French Baguette

Ingredients

• Overnight starter
• 2 3/4 cup of flour
• 13 oz water
• Ingredients for Overnight Starter
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tablespoon of yeast

Directions For Starter

1I the mason jar mix together 1/3 cup of flour, 1/3 cup of water, and yeast. Mix it well, cover it with surround wrap and leave it in the warm room overnight.

Directions For Baguette

1In the large mixing bowl, combine starter flour, salt, and water. Mix it well until a shaggy dough forms. There’s not a lot of kneading involved for this type of bread, and no more adding flour till the last step. It only needs a few quick folds to become smooth and build strength without overworking the gluten and causing toughness. Cover the bowl with surround wrap and allow it to proof (or rise) in a warm place for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, wet your hands and fold the dough inside the bowl a few times. The dough will be e sticky. Cover it and let it proof for another 45 minutes. Repeat the process two more times

2Now, as I said before, this dough is very sticky. Cover your working surface with flour. Dump the dough, sprinkle the top with flour, don’t knead the dough, only form it into a ball. We don’t need to work more flour in the dough. We only need it to prevent sticking to our hands and surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, form two baguettes, place them onto a baking pan, cover them with a kitchen towel and let them rise till they double in size, about 20 minutes.

3While the baguettes are rising, fill a baking pan with water and place it in the bottom of your oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and allow it to fill with steam from the water. Steam is the KEY to a crusty baguette. Leave the water in the oven the whole time it is baking.

4Once the loaves have finished their rise, remove the towel and sprinkle them with a bit of flour. Then quickly slash them with a lame, razor blade, or sharp knife. This is decorative, but it also allows the crust to crack and the dough to expand in a more controlled way.

5Bake your baguettes till it is a nice golden brown. It took me 50 minutes to get mine the way I wanted, and I checked on it every 20 minutes. I suggest you do the same because every oven and elevation is different. You don’t want to undercook it or burn it. They should feel light and dry on the outside, and when you tap them, they should give a hollow sound.