Recipe for French Baguettes
Updated April 28, 2011
When we were in Illinois for Christmas we helped my dad make Peter Reinhart’s French Baguettes. My dad makes bread all the time so I am glad he was in charge of this one…making the bread was quite the process, but so worth it in the end.
You have to start the pre-frermentee the night before. And make sure you allow plenty of time for raising, baking, etc. If you don’t have Peter’s book, I suggest you get it. He gives TONS of helpful hints for bread baking…and the recipes are fabulous!
We made two large baguettes because we wanted to make sandwiches. You can make three small ones though. You are supposed to let the bread cool before slicing, but my dad can never wait. He slices right in and slathers lots of butter on. It is best right out of the oven:)
I really liked this recipe. The bread had a nice crust and the inside was soft, everything a good French baguette should be! Thanks Pops for helping us make this. We can’t wait to try it on our own!
I hope everyone is having a nice weekend! We don’t have to work tomorrow! Yahoo! I love long weekends
French Baguettes
2 ¼ cups (10 ounces) unbleached bread flour
¾ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon instant yeast
¾ cup + 2 tablespoons (7 ounces) water, at room temperature
Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl until the dough comes together and knead until it goes from a sticky mess to a smooth ball.
Let rise in a sealed container for about 1 hour at room temperature or until it expands to 1 ½ times its size.
Knead lightly for about a minute and return to the sealed container. Keep in the refrigerator overnight. The pre-ferment will be usable for up to 3 days. Be sure that your container can handle a volume at least 3 times as big as the dough.
All of the pâte fermentée
2 ¼ cups (10 ounces) unbleached bread flour
½ teaspoon instant yeast
¾ cup + 2 tablespoons (7 ounces) water, at room temperature
Take your pre-fermented dough out of the refrigerator and leave it at room temperature for about 1 hour to take off the chill. It will be bubbly and may continue to rise in your container.Cut up the pre-ferment into small pieces and mix with the second half. Knead for about 10 minutes. By hand or you can use a Kitchenaid Mixer.
Your slashes are completely wrong. They are supposed to go down the length of the bread.