Baguette
Ingredients
- 400 g (3 cups) flour *
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried yeast or 15 g fresh yeast
- 300 g cold water (1 and 1/3 cups)
plus
- additional flour for dusting
- bran
- extra virgin olive oil
- coarse sea salt
Preparation
- Sift flour into a bowl, add salt, sugar, dry or finely crumbled fresh yeast. Pour water and mix ingredients with a spoon (mix for about 30 seconds maximum, dough should remain sticky and thick). Cover the bowl and set aside at room temperature, for example on the kitchen counter, to rise for about 14 hours (minimum 12, maximum 18 hours), preferably overnight. Dough should increase in volume about twice.
- On the kitchen counter place a clean kitchen towel, sprinkle it with bran. Dust another place on the kitchen counter or preferably a work surface generously with flour and place dough from bowl there. With flour-dusted hands fold dough sides to center forming a ball. Place it on the towel with the seam side down. Dust the top with bran. Cover dough with the edges of the towel and leave in a warm place for about 1-2 hours (dough is ready when volume doubles). Dough with towel can also be placed in a bread basket or bowl.
- Half an hour before dough is done rising, preheat oven to maximum temperature 240-250 degrees C. Prepare a large baking sheet (from oven equipment) and coat it generously with olive oil.
- Place dough on a flour-dusted work surface (dough will be quite loose, won't have the shape of a perfect ball) and divide it into 4 portions (preferably into strips). Carefully grab the first piece of dough and transfer it over the sheet, stretch to the length of the sheet and place at the edge. Repeat with remaining dough, arrange strips of dough next to each other maintaining spacing.
- Gently brush the top of dough (but not necessarily perfectly) with extra virgin olive oil and optionally sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Place in oven in the middle section. Bake for about 20 minutes (15-25 minutes) until crust is nicely browned.
Tips
Serving suggestion
With chorizo and mango:
fried chorizo / mango slices / finely chopped chili pepper / arugula / quick
orange chutney
: 3 tablespoons orange jam, 2 tablespoons rice or wine vinegar + 2 tablespoons lime juice + a pinch of salt + 1/3 teaspoon ground ginger + freshly ground black pepper - place everything in a small pot and cook for about 3 minutes until thickened.
With smoked salmon, horseradish cheese and capers:
cream cheese (e.g. Philadelphia, Bieluch) with added grated horseradish and a bit of lemon juice / smoked salmon / capers / dill / freshly ground pepper / extra virgin olive oil to drizzle on the baguette
With salami, feta and pickled cucumber:
thinly sliced and fried salami / pickled cucumber / feta or goat cheese / red onion / red paprika powder / arugula or lettuce leaves / freshly ground pepper (e.g. multicolor) / butter to spread on the baguette
For each sandwich I recommend lettuce (regular or rocket) and butter or olive oil.