Sourdough Baguettes

Make the Levain:
In a clean jar, mix the sourdough starter, bread flour, and water for the levain.
Cover and set in a warm location (between 75-80ºF) for about 4-5 hours until doubled and bubbly.
Alternatively, skip making a levain and use 90 grams of active sourdough starter below.
30 grams Sourdough Starter, 30 grams Water, 30 grams Bread Flour
Autolyse:
About an hour before the levain is ready, mix together the bread flour and warm water in a mixing bowl.
Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the warm water. Use a dough whisk or your hands to mix together the flour and water just until it comes together.
Cover and rest in a warm location for an hour.
400 grams Bread Flour, 270 grams Warm Water
Add Levain, Salt, and Mix:
Add all of the levain into the bowl and dimple it into the dough. Then, stretch and fold the dough for a few minutes to incorporate.
Cover and rest in a warm location for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle the salt on top. Dimple into the dough with your fingertips. Stretch and fold the dough for about 5 until thoroughly mixed and the salt dissolves.
Cover and rest in a warm location for 30 minutes.
Levain, 8 grams Sea Salt
Bulk Fermentation & Folds:
At 78ºF (26ºC), bulk fermentation typically takes about 5 hours.
During bulk fermentation, perform 4 or 5 sets of stretch and folds, spaced 30 minutes apart. Add more folds if the dough still seems very slack after the last set. Rest for the remainder of bulk fermentation.
At the end of bulk fermentation, the dough should be smooth, feel full of air, have visible bubbles, and jiggle if shaken. The dough should rise about 75%.
Cold Overnight Proof:
Place the covered dough into a refrigerator to proof overnight and for up a day.
Pre-shape & Shape:
Lightly flour the top of the dough and the counter. Gently loosen the dough from the sides of the mixing bowl and turn the dough out onto the counter.
Divide the dough into four equal-sized pieces by weight. Mine are typically around 185g each.
To pre-shape, press each piece of dough into a square. Then, roll it up into a cylinder and rest seam-side down for 30 minutes.
To shape, I recommend reading the detailed guide above with visuals.
Turn the dough over and pat into a rectangle. Fold the top half of dough to the center, rotate 180º and repeat on the other side to create a seam. Seal with the palm of your hand and pinch the seam together.
Roll the dough into a 14" tapered log with the ends thinner than the middle.
Final Proof:
Lightly flour a baker’s couche or towels. Lay the couche on an upside-down sheet pan if you'd like to proof in the oven or a warm location so you can move them easily.
Fold one side of the couche under to create a bumper and place a shaped baguette seam-side up beside of it. Fold a 1-inch tall pleat beside of the baguette to separate and hold the baguette. Then, repeat with the remaining baguettes and couche.
Cover with a tea towel and proof for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until the baguettes expand, feel puffy, and pass the finger poke test with a slight impression.
Score & Bake:
About 30 minutes before the end of proofing, place an empty cast-iron skillet on the bottom rack of your oven and preheat it to 450ºF (232ºC).
Boil a cup of water on a stovetop or tea kettle and keep it nearby before baking.*
Use a lightly floured baguette transfer peel to gently flip one sourdough baguette at a time from the couche to the transfer peel (seam-side down now).
Then, slide the baguette off onto your bread steel and repeat with the remaining baguettes so you have four on the bread steel (see guide above for method using a baker's peel for a preheated bread stone).
To score, use a curved bread lame to make four long cuts down the length of the baguette. They should overlap by about a third (see images in guide).
Place the bread steel with the sourdough baguettes into the oven.
Pour the cup of hot water set aside into your preheated cast-iron skillet to create lots of steam and immediately shut the door to trap the steam.
Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until the baguettes are deep golden brown. When done, the baguettes should feel light and sound hollow if tapped on the bottom.
Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.

Equipment

Ingredients

Levain

Sourdough Baguettes

Instructions

Notes