11 Mar Make baguettes [2/2]

Congratulations! You have waited up to five hours for your dough to rise. You can be proud. Let’s continue.

Put the cloth away. If the dough was made properly it should have more or less doubled in size.

Otherwise, hit the click button:

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Separate the dough in three with a big knife. Gently shape each like fat snakes – that’s my zodiac sign-. You don’t want to annihilate the work of the yeast that took so long to rise, be delicate. Once that’s done, preheat your oven as close as possible to 575°F. If your oven doesn’t go this far, preheat at the highest temperature that it can attain.

Cover an oven tray with a baking sheet. Put the dough on top. Sparkle a bit of flour over the dough. And, using a sharp knife, or a clean razor blade -be wary, no one likes hairs in their bread-, make a few cuts. You have to be quick so that the dough doesn’t have time to stick to the knife. This step allows the bread to rise on defined spots. Essential for the inside fluff to appear.

When the oven is hot, put the bread inside. Fast, you don’t want to lose heat. After 1 minute, take a small glass of water and throw it on the bottom of the oven (not on the tray). Repeat after 5 minutes. This is an important step, it will create the crust.

At some point, the bread starts to become yellowish. As soon as it happens, put the temperature down to 410°F for approximately twice the time it took for the bread to become yellow. Finish baking the baguette at 370°F or lower, to allow it to finish cooking and the crust not to burn. The exact time will depend on the weight of your dough and your oven. Keep a close eye on the baking process.

The last step is the most frustrating. Take the baguettes out of the oven. And let them cool on a tray. It is important that the bread has cooled down completely before you eat it.

Now Americans, no more excuses. Throw away those crackers I see on your cheese plate.

All my posts:

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Make Baguettes [1/2]

Make Baguettes [2/2]

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