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Homemade Baguettes

Although the instructions look lengthy, once you've made these easy baguettes a time or two you won't need them. Can be made with equal amounts of plain and bread flours or all plain flour.

Course Bread
Cuisine French
Keyword bread
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Proving time 2 hours 35 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings 4 medium baguettes
Author Moorlands Eater

Ingredients

  • 250 g plain white flour plus extra for sprinkling
  • 250 g white bread flour omit and use all plain white flour if preferred
  • 1 tsp instant yeast
  • 330-350 g water, slightly above body temperature should feel a little warm to your finger
  • tsp salt
  • 1-2 tsp oil for greasing
  • ice cubes & a spray bottle of water for creating steam in the oven

Instructions

  1. Put the flour and instant yeast into a roomy bowl and stir together.

  2. Pour in 330g of the water and, using a plastic/rubber spatula, quickly bring the mixture together into a rough, wet dough. Add a little more of the water if necessary.

    Cover with cling film or a wet tea-towel and set aside for 30 minutes.

    If the room is cool or draughty, put the bowl in an unlit oven or microwave.

  3. After 30 minutes, scrape the dough onto a floured surface, pat it out slightly and sprinkle over the salt.

    Knead the salt into the dough and keep kneading for 8-10 minutes until it's very soft and silky. Add more flour to stop the dough sticking, but only add the absolute minimum needed.

  4. Put 1 tsp of the oil in the bowl, return the dough to it and turn it around the bowl so it's lightly coated in oil.

    Cover again and leave to prove until doubled in size (approx 45 min).

  5. Scrape the dough onto a work surface then flatten it into a rough rectangle.

    Tip: the oil you added to the bowl should stop the dough sticking, but rub the work surface with a little more oil if necessary. Don't be tempted to add more flour as this may prevent the dough coming together properly during the next stage.

    Pick up a long edge, stretching it slightly, and fold it into the centre of the dough.

    Pick up the other long edge, again stretching it slightly as you do, and bring it over the first fold.

    Repeat with the short edges.

    Shape the into a ball again by very briefly kneading then return to the bowl.

  6. Cover and prove for another 45 min.

    Optional: after 30 min repeat the folding described at step 5 then prove until the full 45 minutes have elapsed.

  7. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces (weighing is recommended).

    Briefly knead each one into a smooth ball and leave to rest while you complete step 8.

  8. Preheat the oven to 240C / 220C Fan / Gas 9.

    Position a shelf just above the middle of the oven and place a heavy baking tray on it.

    Put a heavy roasting tin on the bottom shelf.

    Take a clean tea-towel and dust one side with flour. Lay it, floured side up, on a work surface.

  9. Take one ball of dough and, using your hands, roll it on the work surface into a baguette shape 24-26 cm in length.

    Transfer to the floured tea-towel, bringing up the towel around it a little to help hold its shape.

    Repeat with the rest of the dough, making a little ridge with the tea-towel between each baguette.

  10. Loosely cover the baguettes with cling film or a wet tea-towel and leave to prove until the hole left by a finger gently poked into the dough springs back slowly but still leaves a slight indentation (15-30 min).

    If the indentation springs back immediately the dough is not fully proved so leave a little longer. If it doesn't spring back at all then it's possibly over-proofed.

  11. Remove the hot baking tray from the oven and carefully transfer the baguettes onto it, leaving space between them.

    Make several long, deep diagonal slashes across the width of each baguette.

    Use the spray bottle to cover the baguettes in a fine mist of water then place the tray in the oven.

    Before closing the oven door, quickly throw ice cubes in the roasting tray on the bottom shelf.

  12. At 3 minutes: open the oven door and mist the baguettes and oven with water from the spray bottle. Close the door.

    At 6 minutes: mist with water again.

  13. At 20 minutes: discard the baking tray and place the baguettes back in the oven, this time directly on the oven shelf.

    Continue baking until the baguettes are completely cooked and are golden brown: this should take a further 10 minutes (i.e. a total baking time of 30 minutes).

  14. When done, leave on a wire rack to cool.

    Best eaten on the day they're made, although spritzing with water and warming in a low oven the next day will bring back some of their lightness and crispness.

    Can also be frozen on the day of baking.