The Last Word in Baguettes
- Ready In:
- 3hrs
- Ingredients:
- 7
- Yields:
-
1 loaf
ingredients
- 1 1⁄2 cups bread flour
- 1⁄2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon yeast
- 3⁄4 cup water
directions
- Combine the sugar, yeast and tepid but not quite warm water.
- Let stand for 10 minutes if the yeast is of dubious condition, otherwise proceed.
- Mix the dry ingredients and oil in a large bowl, add the water mixture, and stir until a ball is formed that pulls away from the side of the bowl (add flour if needed to make this happen).
- Sprinkle a bit of flour over the ball, a bit more flour over a board, and knead the ball for 7 minutes adding sprinkles of flour as needed to keep the ball from sticking.
- Lightly oil the bowl and return the ball to it, cover it with a towel and allow to rise for 90 minutes. The ball will more than double.
- Punch down the ball, and press it into a lightly-floured board into a roughly 7" by 18" rectangle.
- Fold the right and the left 1/3 of the rectangle inward, and press the seam together, and then flip the entire loaf over.
- Let rise for 60 minutes, while preheating the oven at 425 with a baking dish sitting in the bottom and a baking stone sitting on a rack.
- With a sharp knife, make 3-4 slices diagonally across the top of the loaf.
- Retrieve the baking stone, transfer the loaf to it, and return the stone to a middle position in the oven.
- Turn the oven temperature down to 375.
- For each of the first 4 minutes, pour a dash of water into the baking dish to make steam.
- After 29-30 minutes the loaf should be medium brown across the top and sound hollow when tapped.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
In addition to my experience as a line cook, I learned from Schmidt and then Bittman. I've since left them behind but they gave me the tools to taste a printed recipe and vice versa. I just say no to packages, cans and jars, and if your recipe fails I'll be in your face.