French baguette recipe
Course: UncategorizedServings
4
servingsPrep time
30
minutesCooking time
40
minutesCalories
300
kcalTo bake a crispy and perfect baguette, it’s best to start with a pre-fermented dough. This is simply a dough that is made and allowed to ferment for about 24 hours before making the final dough. Think of it like a marinade for bread. Adding this pre-fermented dough to our final bread dough will give it a beautiful and complex flavor. Although it takes up to 3 days to make, the results are worth it. Soon enough, you’ll be able to produce baguettes that can rival those found in any French bakery.
Pre-fermented Dough
450g Strong White Flour
7g Salt
5g Fresh Yeast (or 2.5g/ generous pinch dried yeast)
290ml Water (1.2 cup)
- Ingredient
500g Strong White Flour
10g Salt
300ml Water (1.2 cup)
10g Fresh Yeast (or 5g dried yeast)
Pre-fermented dough
First Day
- Combine the flour and salt together in a clean bowl.
- Crumble the fresh yeast into the water and stir together to help the yeast dissolve.
- Pour the yeasted water into the flour.
- Combine all the ingredients to form a rough dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead for 3 to 4 minutes.
- If your dough is a little sticky or wet, don’t worry about it. It’s important not to add any extra flour, as this dough requires less kneading than usual. We’re simply aiming for the dough to come together roughly.
- Next, place the dough into a bowl that’s been oiled. Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate it for 12-24 hours
- Second Day
- The next morning, remove the pre-fermented dough from the fridge.
- In a large clean bowl combine the strong white flour and salt.
- Crumble the fresh yeast into the water and stir together to help the yeast dissolve.
- Pour the yeasted water into the flour.
- Break the pre-fermented dough into smaller pieces and add it to the flour and water mix.
- Start working all the ingredients together to form a rough dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead the dough until the window pane affect has been achieved. This may take 8 – 10 minutes.
- Once the window pane affect has been achieved place the dough into a large clean bowl that has been oiled. Cover with cling film and place the dough into the fridge for 18-24 hours.
Notes
- Fermenting the dough overnight in the fridge will help to produce a more complex flavor within the final bread. The dough will sit comfortably in the fridge for anywhere between 12 to 36 hours.
Leave a Reply