French Baguettes
French Baguettes, Richard Bertinet
Section titled “French Baguettes, Richard Bertinet”Description
Section titled “Description”A “low-stress” dough prepared the day before, allowing cold fermentation to develop flavour and colour naturally. Makes 10–12 small baguettes — the ideal size for a home oven.
Ingredients
Section titled “Ingredients”| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| strong bread flour | 1000g |
| fresh yeast (or dry instant yeast) | 20g fresh — or 10g dry instant |
| water (room temperature) | 700g |
| sea salt | 20g |
| semolina | for dusting the peel |
| Items |
|---|
| stand mixer with dough hook |
| bench scraper |
| proofing tub with lid or plastic bag |
| linen couche or floured tea towel |
| pizza peel |
| razor blade or lame |
| oven with steam capability (or Gozney Dome) |
| baking stone or steel |
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Mix: Add water to the bowl, followed by flour. Rub the fresh yeast into the flour with your hands.
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Knead: Mix on slow speed for 4 minutes. Halfway through, add the salt and increase the speed — this helps the dough strengthen faster.
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Rest: Shape the dough into a ball using a bench scraper without adding extra flour. Place in a tub and rest at room temperature for 1–2 hours.
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Cold ferment: Cover the tub with a lid or plastic bag to prevent a dry crust forming. Refrigerate overnight.
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Divide: Tip the cold dough onto a floured surface and divide into 150g pieces.
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Pre-shape: Shape each piece into a rough rectangle and allow to rest briefly.
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Final shape: Create a “spine” down the centre of each piece, fold the dough over it, and press gently. Seal the edge with your thumb, then roll with both hands to elongate, keeping the seam underneath.
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Final proof: Place the shaped baguettes seam-side up on a floured couche. Proof for 20 minutes.
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Score: Transfer to a semolina-dusted peel. Dust the tops lightly with flour. Using a lame or razor blade held at a 45-degree angle, make 2–3 clean diagonal cuts.
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Bake: Load into an oven preheated to 575°F (300°C). Immediately add steam and close the door — do not open for at least 5 minutes. Bake until deep golden and the crust is crisp.