Baguettes
Makes 3 loaves
Ingredients
Starter
- pinch of instant yeast or active dry yeast**
- 1 cup (4 ¼ oz) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cool water
Dough
- all of the starter
- 1 cup lukewarm water*
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp instant yeast or active-dry yeast**
- 3½ cups (14 ¾ oz) all-purpose flour
Special Equipment
- stand mixer with dough hook attachment or bread maker
- baking stone
- spray bottle of water
- baker's lame or sharp knife
How-to
Starter
- Make the starter by mixing the flour and yeast, then mixing in water to make a soft dough
- Cover and rest at room temperature for about 14 hours, or overnight. The starter should have risen and become bubbly [If it hasn't, your yeast may not be working. Dissolve ¼ teaspoon of yeast in 1 tbsp lukewarm water with a pinch of sugar, and wait 15 minutes. If nothing happens, replace your yeast, and begin the starter process again]
Mix Dough & Rise
- In bowl of a stand mixer, add all of the starter, water,* salt, instant yeast and flour with a dough hook attachment. Start mixer on speed 1 and mix 1 minute
- Scrape down sides of bowl. Turn to speed 2, mix 6-8 minutes
- Place the dough in a lightly-greased medium-sized bowl, cover, and let the dough rise for 3 hours
- Gently deflate dough after this time, turning it over, and let rise again, covered, for another 2 hours
Divide & Rest
- Lightly-flour dough and work surface. With a bench scraper, gather dough into itself to form a ball. Divide dough into three equal pieces
- Shape each piece into a rough, slightly flattened oval, cover with plastic wrap coated with non-stick cooking spray, and let them rest for 15 minutes
- During this time, preheat oven and baking stone to 450º
Shape, Rise & Bake
- Shape dough by working with one piece of dough at a time. Fold the dough in half lengthwise and seal the edges with the heel of your hand. Flatten it slightly, and fold and seal again. With the seam-side down, cup your fingers and gently roll the dough into a 15" log
- Place the logs seam-side down onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined sheet pan. Cover them with lightly-greased plastic wrap, and allow the loaves to rise until they've become very puffy, 1-2 hours
- For best results, use a baking stone placed on the second-to-lowest rack of the oven. Otherwise, bake on a parchment-covered sheet pan, evenly-spaced apart
- Using a very sharp knife held at about a 45° angle, make four or five 4" vertical scores in each baguette. Spritz the baguettes heavily with warm water; this will help them develop a crackly-crisp crust
- Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a medium, oven-proof sauté pan. Place pan on the bottom rack of the oven
- Transfer the baguettes onto the baking stone (if using, or transfer sheet pan to oven). Bake until they're a very deep golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes
- Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack. For the very crispiest baguettes, turn off the oven when they are done, crack it open about 2”, and allow the baguettes to cool in the oven
*Use this amount of water in the summer or in a humid environment, but the amount may need to be increased by ¼ cup in the winter or in a dry climate
**If you're using active dry yeast, mix it with the water, then combine with the starter, flour, and salt