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French Baguettes

Source of Recipe

From "Williams-Sonoma: Cooking at Home"


Recipe Introduction

"The dough for these loaves can be quite soft. If you do not have a stand mixer, stir together the ingredients as directed, then lift and turn the dough with a bench scraper, adding flour as needed, until the dough is firm enough to be kneaded by hand."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 5 to 5½ cups unbleached bread flour
â—¦ 2 teaspoons salt
â—¦ 1 package (2¼ teaspoons) quick-rise yeast
â—¦ 2 cups lukewarm water (110° F)
â—¦ Canola oil for bowl and pans
â—¦ Cornmeal for pans
â—¦ 1 egg white beaten with a pinch of salt


Recipe

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 4 cups of the flour, the salt, yeast, and lukewarm water. Knead with the dough hook on low speed until the dough is elastic and pulls cleanly from the bowl sides, about 10 minutes. The dough will be very soft. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 1 minute. Form a compact ball and place in a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Dust the dough lightly with flour, cover with oiled plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 45 to 60 minutes.

Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Press flat, knead for a few seconds, and return to the bowl. Cover the dough with oiled plastic wrap and let rise again until doubled in volume, 20 to 30 minutes.

Line each of two double baguette pans (4 molds total), each 18 inches long and 6 inches wide, with a clean kitchen towel and sprinkle with flour, rubbing it into the fabric. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and press flat. Cut into 4 equal pieces, knead into balls, and let rest for 5 minutes. Press each ball flat and fold into thirds. Using your palms, roll each into a rope 16 inches long with tapered ends. Place in the towel-lined pans. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in volume, about 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450° F.

Bring a kettle filled with water to a boil, and pour into a shallow pan. Carefully place the pan on the floor of the preheated oven. Pull the pans out from under the dough-filled towels. Oil the pans and sprinkle with cornmeal. One at a time, flip the loaves into the pans, underside up. Brush with the egg white mixture. Using a sharp knife, make 3 parallel diagonal cuts, each ¼ inch deep, on each loaf. Using a spray bottle, spritz the oven sides and floor with water. Bake until the loaves are browned and crusty, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn the baguettes out onto wire racks to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.


Makes four ½-pound baguettes