Baguettes

By: Pete on 13:16:00

I was wandering round the Homesense next door to my office in the January sales, and picked up a baguette tray for a couple of quid (as you do!). I used it as an excuse to tackle another classic bread recipe.

I think I over-worked the dough a little when I was shaping it, by over-reading the instructions, and also making the baguettes too long (I was measuring them to the trays, whereas I think they should have been about 10-15% shorter, and a bit fatter). The actual texture is fine, though I think that (probably due to my oven running a bit hot) they could have done with 5 minutes less at the high temperature, or dropping the oven temperature down ~10'C

Baguettes - Recipe

Ingredients

• 250g strong white bread flour
• 5g salt
• 5g fast-action yeast
• 10g olive oil
• 10g cool water

 Note - you'll also need extra flour for dusting, as well as semolina flour, and some oil

1) Place all the ingredients in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment

2) Mix on a slow speed for 5 minutes, then on a medium speed for another 10 minutes. You are looking for a very soft, strechy dough

3) Lightly oil a large clean bowl

4) Place the dough in the bowl, cover with cling film and leave to prove for ~2 hours (until at least doubled in size)

5) Dust a surface with flour and semolina, and turn the dough out onto it

6) Knock back the dough, removing all the large air bubbles using the heel of your hand and fingers

7) Fold the dough over a few times to firm it up

8) Split the dough in two (for me this was 2 batches of 225g)

9) Form each piece into an oblong

10) Fold each oblong into a long sausage, then roll out, rounding the ends slightly

11) Place the baguettes on a baguette tray (or a well floured baking tray)

12) Cover, and leave to prove for an hour or so, until doubled in size

13) Pre-heat the oven to 200'C, with a large roasting tin in the bottom

14) Dust the top of the baguettes with flour and semolina

15) Slash each loaf 3 times diagonally

16) Place in the oven. Pour 1 litre of water into the roasting tin

17) Bake for 20-25 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 180'C and bake for a further 10 minutes

18) Remove to a wire rack to cool