Ah, a crunchy baguette spread with fresh butter - is there a better culinary delight? Freshly baked French bread has a wonderful flavor and aroma; after experimenting with this recipe at home you will no longer be able to help but repeat it. Read the simple instructions of the article to learn how to prepare French bread, this recipe will allow you to bake 2 or 3 large loaves.
Ingrediants
- 600 g of flour for bread
- 1 tablespoon of Kosher Salt
- 2 teaspoons of Yeast
- 480 ml of hot water
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Prepare the Dough
Step 1. Activate the yeast
Mix 25 g of flour and 120 ml of water to make a fluid mixture to which you can add the yeast. Wait for the yeast to start forming a light foam to understand that it is time to continue further.
Step 2. Pour the remaining flour and salt into a bowl
Stir to mix them, or use an electric mixer.
Step 3. Add the activated yeast
Step 4. Mix the dough and add the water
Mix in the planetary mixer using the special accessory and a reduced speed, or you prefer a normal wooden spoon and a little elbow grease. Add the water, a few tablespoons at a time, mixing constantly, until the dough becomes compact and begins to come off the sides of the bowl.
Step 5. Stop mixing and let the dough rest
Allow it to soak up the water for a few minutes. This step will allow you to more easily reach the right proportions between water and flour.
Step 6. Continue mixing
Slowly add more water or flour until the bowl is completely "clean," without numerous small pieces of dough remaining on the walls. By pinching the dough, you should feel it as slightly sticky. If it feels too moist, add more flour (try around 25-50g) and knead the dough a little longer.
Step 7. Knead
Set the mixer to medium speed. If you are not using an electric mixer, you will need to knead the mixture by hand for about 10 - 15 minutes, distributing the ingredients and developing the gluten in the flour. Flour your hands, and the work surface, then transfer the dough to the work surface and start kneading it with your hands.
Step 8. Let the dough rise
Transfer it to a bowl 3 times larger than the amount of flour used. Grease the sides of the bowl, put the dough inside and cover it with cling film or a kitchen towel. Put the bowl in a warm corner of the kitchen and let the dough rise.
The first leavening will take about a couple of hours, depending on the level of heat in which the bowl is located. If you prefer, you can let the dough rise overnight after placing it in the refrigerator
Step 9. Flatten the dough
When the dough has tripled in volume, you will have to "deflate" it by pressing it with your fingers to flatten it.
Step 10. Let it rise a second time
Return it to the greased bowl and cover it with cling film. Allow it to rise again in the previously selected warm place. When it has doubled in size, deflate it again.
Step 11. Let the dough rise for the third time
Three leavening favor the formation of small bubbles in the dough. If you want to speed up the process, or if you prefer a coarser bread (with larger bubbles), you can eliminate one or two leavening.
Method 2 of 3: Shape the Dough
Step 1. Shape your baguettes
Cut the dough into 2 or 3 parts and concentrate on one baguette at a time. Flour your hands and work surface. Roll out the dough giving it a rectangular shape of the desired length. You can make a loaf, shorter and wider in shape) or a classic baguette, long and thin. Roll the dough out on itself and pinch it along the ends and edges to ensure its shape during cooking.
Of course, you can give your dough any shape you like. You can make for example a round loaf, small sandwiches, etc
Step 2. Place the molded dough in the lightly greased baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal
Depending on the capacity of your pan, you can bake two or three loaves of bread at the same time.
Step 3. Let the dough rise for one last time
Cover the loaves with a damp kitchen towel and let them rise and almost double in volume. This should take about 45-60 minutes, depending on the temperature in your kitchen.
Method 3 of 3: Bake the Bread in the Oven
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 230 ° C
Step 2. Score the loaves of bread
Discover the loaves of bread and engrave them with a very sharp knife. (Artistic skills may be useful but not necessary). The classic design includes cuts made diagonally, about 1 cm deep and about 2-3 cm apart from each other. Artists can try to recreate an ear of corn on the surface of the bread.
- Many people love salty-crusted bread. There are two possible techniques: brush the forms with a mixture prepared with 1 egg white, about 1 tablespoon of salt, and 60 ml of hot water; or lightly wet the surface of the forms with spray water and then sprinkle them with coarse salt.
- If you want to create a crispy and salty crust, combine the two techniques (brush and then salt).
Step 3. Bake the bread and add the moisture
When the oven is hot, bake your bread at a medium height. With a spray water bottle, create a humid environment in the oven. A humid environment will favor the leavening of the dough, without causing breakages on the surface (the incisions made with the knife will determine the point where the bread must break), and the formation of the crust.
- An alternative technique suggests placing a pan full of water on the bottom of the oven during the first 10 minutes of cooking.
- If you have a gas oven, humidity levels will naturally be higher than in an electric oven.
- A professional baker oven would be ideal, but also very, very expensive.
Step 4. After 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 175 ° C
Re-distribute the water with the spray dispenser to ensure a balance of humidity and temperature.
Step 5. Continue baking the bread for another 20 minutes or more
Remove the bread from the oven when its internal temperature has reached 88 ° C. At a lower temperature the bread will be excessively mushy and will tend to dry more easily. You can measure the temperature with a thermometer.
Step 6. Remove the bread from the oven and place it on a rack to cool
As soon as it is cold enough, the bread can be enjoyed immediately. Some purists argue that bread should be torn, but just cut it into slices if you are concerned that tearing it will damage it. Season it with butter if you love salty flavors, or with fruit jam if your palate prefers sweet flavors. De gustobus non testutantum est - "You can't argue about tastes."
Advice
- Old bread should never be thrown away. You can prepare fabulous French toast or delicious bread puddings. Both recipes are great when made with slightly stale bread.
- Keep the bread in a plastic bag and store it in the refrigerator, it will last longer. Over time, the salt will dissolve in the crust. Although the texture will suffer, the flavors of your bread will remain intact.
- If you want to keep your bread for a long time, place it in the freezer and defrost it at the appropriate time. Heat it for a few minutes in the oven to ensure a new crunchiness.
- To make quality bread, always use the best ingredients available.
