11 Mar Make baguettes [1/2]

It is a fastidious task to make bread but definitely worth it! Plus, if you experience any impatience during the sitting process, the bread dough can be made into pizza dough right away. Here are the ingredients that you will need for 3 baguettes:

2.5 teaspoons of active dry yeast (make sure not to get the instant kind)

490 grams of flour (all purpose is fine)

300 grams of water

2 pinch of salt

1 pinch of sugar

First of all: WASH YOUR DIRTY HANDS

Put the yeast in half a glass of lukewarm water, add the pinch of sugar, cover the glass with a clean cloth. And let sit for a bit. The yeast is going to wake up and eat the sugar, here’s a pet that your landlord will accept.

In a big bowl, put the flour in a volcano shape. Once the yeast has foamed, you can add it to the flour. Then, slowly add the water. Stir with a wooden spoon – or your fingers if you feel adventurous – until you get dough that doesn’t stick excessively.  Incorporate salt to the dough – not sooner cause salt kills the yeast -. Let it sit with a clean cloth over the bowl for about 10 minutes. Just so the flour can absorb water. Make yourself some tea or a vegan hot cocoa (I will post a recipe soon).

If you like Rocky Balboa, first get better taste, but you’ll love this step. Take the dough with your bare hands and throw it onto the table – a little bit of flour on the counter-top helps so that it doesn’t stick -. Repeat several times for about 5 minutes. This is quarantine-friendly, no need to go to the gym to release the stress. Next, knead the dough and fold it repeatedly for another 5 minutes.

Take a clean cloth, humidify it with warm water. Cover the dough in the bowl with the cloth. Now comes the long part, let the preparation sit for 3 to 5 hours. Just the time to go to class, to a movie, read a few books, or to browse Netflix. Make sure that your room is not to cold; otherwise put the bowl inside the oven without turning it on.

You will find the rest of the baguette recipe on my next blog post.

All my posts:

The Gold Rush: Or the quest for decent baguettes in San Francisco

Make Baguettes [1/2]

Make Baguettes [2/2]

The germ scare: how to survive quarantine