Crusty French Baguettes with an Overnight Poolish

What you need

• 150 g (1 1/4 cups) bread flour, for the poolish
• 150 ml (2/3 cup) water, room temperature, for the poolish
• 1/8 tsp instant yeast, for the poolish
• 350 g (2 3/4 cups) bread flour, for the dough
• 200 ml (3/4 cup + 1 tbsp) water, lukewarm, for the dough
• 1/2 tsp instant yeast, for the dough
• 10 g (2 tsp) fine sea salt

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   The evening before, stir the poolish flour, water and yeast together in a large bowl until no dry patches remain.

2. 2

   Cover and leave at room temperature for 8-12 hours. It is ready when the surface is covered in bubbles and the dome is just starting to sag.

3. 3

   Add the dough flour, water, yeast and the salt to the bowl. Squeeze and stir with a wet hand until a sticky, shaggy mass forms with no dry flour left.

4. 4

   Cover and leave to rest for 30 min.

5. 5

   With a damp hand, grab one side of the dough, pull it up and lay it over the middle. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat until all four sides are folded.

6. 6

   Cover and rest 30 min, then repeat the folds. Do this 3 times in all, finishing with a last 30 min rest. The dough should feel smooth, airy and noticeably bigger.

7. 7

   Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter and divide it into 3 equal pieces. Pat each into a rough rectangle, fold the long sides into the middle, cover and rest 15 min.

8. 8

   Meanwhile, put a baking stone or upturned baking tray on the middle shelf and an empty metal pan on the lowest shelf. Heat the oven to 260 °C (500 °F) for at least 45 min.

9. 9

   Press one piece flat, seam up. Fold the top edge down a third of the way and seal it with the heel of a hand, then fold it over again to meet the bottom edge and pinch the seam shut.

10. 10

    Roll the log under both palms, working from the centre out, until it is about 35 cm (14 in) long with tapered ends. Shape the other two the same way.

11. 11

    Lay them seam side up on a heavily floured linen cloth, pleating the cloth between them for support. Cover and proof for 45-60 min, until puffy and a floured fingertip leaves a dent that fills back slowly.

12. 12

    Roll each baguette seam side down onto a sheet of baking paper on a flat board. Cut 3-4 long, shallow slashes along each with a razor blade or very sharp knife, holding the blade at a low angle.

13. 13

    Slide the paper onto the hot stone. Pour a mug of boiling water into the pan below, standing back from the steam, and close the door at once.

14. 14

    Lower the oven to 245 °C (475 °F) and bake for 25-30 min, until the crust is a deep, dark brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped underneath.

15. 15

    Cool on a rack for at least 30 min before cutting.

Imported from bakerbettie.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.