Sourdough Baguettes

Step 1

09:00 am - Feed your starter with 50g white bread flour and 50g clean drinkable water. Let it sit at room temperature covered.

Step 2

18:00 pm - Mix 250g of water with 100g ripe and ready sourdough starter. Add in the flour and mix until fully incorporated. Cover and rest for 1 hour. During this time dissolve the salt in the remaining 30g water.

Step 3

19:15 pm - Add the salty water to the dough and mix through well until the dough is smooth. Give it a stretch and fold by pulling up one side of the dough and folding it over itself, repeating around the perimeter of the dough. When done, form into a ball and place into a clean, lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap. Let it rest for 45 minutes.

Step 4

20:15 pm - Repeat the stretch and fold. Cover and let the dough rest for another 45 minutes.

Step 5

21:30 pm - Repeat the previous step and rest covered again for 45 minutes. During this time prepare an oven tray lined with a well-floured couche or linen towel. You will use the flour/semolina mix.

Step 6

22:15 pm - Shape the dough. Place the dough onto a floured work surface and divide into 4 pieces. Flour your hands and stretch each piece into a rough rectangle. For each piece do the following. Fold over the top part towards yourself with you thumbs pushing into the dough and away from you. This creates tension in the dough. Repeat this until the dough is rolled up. Seal the seam with the floured palm of your hand and then pinch close if needed with your thumb and forefinger. Roll the shaped dough into a long sausage. Start with both hands in the middle of the dough and work your way towards the ends where you apply more pressure to give it the signature pointy ears. Place seam-side up onto the lined and floured tray. Dust with more flour mix. Cover with plastic wrap and place into the fridge for slow overnight fermentation.

Step 7

08:00 am - Remove the baguettes from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for about an hour.

Step 8

08:30 am - Turn your oven to 250 degrees Celsius or 480 degrees Fahrenheit and place a pan filled with water in the bottom of the oven. Steamy oven means great bread will follow. Place a baking sheet in the oven too so that it's nice and hot when you need it.

Step 9

09:00 am - Dust some semolina flour mix onto the hot tray from the oven. Place the baguettes seam side down onto the hot tray. Use a lame or a very sharp knife to slash the baguettes diagonally lengthways down the bread. The cuts should be made at a 25-degree angle and 1,5 centimetres deep.

Step 10

09:15 am - Time to bake. Place the slashed loaves into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. After 15 minutes, rotate the tray and turn the oven down to 220 degrees Celsius or 428 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the baguettes from the oven and let them cool down on a wire rack before slicing or simply breaking of pieces and enjoy with some good butter or olive oil.