Directions: |
Directions:Feed your sourdough starter 4-12 hours before starting the bread so it is active and bubbly once you start the bread.
Combine your warm water and flour in a large bowl. You’ll want to let this mixture rest for 30 minutes for a process called autolyse.
Using wet hands, dimple in your sourdough starter to the rested flour and water mixture.
Sprinkle salt on top.
Using your hands, mix the dough for about 5 minutes so the dough comes together.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
Complete 6 rounds of stretch and folds (First 3 – every 15 minutes; Last 3 – every 30 minutes)
When you are finished with the 6 rounds of stretch and folds, cover your dough with a wet towel or plastic wrap. Allow it to bulk-ferment until it has doubled.
Divide the dough into three equal parts.
Pre-shape by providing slight tension and creating a ball with each piece of dough and allow to bench rest for about 20 minutes on the counter.
Shape the baguette dough by gently stretching the dough out into a rectangle about 10” long by 5” wide.
Fold one long side into the middle and press your fingers into the seam all the way down it to seal it. Repeat with the other long edge, so that there is one seam in the middle where the two sides meet.
Roll the dough over, so that it is seam side down, and gently create tension along the seam by pulling it against the counter. This will also elongate the shape as you continue to pull the dough. I like mine to be about 14” for a final length, so they can rest in my perforated baguette mold.
Repeat for the other two pieces of dough.
Place your shaped baguettes in a baker’s couche or baguette tray or mold.
Cover with plastic wrap or place inside a large plastic bag or trash bag and refrigerate overnight or up to 36 hours.
The next day, preheat a baking stone (optional) at 500 degrees for about an hour. Although I don’t actually bake directly on the pizza stone, I like to have it in there to keep the oven very hot when I put the cold baguettes in. This helps them to poof up, also known as oven spring.
Get a pot or kettle of boiling water going.
On the rack at the bottom of the oven, add a 9 by 13 baking dish.
Remove the baguettes from the fridge. Score the top of the dough with 3 or 4 fairly deep scores cut at a 45 degree angle.
Fill the 9 by 13 dish you placed in your oven with boiling water.
Spritz the top of the baguettes with water for browning.
Load the baguettes onto the stone. I leave mine in the perforated baguette pan, and just place that on top of the stone. If you use a couche to shape your dough, remove the baguettes from the couche and place them directly on the stone. Do NOT put the couche in the oven.
Reduce the heat to 450º and bake for 35 minutes. In my oven, I achieve the best browning when I rotate the baguettes about 20 minutes into the baking process. |
This recipe for Baguettes is from