This is my adaptation and modified version of John Kirkwood recipe . I find this recipe pretty easy to do and this high humidity dough is quite easy to manipulate. I mostly eat sourdough bread and this is what I call a “grocery white” baguette. Don’t get me wrong here, it’s MUCH better than grocery bough bread but flavor-wise it’s a light-year from a good sourdough, it’s also much easier to make so it’s a tradeoff.
You need:
- 600g bread flour
- 90g rye flour
- 520g cold water
- 8g salt
- 3g active dry yeast
Instructions
- In a large bowl mix the yeast, flours, and salt then add the water. Mix until you have somewhat of a ball and there are no clumps of flour. Cover and let rest 45 minutes (first rise)
- Take the dough out on a countertop, don’t add any flour. It will be sticky so wet your hands to prevent it to stick to your hand then do 6 slap and fold (see video for how-to) . Put it back in the bowl, cover, and let rest 45 minutes ( second rise).
- Repeat the previous step. Cover and let rest another 45 minutes (Third rise).
Repeat the previous step. Cover and let rest another 45 minutes (Final rise). - Flour your work surface and dump the dough. Lightly flour the dough and cut into 4 equal pieces.
- Pre-shape the baguette; using one piece of dough flatten it light with your finger to make a square, fold one side unto the middle, then the other side to the middle(First picture). Then slightly fold to the inside each end then fold the whole thing unto itself lengthwise( should now look like the second picture). Cover with a plastic film or clean dishcloth and let rest 15 minutes.
- It’s time to shape the baguette. On a lightly floured surface, using your finger press down the dough and make a rectangle; it doesn’t need to be perfect but it makes things much easier. You then need to roll it until itself ( kinda making a whirl) . Once you reach the end you need to seal it by pinching it, I use my thumb to do that but you can also use your palm, whatever you do make sure it’s sealed else it will burst from them when in the oven. Then roll it on the surface so it lightly coats with flour the baguette and places it on a couche if you have one, I don’t so I use a clean floured dishcloth.
- Again make sure the baguette and couche or whatever you are using is floured else it will be hard to remove.
- Repeat for remaining dough pieces. When adding to the couche pinch the material so that each baguette doesn’t touch the other but make sure they are side to side. This ensures they keep their shape and rise upward VS just slurp sideways. Cover with another clean dishcloth and let rest for 30 minutes
- Pre-heat your oven at 430F. Add a pan with hot water at the bottom of the oven, this will create steam when baking.
- Transfer 2 baguettes to parchment paper on a baking tray. spray them with water and score them 4 times sideways; about a ¼” deep. Cook for 16-20 minutes then let it cool on a wire rack.
- Repeat for the remaining 2 baguettes
