Hints and Tips
Hints and Tips
Picking the Right Flour
To achieve the very best flavor and texture,
use unbleached bread flour rather than all-purpose flour. If you only have all-purpose flour available, it will work. We note that any minor flavor difference you may detect between the two flours can be eliminated if you make an herbed baguette or use another recipe variation that incorporates other flavorful ingredients.
Refrigerating Your Dough
If your dough has risen for 8-12 hours but you’re not ready to bake, refrigerate it. We recommend refrigerating the dough for no longer than 10 days before baking.
Rolling Your Dough
When rolling out your dough, don’t handle it more than necessary, and if you feel little air pockets in the dough, leave them there! The air pockets in the dough lead to an airier interior (“crumb”). For less density and more airiness in your baguettes, skip the steps of flattening and folding your dough. Instead, after you’ve divided your dough into two mounds and let it sit for 10 minutes, simply roll each
mound into a loaf with tapered ends, handling the dough as little as possible.
Folding Your Parchment Paper
After you’ve cut your parchment paper into 16” x 3” strips, fold the strips in half the long way before placing them in the troughs of the baguette tray. That will help them sit better in the troughs.
Using Water When Making Your Slashes
If your dough is sticky, you may find it a bit difficult to make the diagonal slashes in the top of each loaf. To help your blade cut through sticky dough, dip your blade in water before making each slash. There are several very helpful videos on YouTube that show the proper way to slash or score your baguette (search "How to score a baguette"). Keep in mind, though, that no-knead bread dough is wetter than the dough you'll see in those videos, so it won't be quite as easy to score.
Using the Metal Plate With the Center Channel
When you preheat the Baguette Baking Box, always make sure the metal plate with the center channel is inside the box. This plate not only protects the bottom of your box against warping, but also helps distribute water from the melting ice cubes along the length of the box, and ensures that steam completely surrounds your baguettes.
Handling the Box Safely
Once you’ve heated the Baguette Baking Box, the oven and the box will be very hot! We recommend using oven mitts rather than potholders when putting your Baguette Baking Box in the oven and removing it, or when removing the lid during the baking process. Why? A standard oven doesn’t provide much clearance between the box and the sides or top of the oven, and oven mitts will protect your whole hand against accidental burns. For added safety, don't reach
deep inside your oven to pull out the hot box. Instead, pull your oven rack partially out, lift the box, and push the oven rack back into the oven. Do the same thing when replacing the box in the oven or removing the lid from the box.
Experiment
Ovens, altitudes and personal tastes vary. If the baking times used in our recipe don’t work perfectly for you, feel free to experiment! Baking longer with the lid off generally leads to a thicker, crispier crust. If you want to bake your baguettes longer but don’t want the tops getting too brown, you can flip them over and let the bottoms brown more fully. In our experience, the best way to achieve the crispiest, crackliest crust is to turn off the oven when your baquettes have finished baking, open the oven door 2-3 inches, and let the baguettes cool for 15-20 minutes as the oven cools. You can also experiment with how many ice cubes you use. By allowing you more control over the baking process, the Baguette Baking Box lets you decide when your baguettes are done to crispy perfection.
Restoring Crispiness
As your baguettes cool completely, the crust may lose some crispness. Reheating them at low heat (200°) for 10-15 minutes will bring back crispiness without browning them further. You can also restore crispiness by spraying a thin layer of water on the surface before re-heating.
Reducing Crispiness
If the crust on your baguettes becomes too crispy or too thick after you reheat them, you can soften the crust by heating the baguettes in a microwave for approximately 10 seconds on full power.
Storing and Freezing Your Baguettes
If you don’t plan to eat your baguettes right away, place them in a closed paper bag to help maintain their moisture and freshness for up to 12 hours. To store them longer than that, we recommend freezing them. Fully baked baguettes freeze beautifully. Wrap them tightly in aluminum foil and freeze them for up to two months. When you’re ready to enjoy them, there’s no need to defrost them or preheat the oven. Simply remove the foil, place the frozen baguettes in a cold oven, set the oven to 375°, and heat for 15 minutes.
For important instructions on the use and care of your Baguette Baking Box, see our Use and Care Instructions.