Sourdough Baguette

This baguette is made by using the autolyze method, that is by mixing flour, water and natural yeast and then letting this first dough to rest for about half an hour so that the enzymes in the flour begin to break down the starch and protein.  The starch gets converted to sugar, and the protein gets reformed as gluten. By doing this the flour is able to absorb more moisture and to form a better glutamic structure. Your dough will be easier to handle, and your bread will taste better. 

This recipe makes 6 baguettes, so you may want to half the doses if it is your first time, or like we did, you could bake 3 baguettes one morning, leave the rest of the dough in the fridge for another day, the bake the other three the day after.

First dough

I

·         300 g    Natural yeast

·         200 g    Strong Canadian Flour

·         100 g    Water

Second dough

II

·         800 g    50% Strong Canadian Flour / 50% 00 Flour

·           10 g    Wheat germs

·         550 g    Water

·           20 g    Salt

Prepare a dough with the ingredients listed in  I and work the dough for approximately  5mins.

Let the dough rest for 30mins to autolyse the dough.

Work the dough for other  5mins e add the ingredients listed in  II.

Let the dough rest in the fridge for 24 hours.

Take the dough out of the fridge and let it rest for 3 hours.

Cut the dough in pieces of approximately 330g. and shape each piece into a baguette of approximately 60cm.

Place the baguette onto a floured baking sheet or a tea towel (made of heavy canvas).

Lay one baguette on the edge of the tea towel (or baking paper) ad pleat the tea towel against the edge of the baguette. Place another baguette and repeat. Each baguette must have pleated tea towel (or baking paper) among them  and sit against each other for support.

Cover the baguette with another clean tea towel and let them rest for 10 hours in a cool place (it could be the bottom of your fridge.

Gently roll the baguettes on a baking tray if using tea towel or just place them directly on a baking tray if using baking paper.

Place a roasting tin with some hot water at the bottom of the oven.

Score diagonally the baguette with a razor blade and bake in a pre-heated oven at 250°C for 10 minutes then lower the temperature to 200 °C for another 20 minutes. 
For perfect results have a tray full of boiling water at the bottom of your oven and bake the baguettes on a shelf above the tray, either on a baking stone, in a baguette try ( this one is ours) or simply on a tray.
We baked the baguettes in two batches of three.

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