Baguette
Baguette
76% hydration, 17 min bake
Ingredients
Makes 2 baguettes
flour 420g
water 320ml
salt 9g
yeast 2g
Use strong white bread flour.
Recipe
1. Mix until no dry patches of flour are visible:
[flour 420g, water 320ml, salt 9g, yeast 2g]
It should look shaggy at this point, close to porridge consistency. Cover and let rest for 30 mins.
2. One set of stretch and fold. Cover and let rest for 30 mins.
3. Two sets of coil fold 30 mins apart. Cover and leave in fridge overnight.
4. Flour the work surface, turn out the dough and dust the top. Divide into two, shape into rough baguettes, cover and rest for 15 mins.
show photo
5. Final shape: Flatten, fold and pinch into baguettes to ensure they are tight. This will allow them to spring in the oven. Place on tray, cover with tea towel and prove until 1.5x in size.
6. Preheat oven to 210°C with an empty metal tray on the bottom rack.
7. Score baguettes with 3/4 lines down the middle using a sharp blade.
show photo
8. Load baguettes into the oven and immediately pour a cup of boiling water into the hot tray. Bake:
[210°C 10 mins, 190°C 7 mins]
❄ Freezer
Freeze: score and bake with steam as normal, but pull them pale and just set. Cool completely before bagging, or condensation turns to ice.
Reheat: from frozen, do not thaw. Into a hot 210°C oven, 14–18 mins until golden. A splash of water at the start stops the crust drying out; finish dry so it crisps.
Keeps: 6–8 weeks frozen.