Makes: 4 large baguettes, 8 small baguettes or 16 baguette sandwich buns
During the pandemic I’ve been spreading my wings on so many different recipes and exploring bread options has been one of those challenges. There is nothing better than eating a fresh baguette in France. When I visit France, I walk to the boulangerie (bakery) every morning and pick up fresh baguettes and croissants. Therefore learning how to make baguettes was top on my priority bread making adventure. Something I learned real quick is that bread has only four ingredients, flour, water, yeast and salt but it is the technique to making the bread that determines how the bread turns out. So this one is a bit time consuming but so well worth it.
I've made all three baguette sizes, large baguettes, mini baguettes and sandwich baguettes. This video shows how to make the two versions of mini baguettes (plain and parmesan spice). Below is the recipe but I suggest you watch the video so you can see the technique which is quite extensive.
You will require a clean spray bottle for water in this recipe.
Ingredients
4 tsp instant yeast
3 cups tap warm water
6 ¾ cups flour
3 tsp kosher salt
Cooking spray
For parmesan spice baguettes
¼ cup grated parmesan
1 ½ tsp Lawry’s garlic salt or 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp garlic powder
1 ½ tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp olive oil
Directions
Place yeast and water into a bowl and stir well, let sit for five minutes
In a large bowl add flour and salt and mix well
Make a well in the flour and pour in water yeast mixture
Using your hands stir flour into the water until all the flour has been absorbed
Do NOT knead this dough, it should be sticky and lumpy
Bring to the middle of bowl and cover with saran wrap and a tea towel
You will then let rest and rise for ½ hour. You will do this four times in total. Be patient
After ½ hour has passed you will take a piece of dough and lift up and stretch and fold the dough back into the middle. Rotate the bowl and do this until you have stretched and folded all the dough. Cover with saran and tea towel for next ½ hour. Do this a total of three times
Once the dough has rested and risen four times sprinkle your workspace with flour and place the dough onto to floured surface
Sprinkle dough with a little flour and cut into either four 420 gram pieces of dough or eight 210 gram pieces of dough
Shape the dough into flat rectangles and cover with tea towel for ½ hour
In the meantime get oven ready by adding a pan of water in bottom rack and large baking sheet on middle rack
Prepare two sheets of parchment paper where you will set the baguettes to rest before baking. I would use a large cutting board or flipping a baking sheet and using that. This will make it easy to slide the baguettes onto the hot baking sheet
When dough is ready, spray some cooking spray on your hands and take one piece of dough and fold it into the middle. Then fold it again to the edge and using the palm of your hands seal the edges until all sealed
Roll the dough until it is the length you want it and at each end roll it so you get the baguette points on each side
Place dough logs on parchment paper and once done cover with tea towel for one hour
½ hour into the loaves rising turn oven on to 475°F where the water will start to boil and make steam in the oven and the tray will become nice and hot
If you want to make parmesan baguette stir all ingredients into a bowl and with your hands rub on to the top of the baguettes. The recipe should be enough for ½ the dough
When ready to bake the bread, take baking sheet out of oven and slide loaves onto hot sheet
Before placing in oven spray the loaves with water – this makes the crust crunchy
After ten minutes spray the loaves again with water and turn the baking sheet around and spray other side of loaves
Bake until fully cooked, bread will be a dark golden brown
Take out of oven and cool on cooling rack
Enjoy the crispy on the outside and soft on the inside bread
I freeze the extra when the bread has cooled down and take one out an hour before using it.
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