How to make a French Baguette
My adventure into baking all began with a baguette sandwich in Paris.
The memory alone makes me crave a ham and cheese baguette sandwich, the crispy crust, crumbs everywhere, each crumb treated like treasure mopped up with your fingertips, missing nothing and devouring everything.
Mastering baking baguettes will become one of the most significant bakes you achieve as a baker, a baguette has no season, amazing in summer for the ultimate French sandwich, comforting when transformed into garlic bread, and is sensational for scooping up soups and stews.
Equipment
Linen teatowel or a couche
Bakers Lame or a serrated sharp knife
A small jug of water for your blades
Dusting flour
Free standing mixer and dough hook
Plastic scraper
Traditional Baguette Recipe
500 g white bread flour
Additional white flour for dusting
10 grams of table salt
10 grams of yeast
370mls of water
Method
- Place all the ingredients, white flour, salt, and yeast into your mixer mixing bowl mixer and fit a dough hook.
- Slowly add the water and begin mixing on a slow speed.
- When the dough starts to come together, slowly add the remaining water. Then adjust the speed of the mixer to a slightly faster setting for approximately 5 minutes. You’re aiming to achieve a glossy, elastic dough.
- Now place the dough into a large plastic container with a lid, and rest for approximately an hour until the dough has doubled in size.
- Prepare your linen teatowel or couche with a light dusting of white flour
- Lightly dust the surface, don’t be tempted to add too much flour as it can alter the recipe.
- Gently tip the dough onto your dusted work surface.
- Handle the dough lightly and carefully, be gentle with it, you want to protect the air and dough structure.
- Using a plastic scraper divide the dough into 4
- Shape each piece into an oblong by flattening the dough out slightly and folding the sides into the middle with your thumb. Then roll each into a sausage shape – the top should be smooth with the join running along the length of the base. Now, beginning in the middle, roll each sausage with your fingertips and palms of your hands . Concentrate on the backwards and forwards movement and gently, using the tension of the surface roll out until approximately 14in in length.
- Lay a baguette along the edge of the linen couche and pleat the couche up against the edge of the baguette. Place another baguette next to the pleat. Repeat the process until all 4 baguettes are lined up against each other with a pleat between each. Cover the baguettes with a clean tea towel and leave for 1 hour, or until the dough has at least doubled in size . Then press lightly the surface of the dough, be gentle if the dough springs back quickly if and leaves a light mark it’s ready!
- Preheat the oven to 240C/220C Fan/Gas 9 . Place a pizza stone, or roasting tray in the bottom of the oven to heat up. This helps regulate the oven temperature.
- When the baguettes are risen, remove them from the couche and dust them lightly with flour. Slash each one 4 times along its length at a 45-degree angle, diagonally. Gently cutting the surface of the skin, using a razor blade or a very sharp serrated knife.
- Transfer to a large baking tray, and quickly add a cup of water into the tray in the bottom of the oven for steam.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the baguettes are golden-brown and have a slight sheen. Cool on a cooling rack and enjoy.
Aidan’s baker’s tip:
- Place your lame or serrated knife in a cup of water, this stops the blade from dragging the dough.
