In this video, the author makes 4 French baguettes. That is probably 2 more baguettes than I can eat before they get stale.
Recipe (transcribed from the video):
Ingredients:
- Bread flour, 700 g
- Instant dried yeast, 0.5 tsp
- Kosher salt, 1.5 tsp
- Cool tap water, 520 g
Steps:
- Whisk 1st 3 ingredients together.
- Add water and mix with the handle of a wooden spoon.
- Cover the bowl with clear wrap and rest for 45 minutes at room temperature.
- Repeat 4 times:
- Turn onto a flat surface, wet your hands, and fold from each side to center, then use a dough scraper to put the dough back into the bowl (2:30 in the video).
- Cover the bowl with clear wrap and rest for 45 minutes at room temperature.
- Sprinkle the work surface with bench flour and turn out the dough.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces (each about 310 g).
- Shape the baguettes (6:30).
- Leaving the baguettes on the work surface, cover them with lightly oiled clear wrap.
- Let them rest for 15 minutes.
- Prepare a well floured bakers couche (7:20).
- Form the baguettes (7:50), dust lightly, and transfer to the couche.
- Cover with a tea towel and let them rise for 20 minutes, then a further 12 minutes while the oven preheats to 200°C/400°F.
- Place a pan of boiling water in the bottom of the oven.
- Transfer each baguette to a lightly oiled baking sheet using a peel or cardboard covered in aluminum foil (10:45).
- Spray the baguettes lightly with water
- Score the baguettes with a razor blade or very sharp knife (11:20).
- Place the baking sheet(s) in the oven and spray a little water over them to moisten the crust.
- Bake for 8 minutes, then turn the baking sheet(s) 180° for more even baking, releasing the steam from the oven carefully.
- Transfer the baguettes to a cooling rack.
Note that I have not tried this recipe yet, but plan to very soon.
How late in the process can I freeze the dough? I assume that when I want to eat it later, I can just thaw the dough and continue the process from that point.
