reward your tenacity. Keep in mind:
This dough is mixed significantly cooler than any of the others in the book.
We also make a little extra every time we make this dough, and keep it in a plastic bag in the fridge or freezer. It makes nice pizza dough in a pinch, grilled bread in the summer (just flatten and toss on the grill for a few minutes on each side) and rolls when you need them. It’s handy!
OVERVIEW
• Yield: Six 8-oz/250-g baguettes and 1 lb/450 g left over for experimenting
• Desired Dough Temperature: 75°F/20°C
• Mixing Time: 40 minutes
• Bulk Fermentation: ~2 hours
• Proofing Time: ~45 minutes
• Baking Time: ~25 minutes
• Cooling Time: ~15 minutes
12 HOURS BEFORE THE BAKE
Mix your poolish (see here ).
7.5 oz/200 ml 75°F/20°C water
7.5 oz/210 g white bread flour
¼ tsp/1 g instant yeast
BAKING DAY
15 oz/425 g poolish
1 lb 2.5 oz/525 ml 75°F/20°C water
1 lb 13.75 oz/840 g white bread flour
3 ¼ tsp/23 g fine sea salt
1 tsp/4 g instant yeast
In a large mixing bowl, combine your poolish and water, and remember to keep that water at 75°F/20°C to give your yeast a comfortable atmosphere to grow, but not grow too fast. Then, dump your flour on top of the liquid ingredients, and mix it by hand for about 30 seconds, until it comes together in a shaggy mass. Don’t forget to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl regularly; you want all of that flour hydrated and don’t want to see any dry spots. Set aside in a warm place, at least 80°F/25°C, for 30 minutes. If you’re having trouble finding your warm place, it’s time to use your trusty heat lamp.
Sprinkle the salt and yeast on top of the dough and grab a four-finger pinch of the dough and pull. It should stretch out like chunky taffy rather than just tear off. Incorporate the salt and yeast into the dough, continuously pushing the sides of the dough into the middle while turning the bowl. After a minute of this, the dough should be pulling away from the sides of the bowl and developing a bit of a sheen, and you shouldn’t feel any crunchy salt crystals. Cover the bowl, and put it in your warm place for 30 minutes.
Turn your dough onto a lightly floured surface and give it your four-fold (see here ). It should make a tight little package and after every fold the dough’s volume should increase. It should consistently feel warm and active. Roll the dough over and place it, seam side down, back into the bowl. Repeat every 30 minutes (you’ll fold the dough three times in total) until the dough is strong but puffy, warm to the touch and holds a fingerprint when pressed into the surface. The whole process will take about 2 hours.
Once your dough is ready to cut, turn it out onto your floured work surface. Using your bench knife and scale, divide into six 8-ounce/250-g pieces. Gently preround the dough into cylinders (see here ), being careful not to compress the dough too much, and place seam side down on your work surface. To make the shaping a bit easier, it’s advisable to let the preshaped baguettes cool down before shaping. Place them on a sheet tray and cover with a moist towel. Up to an hour in the refrigerator or on a cold porch should do the trick. While they’re resting, set up your couche and your board to receive baguettes (see here ).
Shape the dough into six 12-inch to 15-inch/30 to 40-cm tapered baguettes (see here ). Couche them snugly, seam side up, and place in your warm spot for about 45 minutes.
While your dough is proofing, place your baking stone on the lowest rack in your oven, and your cast-iron pan on the highest rack. Preheat the oven to 450°F/230°C. Check in on your bread periodically; if the surface feels dried out, spray it with a bit of water to allow for maximum expansion. If it feels cold, make it warmer. This may take up to 1 hour, depending on the conditions of your kitchen. The loaf is ready to go in when it feels very airy and holds a fingerprint when pressed into the
This dough is mixed significantly cooler than any of the others in the book.
We also make a little extra every time we make this dough, and keep it in a plastic bag in the fridge or freezer. It makes nice pizza dough in a pinch, grilled bread in the summer (just flatten and toss on the grill for a few minutes on each side) and rolls when you need them. It’s handy!
OVERVIEW
• Yield: Six 8-oz/250-g baguettes and 1 lb/450 g left over for experimenting
• Desired Dough Temperature: 75°F/20°C
• Mixing Time: 40 minutes
• Bulk Fermentation: ~2 hours
• Proofing Time: ~45 minutes
• Baking Time: ~25 minutes
• Cooling Time: ~15 minutes
12 HOURS BEFORE THE BAKE
Mix your poolish (see here ).
7.5 oz/200 ml 75°F/20°C water
7.5 oz/210 g white bread flour
¼ tsp/1 g instant yeast
BAKING DAY
15 oz/425 g poolish
1 lb 2.5 oz/525 ml 75°F/20°C water
1 lb 13.75 oz/840 g white bread flour
3 ¼ tsp/23 g fine sea salt
1 tsp/4 g instant yeast
In a large mixing bowl, combine your poolish and water, and remember to keep that water at 75°F/20°C to give your yeast a comfortable atmosphere to grow, but not grow too fast. Then, dump your flour on top of the liquid ingredients, and mix it by hand for about 30 seconds, until it comes together in a shaggy mass. Don’t forget to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl regularly; you want all of that flour hydrated and don’t want to see any dry spots. Set aside in a warm place, at least 80°F/25°C, for 30 minutes. If you’re having trouble finding your warm place, it’s time to use your trusty heat lamp.
Sprinkle the salt and yeast on top of the dough and grab a four-finger pinch of the dough and pull. It should stretch out like chunky taffy rather than just tear off. Incorporate the salt and yeast into the dough, continuously pushing the sides of the dough into the middle while turning the bowl. After a minute of this, the dough should be pulling away from the sides of the bowl and developing a bit of a sheen, and you shouldn’t feel any crunchy salt crystals. Cover the bowl, and put it in your warm place for 30 minutes.
Turn your dough onto a lightly floured surface and give it your four-fold (see here ). It should make a tight little package and after every fold the dough’s volume should increase. It should consistently feel warm and active. Roll the dough over and place it, seam side down, back into the bowl. Repeat every 30 minutes (you’ll fold the dough three times in total) until the dough is strong but puffy, warm to the touch and holds a fingerprint when pressed into the surface. The whole process will take about 2 hours.
Once your dough is ready to cut, turn it out onto your floured work surface. Using your bench knife and scale, divide into six 8-ounce/250-g pieces. Gently preround the dough into cylinders (see here ), being careful not to compress the dough too much, and place seam side down on your work surface. To make the shaping a bit easier, it’s advisable to let the preshaped baguettes cool down before shaping. Place them on a sheet tray and cover with a moist towel. Up to an hour in the refrigerator or on a cold porch should do the trick. While they’re resting, set up your couche and your board to receive baguettes (see here ).
Shape the dough into six 12-inch to 15-inch/30 to 40-cm tapered baguettes (see here ). Couche them snugly, seam side up, and place in your warm spot for about 45 minutes.
While your dough is proofing, place your baking stone on the lowest rack in your oven, and your cast-iron pan on the highest rack. Preheat the oven to 450°F/230°C. Check in on your bread periodically; if the surface feels dried out, spray it with a bit of water to allow for maximum expansion. If it feels cold, make it warmer. This may take up to 1 hour, depending on the conditions of your kitchen. The loaf is ready to go in when it feels very airy and holds a fingerprint when pressed into the
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