French-Style Quick Baguettes

Serves: 2 loaves | Prep Time: 30-40 min | Cook Time: 35-45 min 

Ingredients

• 4 cup (560g) Better Batter Bread Flour 
• 2 cups (454g) to 2 1/4 cup (510g) warm water (110°)
• 2 tablespoon (25g) sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon (9g) salt
• 2 tablespoon (30g) vegetable oil / avocado oil.
• 1Tbsp 1 ½ package or 11g instant, rapid yeast

Instructions

Mixing

By Hand: Place all ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Use your hands to stir and knead until ingredients form a dough, about 10–12 minutes. Mixture will be loose and sticky but will thicken during proofing.
Stand Mixer: Place all ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low for 2 minutes. Turn speed to medium high and mix for another 5 minutes. Mixture will be loose and sticky but will thicken during proofing.

 

First proof:
Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest and hydrate for 45–60 min at room temperature (until doubled). (This could take up to 90 minutes in a colder environmental proofing area should be about 90°

Divide the dough. put the dough onto a lightly floured board or counter. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions and shape each one into a long loaf (about 6 inches in length) with pointed ends.

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle with corn meal. Place loaves 3" apart. Sprinkle each loaf with flour. Score 4 diagonal slashes down each baguette with a lame, razor, or sharp knife and cut three deep slashes along the tops of the loaves.

Second proofing:
Cover with oiled plastic wrap or damp dish towel. Allow to rise in warm location until doubled (about 25 to 30 minutes) depend depending on your environment. Time to proof will depend on your kitchen. Could take up to two hours in a cold environment.

Preheat your oven to 450 / 475 F.

Place. While the loaves are proofing, place an additional aluminum pan or aluminum 9 x 13 baking pan on the bottom rack and heat for 45 minutes. This will be used for adding ice cubes to create steam in your oven. The steam will allow the crust to be pliable and stretchy during baking. Without the steam, your dough will cook too quickly on the exterior and it will not rise sufficiently.

Baking. Place the loaves (on their baking sheet) on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Immediately add a few ice cubes into the bottom metal baking sheet/pan. Close oven door.

Reduce and Bake. After 5 to 10 minutes add a few more ice cubes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 F and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes. The loaves are done when they reach an internal temp of 210°F.

Remove the loaves from the oven. Transfer loaves to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before cutting. Enjoy!