French Baguettes
These French baguettes are made with bread flour, water, salt, and instant yeast. A one hour autolyse, bassinage, and a short bulk with stretch and folds produce a crackly crust and soft crumb in one day, with no sourdough starter needed.
Ingredients
- 515 g King Arthur bread flour
- 440 g water temperature calculated (350 g autolyse + 10 g mixing + 80 g bassinage)
- 10 g salt
- 3 g instant dry yeast
Instructions
MIX THE DOUGH
- Autolyse: In a mixer bowl combine the 515 g bread flour and 350 g water. Mix until no dry flour remains. Cover and rest for 1 hour. If your kitchen is warm, refrigerate the covered bowl during the rest to keep the dough temperature in check.
- Add salt and yeast: Add the 10 g salt, 3 g instant yeast, and 10 g reserved water. Mix on low speed until everything is combined.
- Bassinage: Increase the speed and slowly add the remaining 80 g water a little at a time, letting each addition absorb before adding more. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Mix until strong: Continue mixing until the dough is smooth and strong and passes the windowpane test, where you can stretch a thin, translucent sheet without it tearing.
- Transfer: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled container.
BULK FERMENT
- First rest: Let the dough ferment at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and fold: Do one set of stretch and folds to organize the gluten. Flip the dough over so the fold side is down.
- Second rest: Let the dough rest another 30 minutes.
DIVIDE AND PRESHAPE
- Set up the couche: Lay out your couche and dust it with a 50/50 mixture of bread flour and rice flour.
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 500°F with your baking stone and lava rocks or cast iron skillet inside.
- Flour and flip: Flour the surface of the dough in the container with bread flour. Use a plastic scraper to gently detach the edges, then flip the dough onto your work surface.
- Degas and divide: Keep the dough in a rectangular shape and gently degas it evenly with the palm of your hand. Divide into 3 even pieces with clean, confident cuts.
- Preshape: For each piece, fold the top edge down about ⅔ of the way and the bottom edge up about ⅔ of the way, like a letter fold. Fold down the middle and use the ball of your hand to seal the seam into a rough batard shape.
- Bench rest: Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
FINAL SHAPE AND PROOF
- Flip and flatten: Use your scraper to flip each piece so the bottom is facing up. Gently press with the palms of your hands to flatten and elongate into a long rectangle.
- Fold: Fold the top edge down ⅔ of the way and press firmly with your palm along the length. Rotate the dough 180 degrees and repeat.
- Seal: Use your thumb to push the center inward, folding the dough in half, then seal the seam firmly with the heel of your other hand.
- Taper: Using both hands, roll from the center outward to lengthen the dough and taper the ends, using just a tiny bit of flour as needed.
- Proof: Place each baguette seam side up on the floured couche and use the couche walls to support the sides. Cover and proof for about 45 minutes, until a gentle poke leaves a slight indent that slowly fills back in.
SCORE AND BAKE
- Transfer: Transfer the baguettes onto a flipping board, then seam side down onto parchment on your peel, evenly spaced. If the dough feels soft, chill the board with dough in the fridge for around 15 minutes for easier scoring.
- Score: Hold your lame at a 45 degree angle and score each baguette in one confident, swift motion down its length.
- Bake: Follow the oven instructions below, then cool on a wire rack for 20 to 30 minutes.
Baking Instructions
- Standard or conventional oven: Slide the baguettes in onto your baking stone and immediately pour ¾ cup boiling water over the lava rocks or into the cast iron skillet. Bake at 485°F for 10 minutes with steam. Open the door briefly to release the steam, lower to 450°F, and bake for about 10 more minutes, until nicely browned.
- Convection oven (my setup): The fan can set the crust before the oven spring is done, so turn the oven off right before loading. Load your baguettes and pour the boiling water over the lava rocks, close the door, and bake with the oven off for 8 minutes with steam. Open the door briefly to release the steam, turn the oven back on to 485°F, and bake for about 10 more minutes, until nicely browned. Every convection oven behaves differently, so treat this as a starting point.
- Cool on wire rack 20-30 minutes before cutting. Listen for the crackling!