Easy Homemade Baguettes

flour

🥗Healthier: whole wheat flour

💰Cheaper: all-purpose flour

Whole wheat flour adds fiber and nutrients.

butter

🥗Healthier: olive oil

💰Cheaper: margarine

Olive oil is healthier and adds flavor.

The night before making baguettes, prepare a poolish by mixing 132 grams of bread flour with 1/2 teaspoon of yeast.

Add 132 grams of water to the mixture and stir well.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit overnight.

In the morning, add 168 grams of water to the poolish and mix thoroughly.

Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of yeast to 293 grams of bread flour and mix it in.

Combine the flour mixture with the poolish and water mixture, mixing until a shaggy dough forms.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, perform a series of stretch and folds to develop the dough, wetting fingers to prevent sticking.

Let the dough rest for 10 to 15 minutes between each stretch and fold, repeating this process three more times.

After the last stretch and fold, let the dough rise in the bowl for one hour.

Weigh the dough, which should be 722 grams, and divide it into thirds, aiming for about 240 grams each.

Pre-shape each piece of dough by stretching it out, folding the ends to the middle, and rolling it into a log shape.

Let the pre-shaped dough rest for 20 minutes, covered with plastic wrap.

After resting, flatten each piece, fold the sides into the middle, flip it over, and shape it into a baguette.

Place the shaped baguettes on a floured couche (towel) and let them rise for one hour.

Transfer the risen baguettes to a baking pan lined with parchment paper using a pizza peel.

Score the tops of the baguettes with a wet razor blade.

Brush the baguettes with water.

Preheat the oven to 450°F and place a heavy aluminum pan in the bottom of the oven.

Pour about 1 cup of water into the pan to create steam.

Bake the baguettes in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until they reach the desired level of browning.

Remove the baguettes from the oven and let them cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens