Baguettes… Probably the MOST requested of all pedestal breads.

THEY are the ones we all want to make right? Make and get them EXACTLY right. But baguettes are a true craft and that means you are going to need to practice a little to get that burst on top we all like to see and to get the shape just right and THAT’S OK!

Every time you do it you’ll develop more of a feel for it and be well on your way to cracking it and so, let’s make the process EASY for us to repeat shall we?

This baguette recipe is a straight white yeasted dough.

3.5-4 hours from flour to baguette.

No pre-ferment

No overnight rest

No KNEAD!

Have fun with this, again and again.

Jack

:-)

Easy Baguettes

Notes

This recipe makes four baguettes.

You’ll need to stone bake these to get that burst on top and crispy crust and for this you’ll need: A baking or pizza stone, a wooden bread peel or flat tray you can use to slide them into the oven, a kettle and large roasting tray.

Difficulty: Easy to make, tricky to master

My Kitchen Temperature: 20°C/68°F 

Start to finish:  3.5-4 hours

Ingredients

350g     Room temperature water

12g      Fresh yeast or 7g Dry yeast

500g    Strong white bread flour

10g      Salt

Method

Making the Dough

In a large mixing bowl whisk together your water, and yeast until the yeast is dissolved.

Next add the bread flour and salt.

Mix everything with your dough scraper until it comes together into a rough dough and continue to mix until there is nothing particularly dry left in the bowl and nothing particularly wet either.

Cover your bowl with a clean cloth and rest on the kitchen side for 30 minutes.

First Fold

Dust your work surface with a little flour and turn your dough out of the bowl onto it. Flatten it with your fingers a little and then, with fingers and thumb, pinch and pick up any edge of the dough, lift it, and fold it over the top to stick back to itself. Work your way around all edges repeating the fold 12-15 times. The idea here is to fold the dough into a smooth ball, all joins and seems happen on that one side, the side facing up, and so the underside becomes a smooth surface. Then, turn your dough over, revealing that nice smooth “top” surface, place it back in the bowl, cover again and rest for 30 minutes.

Second Fold

Next, you’ll be doing exactly the same as the first fold but only 10 folds this time. Make sure to turn the dough out of the bowl upside down before you start folding, then turn it smooth side up again before placing back in the bowl. Cover and rest again for 30 minutes.

Dividing and Pre-shaping

When your dough has rested and risen, turn it out of the bowl. Divide it into four pieces and if you’d like to get them EXACTLY the same weigh them to around 215g each.. Roll each piece into a rough, loose sausage and allow 15 minutes for them to rest and relax on the table, seam side down, ready for the final shape.

Final Shape

Place a proving cloth on a large baking tray and dust it well with flour

One by one shape up your baguettes by turning over a sausage of dough and pressing gently with fingers and knuckles once again to flatten. Roll up the dough into a sausage in stages; starting from the side furthest from you fold a little of the dough towards you and pinch the seam to stick. Then repeat again folding the now fatter top edge down and pinching the seam to stick. Continue until the sausage shape meets the bottom edge and pinch the seam to stick one final time.

Roll out with your palms to around 30cm making the ends pointed if you like. Line your baguettes up, seam side up, on the cloth and make a pleat in between each one so they don’t stick.

Rest and Bake

Rest your baguettes for 30 minutes. In the meantime, place a baking stone in your oven on the middle or top shelf, and a deep roasting tray on the floor of the oven, and preheat to 230°C fan / gas mark 8.

When you are ready to bake, boil the kettle. Carefully transfer your baguettes onto wooden peels, seam side down. Make a few diagonal cuts with a Grignette and slide them onto the hot baking stone. Carefully pour about 2-3cm deep of boiling water into the tray below and shut the oven door. Bake for 15-20 minutes (see note on crust below).

Cool on a wire rack.

For a great crust

The aim for a good crust is to bake the baguettes on as high heat as possible for as long as possible, providing nothing burns! That’s one reason why steam helps. You’ll need to bake for 15-20 minutes to make sure they are done, so keep the heat high if you can, and depending on your oven, turn down to 180C if you need to.