French Baguettes

700g high gluten flour

3g instant dry yeast

10g kosher salt

520g warm water

It doesn’t seem like enough yeast, 3g or about ½ teaspoon, but it’s plenty with the fermentation time, it rises nicely. 

This recipe is more about timing and technique. Let’s see if I can write it out in a way that works. 

Combine the dry ingredients, then the water and stir with the handle of a wooden spoon until the mass comes together. Rest covered with a tea towel for 45-60 minutes. 

Do the first of 4 tension folding sessions. Either in the bowl, pulling and tucking the dough 5 or 6 times then flipping the mass over at the end, or on the table and returning the dough to the bowl. Let the dough rest on the counter 45-60 minutes between the tension folding sessions.

Cut the dough into 4 equal portions, around 310g portions each. 

Preshape into little rectangle loaves and rest on the floured counter, loosely covered with plastic film for 15 minutes. 

Create a couche with a well floured towel on a rimless cookie sheet then form the loaves. Press the dough into a rectangle, and tightly roll the dough into a long sausage shape. Press the seam tightly together with the heel of your hand into the counter. Place the dough onto the couche and flour generously. Continue with all 4 loaves. 

At this point either cover loosely and let rise on the counter for 30 minutes while preheating the oven to 425 degrees. Or cover loosely and refrigerate overnight. (I’m an overnight kind of person). 

While the oven preheats, put a kettle on to boil. Put a 13x9 inch pan in the bottom of the oven. 

Transfer the loaves from the couche to the baking pan. Either parchment line a baking sheet or use perforated baguette pans. Use the fabric of the couche to roll the dough onto a peel or an edge of a rimless cookie sheet to transfer the dough to the baking pan. 

Spray the loaves or lightly wet them with a brush and water. Score them 4 times each. 

Pour the boiling water in the 13x9 pan and put the bread in the oven. Bake for a total of 20 minutes (or more if you like it darker) turning the pans and switching positions in the oven half way through the baking time.