Homemade Baguette Recipe & Steps

This long thin bread has a crisp outer crust with a wonderfully soft and chewy interior. Freshly baked I often just tear off a chunk and eat it unadorned or with a slathering of butter. My kids like to dip small pieces of the bread in a good olive oil.It's also great with soups or stews, or to make a delicious sandwich. You can use day old baguettes to make garlic bread or even croutons. 

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There are many different ways to make baguettes, some use a machine and some are made by hand. Also the amount of time you knead the dough can vary by recipe. Typically the more you knead the dough, the shorter the fermentation period. I made this baguette by hand. once baked there is always a temptation to eat the bread while it's still hot. Resist this urge, baguettes need to cool down to room temperature for maximum flavor and texture.

#homemadebaguette #baguette

Ingredients :

lukewarm water 175ml

All purpose flour / bread flour 250g

yeast 3g

sugar 4g

salt 2.5g

steps:

In a large bowl mix lukewarm water, yeast & sugar. Let the yeast mixture activate for 10 minitues. Then add salt, flour. With a bench scraper or wooden spoon, gradually work the flour into the liquid. Then using your bench scraper cut a piece of the dough from the edge and then place it on top of the dough. Turn your bowl and cut off another small chunk of dough and place it on top of the dough. Keep turning your bowl, and cutting off chunks of dough, stacking it on top, until all the flour has been moistened. (The object is just to moisten all the flour.) dust the working place with some flour and knead the dough about 8-10 minitues until the dough become smooth & elastic.

Then lightly oil a large bowl. Place the dough into the bowl and then flip it over so the top of the dough has a light coating of oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit (ferment or proof) at room temperature for one hour or doubled in size.

Once the dough has fermented for , it's time to preshape our baguettes. Turn out your dough onto a lightly floured surface. You want the top of the dough to now be on the bottom. Lightly flour the top of your dough and with the palms of your hands flatten the dough slightly to break any large air bubbles. Then divide the dough into two equal sized pieces. When you divide the dough use a pastry scraper or knife and cut, don't pull or stretch, the dough.

Take one piece of the dough and, on a lightly floured surface, pat into a rectangle. Fold over the top third of dough (like you're folding a letter) and gently seal (this also increases the surface tension of the dough.) Then take the top of the dough and fold it to the bottom edge of the dough and seal. Place the palms of your hand on the top of the dough and gently roll it back and forth to seal the dough and create tension. Place the log of dough (seam side down) onto a lightly floured baking sheet. Repeat this process with the other tpiece of dough. Then cover with plastic wrap and let proof (ferment) (and to relax the dough) for about 30 -45 minutes at room temperature.

with a sharp knife, held at an angle, score the top center of each baguette lengthwise with 3 - 2 inch (5 cm) slashes (slightly overlap the slashes).

Bake the baguettes for about 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown (rotate the baguettes after 10 minutes if you find they are browning unevenly). (If you tap the bottom of the baguette it will sound hollow.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about one and a half to two hours. Baguettes are at their best the day they are made.

Enjoy!