My favorite baguette.

Note:  6/13/2011  To make good crust and flavor for a baguette, especially in summer, I really watch out for the dough temperature more than the time and roomtemperature.

I pulled together in one recipe from my post of Amazing airy baguette that I posted before http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/22286/amazing-airy-holey-baguettes 

 It has been 2 months since I made a baguette last time that was in April 1st this year. I copied the recipe and method below and baked a baguette today. It came out good. The shaping and scoring are not perfect but I am pleased with it.

 Ingredients:

KA AP 130g

Raisin yeast water 14g

Water 76g ( DDT 69F /20.5℃）

Salt 2.1g

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Method: ( I always set up at 6pm around so I can bake at 6am next morning)

1. I mixed all the ingredients except the salt for a minute, then add the salt, mix it again for a few minutes with my hands (Dough temperature(DT) 69F)

2. S&F x2 every 30 minutes ( I did in the air with my hands) ( DT was 70F both after the S&F)--Rest at room temperature was 26-28℃ /78.8F-82F for 4.5 hours until the dough is little flat and the surface is slightly bumpy.

3.I moved the dough at room temperature around 18-19℃ for about 8 hours

4. The dough in the morning: I saw a lot of bubbles on the bottom. ( DT62.5F/16.9℃)

5. I put the dough on the floured wood board very gently. The bottom is face now.

Stretch the dough X way to make a rectangle around 35cm x11cm is better ( I stretched too much this time I did 41cmx11cm)

6.Using a ruler, make a fold like the picture. Pat the dough gently and

Put tightly squeezed dump kitchen towels on the dough and take a bench time for 15-20 minutes ( I took 15 minutes )

7. After the bench time,

8. Using your finger tips, pat the dough gently... ( I feel like that I can shape the air in the crumb at this time)

9. Push the edge little harder and Pat the rest of the dough with your finger tips again. ( If I didn't do this process, the crumb was tight... I think that both sides dough need some space to have airy crumb when you roll. )

10. Brush off the excess flour and roll and pinch the seam very well.( This picture is a different one. I just want show you how I pinch the dough)

11. Proof : I put a tightly squeezed dump kitchen towels on the linen, then I put it on the top of the refregerator for 35-40 minutes at 70-71F /21-21.7℃

12 Prepare the steaming towels ( Sylvia's steaming method), Scoring, then ready to bake.

13.Preheated 470F ( I can't use maximum temperature 500F because I broke the fuze twice before- too much baking for baugettes)   

  1) Bake at 470F for 7 minutes with steam ( Sylvia's steaming method http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/20162/oven-steaming-my-new-favorite-way)

  2) Take out of the steaming towels and a parchement that was on the baguette, then decrease the temperature to 450F  and bake more 13 minutes.

  3) Shut off the oven and open the door a little bit and leave the baguette for 3 minutes in the oven. - I got this idea from David. Thank you, David.

I practice to score baguettes a lot using playdough playing with my daughter because I am not good at it. I used to drag so much.. A couple of my Cookpad friends gave me great advices. I am still afraid of it....

How I score a baguette:

• Score the right angle 80-90 degrees ( it will be difficult to score at acute angle around 30-45 degrees for wet dough)
• *Score the dough the same speed and depth.  This is the point  Please read the note below.
• I recommend you to use a bamboo skewer to get the length that you want( probably 10-11.5cm?)and make a mark with a tooth pick or so. --This is from the book.

1) 2) 3)

 You can prepare the scoring lines using a stick before you acutally score your baguette dough. The red line ( 2.5-3cm )below will be a lap between first score line and the second one, the same lap for the second line and the third one  and other third and forth lones, too.

↑ Note: For*Score the dough the same speed and depth.  I score the top and end that I marked on red  (the picture above) again reversely to make the cut depth evenly because my scoring of the top and end is always shallower.

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How do you slice when you score the dough?

I found out that I can score very straight when I use No.1 way. My Cookpad friend suggested me the way. That is very helpful.. I don't think that my way fit everybody but, It may help some TFL members.

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I will leave the method to make raisin yeast water for reference.

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/23809/how-i-make-and-maintain-raisin-yeast-water

Happy baking,

Akiko