Baguettes Done Right

For me, nothing is quite like a freshly baked baguette with a selection of nice cheeses. This can probably be attributed to the summer I spent in Lyon, France (the gastronomic capital of the country), but I will always appreciate this treat. It seems that you just can’t get a true French baguette around here, so I’ve tried my hand at making them myself. I’ve written about my experience baking them before, but I did have some trouble getting the dough to rise enough. I actually made 5 or 6 batches before I felt like I had anything worthy of sharing. Even though the baguettes I made in May were fairly decent, I didn’t really feel like they were the best. Fortunately, I picked up a few things during my recent cooking class that inspired me to try again! And this time…even I was impressed by how these tasty little wands turned out!

My tips:

1. Give the yeast a little pinch of sugar to get the activation process really going, and be sure to allow enough time for the yeast to really start thriving.
2. Use the proper technique when needing. This is probably the most valuable thing I learned during my cooking class. Roll the dough into a ball and press it flat and away from you. Fold it in half, then turn it 90 degrees and repeat. Do this for a few minutes until the dough is smooth but still slightly sticky. Do not over knead, and do not add too much flour during the kneading process. Improper kneading technique was absolutely my biggest problem before.
3. Use a baguette pan! This aluminized steel pan allows for proper ventilation and heat conductivity. A regular cookie sheet just didn’t cut it before, and this pan made all the difference!

stainless steel dough scraper // nonstick baguette pan

The recipe (adapted from Mireille Guilliano’s French Women Don’t Get Fat):

Ingredients:

• 4-5 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 tsp of active dry yeast
• 2 cups of warm water
• 2 tsp of kosher salt
• 1 egg
• Small pinch of sugar

 

Dissolve yeast and a pinch of sugar in 1/2 cup of warm water and set aside for a minimum of 10 minutes. Once the yeast starts bubbling up, you’ll know it’s ready.

Mix together 4 1/2 cups of flour with the salt. Add in the yeast mixture and the remaining water. Mix together until the consistency is sticky enough to knead.

On a very lightly floured surface, start kneading the dough. It is very important to do this properly. You can watch a video on how to knead here. Do this for about 5 – 10 minutes until the dough is smooth. Sprinkle in a bit more flour if the dough seems too wet still, but be sure to do this sparingly.

Put the dough into a bowl and cover with a damp towel. Let the dough rise for about an hour in a warm and draft-free environment. I actually stick it in the oven (turned off!) to keep it protected.

Once the dough has risen to about twice its original size, punch it down and divide into two pieces using a dough scraper. Shape the dough pieces into baguette forms and place in the pan. Again, let this rise until about doubled in volume for a second time.

Brush the dough with a mixture of one beaten egg and one tablespoon of water. Then, score each loaf diagonally with a sharp knife.

Place the loaves in an oven preheated to 450 degrees. Pour two cups of water into a saucepan or a bowl and place this into the oven next to the bread (the steam gives the crust that extra crunch). Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees for 10 more minutes until the loaves are golden brown and the crust is slightly crispy looking.

Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool! And voila!

Enjoy!

xo -L