2 | pounds | Flour, All Purpose | ||
1 3/5 | pounds | Water | ||
17 9/10 | gram | Salt | ||
2 9/10 | gram | Yeast |
Weigh all the ingredients into a dough bucket. I use a clear container I bought in the restaruant equipment area at Sam's.
Mix by hand in the dough bucket, and let rest 20 minutes.
Fold by hand about 20 times, pulling dough away from edge, pulling back over the dough, and slapping back on top.
Cover (my bucket came with a lid) and let rest for 20 minutes.
Fold by hand about another 20 times, pulling dough away from center and slapping back on top, and let rest for anoterh 20 minutes.
Fold by hand (third time), about 15 times. Dough should form a smooth ball by now. Let ferment for 2.5 hours.
Pre-shape the dough, and let it rest for a few minutes. Then shape the dough
After the 2.5 hour fermentation, the dough will spread out and look a little bubbly on top.
Lightly flour the dough while still in the bucket. The top will become the bottom.
Flour your work table.
Use a scraper or bench knife to loosen the sides. Dip the bench knife in flour first, and then scrape between the side of the bucket and the dough. This is a quick down motion, and then back up. Dip in flour again, and repeat in an adjacent area. Repeat, working your way around the bucket. This is just to stop the dough from sticking to the sides of the bucket. Then turn the bucket upside down, reach underneath wiht your scraper, and scrape between the dough and the bottom of the bucket, letting the dough fall onto your floured worktable.
Lightly flour the top of the dough, and keep your hands well floured. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces.
To shape the dough as a boule, first lay the flat piece on the work table.
Then fold the top third over itself.
Then fold the upper two corners over on itself.
And finally fold the bottom two corners over on itself. Then pick up the dough and tighten into a ball with the seams down. This is hard to explain without pictures, and I didn't have anyone to shoot them as I did it. Maybe some day in the future.
Place the rounded shaped dough ball on the worktable or board to rise.
Allow to rise till doubled in bulk, about an hour.
Sprinkle a peel with some coarse corn meal, and put the dough on the peel.
Put the dough into your oven. I like 425 when using an indoor oven, but 500 F when using the BGE.
Steam is important for the bread to bake properly. If you look close, my Egg setup is the inverted plate setter, a pan for water, the rack and a pizza stone. I pour water into the pan as I put the bread onto the stone, and then I spray the bread with water just before I close the dome.
Bake for about 25 minutes.
Made a video of the process:
Warren said, over 17 years ago |
Made baguettes with a sourdough starter that worked out really well. Expanded the starter to a total of 2 pounds, with a 100% hydration, so I just reduced the recipe by 1# water and 1# flour, and left out the yeast. Rest of the recipe remained the same. Has just a little sour aftertaste that I was looking for.