Here’s how to make baguettes, using this method you can use different bread flours for the overnight starter if you wish. I have tried this recipe with granary, whole wheat and white flours and found it to be successful every time. If you love crusty baguettes give this it ago!
Ingredients:
For the easy overnight starter:
1 1/2 cup strong white bread flour or wholewheat bread flour/ other bread flour
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp dried active yeast
1 1/2 cup tepid water
For the dough:
1 tsp dried active yeast
2 cups organic plain white flour
1 tsp unrefined golden caster sugar
Rice flour for dusting
Method:
Whisk together the starter ingredients in a mixing bowl and cover with a tea towel, set aside and leave overnight. In the morning add in the additional ingredients (apart from the rice flour). Mix everything together to form a soft and pliable dough. Knead for about 8-10 minutes until you have a dough that springs back. Slice the dough in half and shape into a baguette (see here for a helpful video). Grab a linen cloth and create 3 folds, dust inside the folds with rice flour, you shouldn’t need lots of flour to stop it sticking, and place each shaped piece of dough between the folds.
Allow the dough to prove for about 45 minutes and preheat the oven to 230c/ 450f, and place a metal dish in the base of the oven. Once the oven has preheated pour a cup or 2 of freshly boiled water into the dish and allow the oven to come back up to temp. Carefully transfer the baguettes to a baguette tray/ baking sheet that has been lightly oiled and dusted with fine ground semolina.
Slice the dough with deep slightly angled vertical cuts. Bake for approx 30 minutes, until crusty a dark golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely before serving.
Reblogged this on The ObamaCrat™.
Superb!
thanks 🙂
Yum! These look lovely
Just taken these out of the oven – nowhere near as pretty as yours but the crust more than makes up for it. Best baguettes I have eaten in the UK despite my best attempts to botch everything. Definitely using this recipe again!
Thanks! Thats awesome to hear 🙂