It took years for the Dusty Knuckle team to give in to making baguettes. They tried early on and realised it was really hard. This recipe, however, is surprisingly easy. Baguettes need a drier dough, one that has been rested super-seriously-well so you have maximum extensibility when you need to shape them.
This does take an extra day, but don’t be put off by this—it’s worth it, and the overnight rest will make all the difference to the bread you get at the end.
This recipe uses bread porridge, but you could use anything you have left over here, such as porridge, overnight oats, bulgur wheat, or even rice – as long as it has a soft consistency (reduce the salt in the recipe slightly if it is already salted).
The Dusty Knuckle team likes a baguette that has a chewy crumb and a thin crust that is best eaten straight from the oven, dipped in butter and Boursin soft cheese, and extra salt. Use these for any of the sandwich recipes in this book instead of focaccia.
Makes 4
WHAT YOU NEED
100g wholemeal (wholewheat) flour
375g strong white bread flour
300g warm water
70g warm water, second addition
135g stiff starter
15g fine sea salt
100g bread porridge
100g soaked linseeds
rice flour for dusting
WHAT TO DO
Mix the dough, right up until the end of the bulk fermentation. Instead of shaping it, put the dough in the fridge overnight. This will help develop flavour, let it rest, and get lovely and strong.
The next day (you can do this whenever you like; it can stay in the fridge for up to 24 hours), tip the dough gently out onto your work surface and, without disturbing the dough much and using your scraper, cut it into four quarters.
With each bit of dough, fold each edge to the middle to make a very rough rectangle shape, something that is definitely longer on one edge than it is tall. Flip it so the seam is now facing down and the top is now smooth and let it rest for 30 minutes. This is your pre-shape, and you are also letting it come up to temperature.
Now flip the dough back over again so the seams are facing up—you want the rectangle to be roughly landscape so the longer side is horizontal. Grab the top edge and fold it into the middle of the dough. Grab the new top edge you have created and fold this over to meeting the bottom edge and gently seal this with the length of your thumbs. Roll the dough over so the seam is right on the bottom, cup both hands over the dough, fingers resting on the work surface at the top, heel of your hand resting on the surface at the bottom. Roll the dough and work your hands away from each other so you are lengthening the baguette and push your hands down harder as you reach the ends so you get that lovely pointed shape (and the prized knobbly end once baked). The trick here is to not think too much about it, and not go over it too many times. Once is ideal, twice is ok. Think rustic rather than picture-perfect—that is what we go for!
Heavily rice flour a dish towel (or a piece of couche if you have one) and lay it inside a baking tray or something a similar shape with shallow sides. Lay your baguette down, seam down (this is important!) at the edge, so the sides support it and pull the towel or couche up so that it is cradled either side. Do this for all four and let them rest for 1 hour.
Get your oven as hot as you can and boil a kettle. Place a baking tin in the bottom of your oven and a baking sheet (or stone if you have one) in the middle shelf to heat up. Cut four long, thin pieces of baking parchment and flip the baguettes out so the seam is now facing up. This will act as your score—the loaf will open through the seam and save you from the very tricky technique of slashing baguettes. The outcome is quite a rustic look, far from your traditional French stick.
Working as quickly as you can, open the oven, take out your hot baking sheet or stone, and use the parchment as a little hammock to carry each baguette onto the baking sheet or stone. Pour the boiling water into the baking tin at the bottom and put the baguettes in the middle of the oven. Bake at the highest heat for 18 minutes or until lovely and dark.
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