Bring the magic of the French boulangerie straight to your home with flavorful baguettes boasting a characteristic texture and that super crackly, tear-worthy crust. In France, there are two main varieties of baguette: the tradition, which is crafted by hand and uses a lengthy fermentation process, and the ordinaire, which can be mechanically produced and may contain additives. As the original baguette is a national treasure, the ingredients for a tradition are legally regulated in France by the Le Decret Pain (The Bread Decree) to flour, leaven, water, and salt—nothing else, which is exactly how we formulated our recipe.
Baguettes
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together ¾ cup (180 grams) warm water and yeast by hand until dissolved. Add 1⅓ cups (169 grams) bread flour; using the paddle attachment, beat at low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until doubled in size, 30 to 45 minutes.
Add salt, remaining 2⅔ cups (339 grams) bread flour, and remaining ¾ cup (180 grams) warm water to yeast mixture, and beat at low speed until dough comes together, about 30 seconds. Switch to the dough hook attachment. Beat at low speed for 2 minutes. (Dough will appear rough rather than smooth at this point.)
Spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Place dough in bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let stand in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until smooth and elastic, about 1½ hours, turning every 30 minutes. (To complete a turn, grab underside of dough, stretch it up, and fold it to center of dough. Do this 4 times around bowl.)
Turn out dough onto a very lightly floured surface, and divide in half. Gently press one half into a 9×4-inch rectangle; fold one short side over center third. Fold remaining third over folded portion. Turn dough over so it is seam side down. Repeat with remaining half of dough. Cover and let stand in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) for 20 minutes.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with sheets of parchment paper, letting excess extend over sides of pan. Dust with semolina flour.
Gently press each baguette into an 8×6-inch rectangle, one long side closest to you. Fold top third of dough to center, pressing to seal. Fold bottom third over folded portion, pressing to seal. Fold dough in half lengthwise so long edges meet. Using the heel of your hand, firmly press edges to seal. Roll into a 15- to 16-inch log of even thickness, pinching ends slightly to taper.
Place 1 log, seam side down, on prepared pan, nestling it against one long side of pan. Pull up and fold parchment to create a wall on opposite side of log. Nestle remaining log, seam side down, on other side of parchment wall. Repeat pulling and folding process with parchment to form a wall on opposite side of second log, and weigh down with a kitchen towel to prevent parchment from sliding. Dust tops with flour. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place (75°F/24°C) until slightly puffed, about 45 minutes. (Alternatively, cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or up to overnight. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place [75°F/24°C] until slightly puffed, 30 to 45 minutes. Bake as directed.)
Place a large cast-iron skillet on bottom rack of oven and a rimmed baking sheet on center rack. Preheat oven to 475°F (250°C). Let skillet heat for 30 to 45 minutes before baking.
Remove kitchen towel, and pull parchment flat to separate baguettes. Cut off extra parchment, if desired. Using a lame or sharp paring knife, score tops of dough with long diagonal cuts.
Place baguettes in oven. Carefully pour ice into preheated skillet. (This will create a lot of steam, so wear oven mitts.) Immediately close oven door.
Bake until deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 205°F (96°C) to 210°F (99°C), 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool on pan on a wire rack.
Source: https://www.bakefromscratch.com/category/recipes/bread/feed/
