They are light with a crusty exterior and a tasty chewy soft interior, you will enjoy making this bread and when eating them with any filling. It is made with only four ingredients which are flour, water, salt to taste, and yeast as a leavening agent. Prepare the dough. In to a large bowl add all the dry ingredients ( plain flour, yeast, and salt) and give it a good whisk using a wire whisk to make sure everything is well combined. Pour water and mix them together using a wooden spoon.
Make sure there are no dry patches in the dough using a spatula to confirm that. Cover the dough with a plastic film and keep it in a warm environment for 2 hours or until the dough gets doubled in size. Keep it in the refrigerator to slow down the fermentation process so that it enhances gluten formation, impart flavor to the bread, and maintain it easy for us to handle the dough. After one day takes the dough out of the refrigerator and scrape the sides of the bowl and put it on a lightly floured working surface and divide the dough (The total weight of the dough will be approximately 1200 g).
Make round dough balls out of each by pulling the edges into the center. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 45 minutes to give it a relax. Final step shaping the dough: Shape the dough balls into a baguette. Working with one piece at a time, flatten the dough slightly then fold it nearly (but not quite) in half, sealing the edges with the heel of your hand. With the seam side down, cup your fingers and gently roll the dough into a log (size matching your pan).
Place the logs seam-side down onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined sheet pan or pans; or into the folds of a heavily floured cotton dish towel. Do the same for the rest of the balls then cover them with lightly greased plastic wrapper a damp cloth, and allow the loaves to rise until they are slightly puffy. The loaves should certainly look lighter and less dense than when you first shaped them, but won’t be anywhere near doubled in bulk.
This should take about 45 minutes to an hour at room temperature (about 68°F). Towards the end of the rising time, preheat your oven to 450°F. If your French baguette bread has risen in a dish towel or Couche, gently roll them (seam side down) onto a lightly greased (or parchment-lined) baking sheet on to a non-stick baking tray. If you plan on baking them on a baking stone, roll them onto a piece of parchment, and lift the parchment onto a baker’s peel.
Using a baker’s lame (a special curved blade) or a very sharp knife held at about a 45° angle; make three to five long lengthwise slashes in each baguette. Bake the French baguettes Load the French baguettes into the oven. Carefully pour the boiling water into the cast iron pan, and quickly shut the oven door.
The billowing steam created by the boiling water will help the baguettes rise, and give them a lovely, shiny crust. Bake the baguettes on the pan, for 24 to 28 minutes, or until the are a very deep golden brown. Remove them from the oven and cool them on a rack to cool down completely before slicing.
Ingredients;
- Flour: 700 g
- Salt: 2 Tsp
- Instant yeast: 1 and 1/2 Tsp
- Water: 530 ml
Instructions;
- In a large bowl, add all the dry ingredients and give it a good whisk to make sure everything is well combined then pours water and mix them together. Make sure there are no dry patches in the dough.
- Cover the dough with a plastic film and keep it in a warm environment for 2 hours or until the dough gets doubled in size, keep the dough in the refrigerator.
- Take the dough out of the refrigerator and divide the dough, make round dough balls out of each by pulling the edges into the center. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 45 minutes.
- Working with one piece at a time, flatten the dough slightly then fold it nearly (but not quite) in half, sealing the edges with the heel of your hand. With the seam side down, cup your fingers and gently roll the dough into a log (size matching your pan).
- Place the logs seam-side down onto a lightly greased or parchment-lined sheet pan or pans; or into the folds of a heavily floured cotton dish towel.
- Cover them with lightly greased plastic wrapper a damp cloth, and allow the loaves to rise until they’re slightly puffy for about 45 minutes to an hour at room temperature (about 68°F).
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit then gently roll them (seam side down) onto a lightly greased (or parchment-lined) baking sheet on to a nonstick baking tray.
- Place the french bread/baguettes into the oven. If you’re baking on a stone, use a baker’s peel to transfer the baguettes, parchment and all, onto the hot stone.
- Carefully pour the boiling water into the cast iron pan, and quickly shut the oven door. The billowing steam created by the boiling water will help the baguettes rise, and give them a lovely, shiny crust.
- Bake the baguettes — on the pan, or on a stone — for 24 to 28 minutes, or until they’re a very deep golden brown.
