preheat oven to 400. Put a container filled with water in the bottom of the oven. Dust a baking sheet with flour and set aside.

Drop the dough onto a surface covered in flour. Coat the outside of the dough with flour, making sure the outer layer is not wet and sticky, trying to handle it as little as possible.

Shape the dough into a long, narrow loaf. Brush a glaze over the top of the loaf. Cut several diagonal slashes in the top.

Bake in the oven for 45 min-1 hour or until golden brown. You should check on it after 30 minutes, because the baking time can vary a lot depending on your oven and on the size and shape of the loaf.


Glazes:

Egg Wash: Beat together 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of water or milk, and a pinch of salt. This gives a shiny, golden look to the crust. For an extra golden sheen, allow the first egg wash coating to dry, then apply a second layer of glaze immediately before baking. Egg wash can also be used as an adhesive to be applied before a topping.

Milk: For a golden crust, brush the dough with milk before baking. For a slightly sweeter glaze, dissolve a little sugar in warm milk.

Salted Water: For a light shine and a crisp baked crust, brush the dough with lightly salted water immediately before baking.

Honey: For a shiny crust, glaze the dough with honey before baking. For a soft, sweet, sticky crust, brush a baked, still-warm bread with honey. Alternatively, try molasses or corn syrup.

Olive Oil: For added flavor and shine, brush the dough with olive oil immediately before and after baking. Optionally, add salt, pepper, and/or herbs to the oil before baking.

Cornstarch: For a chewy crust, brush the dough with a mixture of cornstarch and water that has been cooked until translucent and then cooled.