Makes: | 4 x 500g fat baguettes |
---|---|
Level: | Advanced |
Created Over: | Mix and bake immediately |
Kind of Bake: | Ambient day – French style – mixed in the morning and baked in the evening |
Diversity Score: | 14 ( Blend No 2) |
---|
Sourdough Baguettes
I've deliberately left these to last.
Quintessentially French, I grew up eating sourdough baguettes. Perfectly fermented, and with light, airy holes, they are heavenly when freshly baked. The ideal sourdough baguette has a caramelised, golden crust, which, when you pull it apart, reveals a soft, open, tender interior that is ideal for French-style open sandwiches. Sourdough baguettes are also one of the most challenging breads to make.
I recommend that you master the classic loaves before attempting sourdough baguettes. Honestly, I am not kidding when I say that baguettes are challenging. I've suggested 2 different hydrations, according to your skill level. Please do not attempt the higher hydration unless you really are an advanced baker, or it will be too challenging to shape, and will ruin your confidence before you develop the skills needed to handle the dough.
Here is my sourdough baguette advice:
- Make sure you always use a long (2 –3 hour) autolyse and keep your fridge temperature at 5°C.
- When your dough is fermented and it is time to shape, you will need to both shape and pre-shape lightly. It is worth studying the shaping technique in the video below before you begin.
- Creating steam in the oven helps with the oven spring. Place a tray full of water in the oven while it is preheating.
- When it comes to scoring, cut deeply and confidently. In part, the tension you create when shaping will determine how well the baguettes score.
- Don't forget that Eau De Bassinage is put in after the mix, just after you have worked the gluten.
- You will need a couche or heavy linen tea towel dusted with flour for the final prove. Alternatively, if you are new to baguettes, you can use a baguette tray.
- Do measure your oven before shaping the baguettes – your oven might be smaller than the one I have here and you may need to adjust the size of your baguettes to fit.
Please do not be discouraged by the challenge of shaping baguettes. Adam makes this look very easy. Let me tell you, it is not. Professional bakers can shape 100 baguettes a day. That is 500 a week, 2,000 a month, and 24,000 baguettes a year. If this is your first baguette, please celebrate your attempt with humour, accept that it might look like a toddler shaped it, and renew your appreciation for the craftsmanship of bakers!
Getting baguettes into the oven is a little bit tricky; I use a flipping board. If you don't have one, you could use a piece of very sturdy cardboard. It needs to be about 14–15 cm wide and as long as your oven (mine is longer, as I have a Rofco oven).
Gently place the board along the length of the baguette, just touching the couche. Take the couche and flip the baguette very gently on to the board. Now position the board about 13 cm to the right of where the baguette needs to be on the baking tray or stone, and gently flip it left to place the baguette in the right position – it almost won't know it has been moved! Take great care to avoid disturbing the dough as you move it. This move is so gentle, it reminds me of moving my babies when they were sleeping.
Remember that, by using Botanical Blend No. 2, you are increasing the diversity score of this bread to 14. To take things even further, I highly recommend that you eat this with cultured butter to increase your levels of probiotics.
Equipment
- Medium bowl for mixing leaven
- Clean tea towel or wax cloth
- Large mixing bowl
- Lame
- A dough scraper is very useful
- A baking stone or a tray
- Couche or a robust, heavy cotton tea towel.
- Flipping board
Suggested Starter
White double-refreshed
Status of Starter
bubbly, lively second-build starter
Hydration
73%
DDT
27°C (80°F)
Flours
To Ferment Your Dough
For The Dough
Baking Time
40–45 minutes
Preheat Oven To
230°C/210°C fan/450°F/gas mark 8
Bake At
200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6
Baking Tips - Before Baking
- Place a shallow baking tray in the bottom of the oven while the oven preheats. As you place the bread in the oven, carefully throw a little water or some ice cubes into the hot tray and close the door quickly to trap the steam this creates. (Please note this is not recommended with older ovens, as a large amount of steam can blow the fuses. In this instance, it is best to bake inside a cloche or a large pan with a lid.)
Tutorials
Step | Timings |
---|---|
Refresh starter – first build | Day 1, 11pm |
Refresh starter – second build | Day 2, 11am |
Download sourdough schedule and plan your bake | Day 2, 9pm |
Make the leaven, cover & leave overnight | Day 2, 10–11pm |
Mix the flour, 700g of the water & the leaven into dough | Day 3, 8am |
Autolyse with leaven | Day 3, 8.15am |
Add salt & start bulk | Day 3, 11am |
Stretch and fold | Day 3, 11am–2pm |
Bulk ends – Now shape your dough | Day 3, 2pm |
Final prove | Day 3, 2.30pm |
Score 3 times diagonally | Day 3, 4.30–6pm |
Preheat oven to 230°C/450°F. Drop down to 200°C/400°F to bake. Add a tray of water to the oven to create steam as the baguettes go in. Bake. | Day 3, 6pm |
Analyse & Recalibrate | On eating |
Guidance, tips & techniques