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Description
This recipe guides you through making classic French baguettes at home. It focuses on simple steps for a traditional bread.
Ingredients
Scale
- 300g (2 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
- 210g (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) warm water
- 6g (1 tsp) salt
- 3g (1 tsp) instant yeast
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine flour, warm water, salt, and instant yeast. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Perform a series of stretch and folds. Gently stretch one side of the dough up and fold it over to the center. Rotate the bowl and repeat this process 3-4 times until all sides are folded.
- Cover and let rest for another 30 minutes. Repeat the stretch and fold process two more times, with 30-minute rests in between.
- After the final rest, cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 12 hours, or up to 24 hours.
- The next day, remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for about 1 hour.
- Gently divide the dough into two equal pieces.
- Shape each piece into a baguette. Gently flatten the dough into a rectangle. Fold the top edge down to the center and press to seal. Repeat with the bottom edge, then fold the dough in half lengthwise and seal the seam. Gently roll to lengthen.
- Place the shaped baguettes on a floured couche or parchment paper, seam-side up. Cover and let proof for 45-60 minutes, or until puffy.
- Preheat your oven to 230°C (450°F) with a baking stone or steel inside. Place a pan with hot water at the bottom of the oven for steam.
- Carefully transfer the baguettes to the hot baking stone. Score the tops of the baguettes with a sharp knife or lame.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and crusty.
- Let the baguettes cool on a wire rack before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Use a kitchen scale for accurate ingredient measurements.
- Do not overwork the dough during mixing or folding.
- Adjust baking time based on your oven.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 25 min
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 baguette
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 700
- Fat: 1
- Saturated Fat: 0
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 75
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 12
- Cholesterol: 0