THE FOOLPROOF BAGUETTE
THE FOOLPROOF BAGUETTE
Before you use your Baguette Baking Box, please review these Use and Care instructions.
To see just how easy and fun it is to bake baguettes using the Baguette Baking
Just like a classic French baguette, our recipe uses only four ingredients: flour, salt, water and yeast. Unlike the classic French baguette, our recipe requires no kneading! We use a variation of the no-knead bread recipe developed by Jim Lahey and popularized by Mark Bittman, adding extra water to the dough and
letting the dough rise for 8-10 hours.
Because the dough needs this time to rise, we suggest either mixing the dough in the evening and baking the following day, or mixing the dough early in the day to enjoy baguettes with dinner.
Please try our recipe before experimenting. If you carefully follow the instructions below, this tested and proven recipe truly is foolproof. It requires few utensils, minimal counter space, only 10-12 minutes of actual hands-on time, and very little clean-up. Anyone, even a first-time baker, can make delicious,
professional-looking baguettes using the Baguette Baking Box.
Ingredients
2½ cups high quality unbleached bread flour
1¼ teaspoon salt
1¼ cup warm water
¾ teaspoon dry yeast
2 ice cubes
Utensils
In addition to our Baguette Baking Box (with baguette tray and bottom plate), you need a large bowl, mixing spoon, flexible spatula, dough scraper or metal spatula, sharp knife or razor blade, and parchment paper.
Yield: 2 baguettes, 16″ long
Hands-on Time: 10-12 minutes
Rising Time: Approximately 8½ hours total
Baking Time: Approximately 42 minutes
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Mixing the Dough
Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.
Add the yeast to the warm water and stir until yeast is dissolved (approx. 30 seconds).
Add water to the dry ingredients and stir vigorously with a mixing spoon until the dough is sticking together and pulling away from the sides of the bowl (approx. 1 minute). The dough will be wet and sticky.
Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise at room temperature for
8-10 hours.
2. Shaping the Dough into Baguettes
Generously flour your work surface.
Uncover the dough, and using a flexible spatula, scrape the dough out of the bowl onto the floured surface. (The dough will be wet).
Using a dough scraper or metal spatula, gather the dough into a mound by folding it in half twice.
Cut the dough into two equal halves. Let them sit for 10 minutes.
While the dough is sitting, line the two troughs of your baguette tray with 3” wide strips of parchment paper.
As the dough sits, it should become less sticky and more workable. If it doesn’t, let it sit a few minutes longer.
Take half of the dough and firmly press it down and outward with your fingers, coaxing it into a roughly oval or rectangular shape, approximately 5” x 7”and ½” thick. If necessary, add a bit more flour to your surface to prevent sticking.
Fold the upper third of the dough toward you and pinch it together at the seam.
Then fold the lower third up to cover first third, and pinch firmly at the seam.
Gently but firmly roll the folded dough back and forth to lengthen it, using your palms and working from the center outward to form a loaf with slightly tapered ends, about 16” long.
TIP: To achieve a lighter, airier baguette interior, skip the steps of flattening and folding the dough. Take half the dough and roll it back and forth to lengthen it to about 16”, handling the dough as little and as briefly as possible.
Place the rolled dough into one trough of the baguette tray.
Repeat the process with the second half of the dough.
3. Preheating the Baguette Baking Box
Place your Baguette Baking Box in the center of your oven, making sure the flat plate with the center channel is in the bottom of the box, and the lid is on.
Set the oven at 475°F and preheat for approximately 20-30 minutes. (This preheating time is essential!)
4. Baking Your Baguettes
Uncover the dough after allowing it to rise for 30 minutes.
Using a sharp knife or razor blade, make 4 long diagonal slashes across the top of each loaf, about ½” deep. (These slashes allow the baguettes to expand). If the dough is very sticky, it helps to dip the blade in water before making each slash.
Drop 2 medium-sized ice cubes under the handle of the baguette tray.
Working quickly to preserve heat, use oven mitts to remove the preheated Baguette Baking Box from the oven. Place it on your stove or other heat-proof surface, and close the oven.
With your oven mitts, lift the lid from the box, gently slide the baguette tray into the box, and replace the lid.
Place the box on the center rack of the oven, and bake for 24 minutes.
Remove the box lid and bake for an additional 18 to 20 minutes uncovered, until the crust has become crisp, and is a rich golden brown.
Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes and enjoy!
