Baguette
Baguettes are delicious at any time of the day, paired with all kinds of food! They might take some practice to shape, but with time you can become a true master. Try them with seeds, such as sesame, or feel free to experiment with other grains. The backbone of this recipe should be 90% of strong white stone-ground milled flour to get optimal results. If you can’t find stone-ground sifted bread flour and stone-ground wholemeal flour, you can replace them with wholewheat flour and bread flour respectively.
Add <quantity>370<unit>g</unit></quantity> of water and <quantity>500<unit>g</unit></quantity> of stone-ground sifted bread flour to a stand mixer bowl
Add <quantity>50<unit>g</unit></quantity> of stone-ground wholemeal flour. Mix with the hook attachment on medium-low speed until fully combined
Cover with cling film and place in the refrigerator for 30m to 24h to hydrate. The longer it sits, the more flavor and lightness your baguette will have
Add <quantity>10<unit>g</unit></quantity> of salt and <quantity>100<unit>g</unit></quantity> of sourdough starter
Mix in the stand mixer with the hook attachment for 4m on low speed until everything is combined
Turn up the speed to high and knead for 6m until the dough starts to form a ball and pulls away from the bowl
Transfer the dough to a bowl and cover with cling film. Place it in refrigerator and leave it overnight to double in size
Transfer the dough to a working surface and divide it in two equal parts
Form a taut ball with each half
Place the dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Leave them at room temperature for 30-40m until they double in size
Place a clean kitchen towel on a baking sheet and generously cover half of it with flour
Transfer the dough to a working surface. Flatten and fold it to form a roll. Gently roll from the center outwards until it reaches about <quantity>45<unit>cm</unit></quantity> in length
Seal any openings and transfer the dough to the floured kitchen towel. Repeat the process with the second ball. Separate the two loaves with the towel and leave them at room temperature for 1-2h to proof
Preheat the oven to <temperature>240<unit>°C</unit></temperature>
Carefully transfer the loaves to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Score with a bread lame or a razor
Lower the oven’s temperature to <temperature>220<unit>°C</unit></temperature>. Bake for 25-30m until the outside is crispy and golden brown. The baguette is ready
Enjoy! It is so delicious that you can eat it as it is, but it's also perfect with butter or for a sandwich!
I'm here to answer any questions you have about Baguette. Try me!