HOW to MAKE the PERFECT 'SOURDOUGH' FRENCH BAGUETTE?
STEP by STEP...
STEP #1
Prepare the ingredients first:
Golden ratio is: 1-2-3 as much of you knows. When I make bread, I try to comply mostly with this golden ratio:
FLOUR and WATER = I usually use 350 gr water for 500 gr flour. So I get 70% hydration bread, which is also used in French baguette. (Italian Focaccia is the hardest dough and contains 80% water, for your information)
SALT = 2% of flour is put. 10 g of salt is sufficient for 500 g of flour (1 wipe tablespoon)
SOURDOUGH = I put 150 grams (sometimes 200gr) from my sourdough called 'Laila', so that the bread dough I will make is 1 kg in total. From this dough, you can divide it into two and make two round breads, or you can make 3 or 4 French baguettes. It's up to you.
STEP #2
Apply the 'water' test = Pour the water into the bowl, then pour the yeast on the water with a spoon. --> If the yeast FLOATS on the water, you can start making bread with. If it is not swimming, it is not ready yet, this means that the sourdough is hungry or newly fed.
Than feed and wait a little and repeat the water test.
STEP #3
Mix the 150gr sourdough with 350 gr of water.
STEP #4
Add flour and salt into the sourdough-water dilute mixture.
STEP #5
Mix them all well with a spoon, 2 minutes is enough.
I do not use the methods of kneading by hitting the benches.
First of all, I don't have the power to make it, obviously :)
Secondly, in many foreign recipes (especially in English and French recipes), there are recipes without kneading (no kneading). So this was the method I adopted.
Finally I never knead, I just mix it with the spoon for 2 minutes. and it works.
Let's make the things simple :)
STEP #6
Place the mixture in a clean container moistened with water.
STEP #7
Close the lid, the dough will wait 1 hour in this way.
This stage is called Autolyse.
An important stage. During this time, the gluten in the flour is released and the dough becomes elastic. Prepare a bowl of water on the side for the next step.
STEP #8
After autolysis, check the elasticity of the dough by wetting your hand with water in the bowl to make sure.
STEP #9
Folding steps
Fold the dough into 4 by wetting your hand with the water in the bowl every time (so that the dough doesn't stick to your hand, and the dough also aligns with the water, after a while you will see than the dough become your slave). The aim here is to prepare the dough for the cold fermentation by adding air into the dough.
Do the folding process 6 times in 1/2 hour intervals. The folding stage thus takes 1/2 x 6 = 3 hours.
STEP #10
Lightly grease the top surface of the dough, with your hand, and then cover it with stretch film. (I use sunflower or olive oil, just 1 teaspoon of oil is enough to prevent stretch adhesion here)
Important ---> The purpose of covering with stretch film is to cut off the contact with the air to prevent the top of the dough from drying out during cold fermentation.
STEP #11
Cold fermentation
Place the container on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator by closing the top cover. At this stage, the dough will be fermented slowly in about 4 degrees cold between 12-16 hours.
STEP #12
Remove the cold dough that has been fermented from the refrigerator. Observe the crater and bubbles on the surface.
STEP #13
In the meantime, prepare the mold on which you will bake the breads. The mold in the picture is my baguette mold with a capacity of 3 baguettes, but if you are going to make round bread, you can also use a cast pot. I prefer to put greaseproof paper in the mold instead of greasing so that the dough does not stick.
I also want to note that my baguette mold is perforated. I bought it from Aliexpress.
STEP #14
Prepare the bench where you will shape the dough. Sprinkle some flour on the counter.
STEP #15
Put the whole dough on the bench and sprinkle again some flour on the top of the dough.
STEP #16
Open the dough with your hand on the bench, without damaging the dough, as much as you can, and gently make some pits on the dough with your fingers (do not stick your nails in order not to damage the gluten fibers)
The purpose of this stage is to obtain a perforated and airy bread internal structure by trapping AIR into the dough (open crumb)
STEP #17
Wrap the dough in a roll, starting at one end.
STEP #18
Separate the dough into the portion with the dough cutter (or knife). Seal the adhesive surfaces on the cut areas with your fingers so that they do not open.
STEP #19
Bench fermentation 1/2 hour
Roll each portion with tyour hand and roll it into a ball and leave it to rise on the counter for 1 hour by sprinkling some flour on it. It becomes easier to shape after tray fermentation.
STEP #20
Give each portion the shape you want using your hand on the bench.
At this stage, it is possible to add some air into the baguette, there is a different folding method but I could not show it here. I need to shoot a video for this.
STEP #21
Put the bread you shape into the baking pan and sprinkle with flour again.
STEP #22
Wait another 15 minutes for the mold to take its final shape. Meanwhile turn on the oven, heat it to 240 degrees.
STEP #23
Scratch on the bread just before entering the oven. (3-4 scratches are enough for baguettes)
The purpose of this scratches is to open the way to direct the output of the trapped air inside as it expands during cooking.
It is not possible to draw the dough with a household knife. So I suggest you to buy a dough knife as in the picture. Or it would be a baker's razor. If you can adjust the cutting angle, cut it at 45 degrees. But If you can't, no matter, it's okay.
STEP #24
Finally it's time to cook :)
Place the mold in the oven and lower the oven temperature to 180 degrees.
The fan will be on.
Place a container with boiling water next to the mold.
Or spray water into the oven, the purpose of this stage is to make the crunchy top.
STEP #25
Depending on the size of your breads, the breads will be baked in 25 to 50 minutes.
Do not cut immediately after removing from the oven, leave to cool on the wire rack for 1/2 hour. You can cut it later.
Bon Appetit :)
Annexes