Richard Bertinet has a pragmatic approach to kneading, fermentation, shaping and baking baguettes that just works for me.
His recipe for 3 small French baguettes is simple:
- 300g of strong bread flour
- 6g fresh yeast or 3g dry instant yeast
- 210g water (70% hydration)
- 6g sea salt (2% salt)
Prepare the dough (the evening before):
- Mix and knead the ingredients (without salt) for 8-10 minutes using the slap & fold technique or using a machine. Add the salt halfway through.
- Shape the dough into a ball with the top side up and put it to rest for 1 hour at room temperature, before putting it in the fridge over night.
Shape the baguettes (12-16h later):
- Cut the dough into 3 pieces (about 170g each). Shape the baguettes by folding two sides to the center, then fold it shut and stretch it into a long shape by rolling down the edges.
- Tip the top side into flour and let the baguettes rest covered for 20 minutes.
- Score the dough with 3 overlapping lines. Hold the knife at a 45° angle.
Bake the baguettes:
- Preheat the oven to 300°C (upper and lower heat) with an empty baking tray in the top position.
- Put the baguettes into the oven and pour 200ml of water into the top baking tray to generate steam.
- After 5 minutes, open the oven to let the steam escape and remove the top tray.
- Bake the baguettes for a total of 12-15 minutes.
Enjoy your crunchy, yet soft baguettes!
![French Baguette](https://steffenbew.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/baguette-768x1024.webp)
![Baguette Flute](https://steffenbew.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/baguette-flute-scaled-e1687468600275-768x1024.webp)
For complete instructions and first hand tips, check out the original recipe video:
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