Basic recipe

Ingredience

100% wheat flour T650

60–62% drinking water

30% wheat yeast (100% hydration)

1,8–2% salt

Flour

What flour is ideal for making baguettes? The standard flour used in France is wheat flour with the designation T650 (W 180–220, P/L 0.7–1).

In our conditions, we can easily use T650 wheat bread flour, or even T512/530 light flours, or various combinations thereof.

Yeast or natural leaven?

That's entirely up to you. Each method brings different flavors, aromas, crumb texture or crust appearance – ultimately, always a different final product. If you have the time and space, try keeping the dough cold for a long time (using yeast or sourdough). You can also achieve great results using preferments – whether you use traditional

French pâte fermentée (‚old‘ or pre-fermented dough from the previous day), polis or a combination of polis and natural leaven. The possibilities are endless.

Recipe

For example, you can try a recipe with a one-day production process using active wheat leaven.

Dough preparation

Mix the flour and water on low heat and let the compact mixture stand for about 30 minutes. Then add the wheat leaven and finally the salt. Knead for approximately 4–6 minutes at low speed, approximately 3–4 minutes at high speed. The temperature of the dough after kneading should be between 24–25°C.

Then transfer to an oiled plastic container and close with the lid. Let the dough rise for about 4 hours –by that time it should have risen by about a third and should be smooth and elastic (the pH of the dough at this stage is approx. 4.5). Once the dough has risen, roll it out (one piece should be 400–500g) and gently shape it with a pastry scraper to achieve a smooth loaf. Let it rest on the table for about 15 minutes before you start the final shaping. The first rise can also be done slowly in the cold. This slow rise at lower temperatures has huge advantages.

Shaping and proofing

How to shape baguettes properly? Undoubtedly, every baker has their own favorite method. With a bit of searching, you can find a number of instructional videos on the internet that walk you through the process in detail. In any case –place the loaf of dough which you had let sit on a floured table, gently stretch it at the corners to form a rectangle and gently fold the dough from top to bottom while closing it tightly to create a roll, which you then roll out into the desired shape And how long should the baguette be? That depends on the weight of the dough. The French standard is approximately 50 to 60 centimeters, and the baked baguette should be 5–6 centimeters across.

Let the shaped baguettes to rise for about an hour on lightly floured linen sheets or on peel boards if you use this technology. Before baking, cut the baguettes – either the classic 4–5 overlapping longitudinal cuts or one long one in the middle – this way you get a little more volume.

Baking

For ideal results, bake in a deck oven. Bake a 500 gram baguette for about 25–27 minutes at a baking temperature of 260°C; reduce to 245–250°C after five minutes. Steam immediately after loading; steam the baguettes for the first 15 minutes and then open the vents.