H is for Home Harbinger

Ingredients

• 2g fresh yeast or 1g/¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
• 125g/125ml/½ cup warm water
• 125g/1 cup white/unbleached plain/all-purpose flour or French T55 flour
• 300g/2½ cups white/unbleached plain/all-purpose flour or French T55 flour
• 5g/1tsp salt
• 2g fresh yeast or 1g/¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
• 140g/140ml/½ cup plus 1tbs warm water

Instructions

1. In a (larger) mixing bowl, weigh out the 2g fresh yeast or equivalent. Add the 125g/125ml/½ cup water and stir until the yeast has dissolved. Add the 125g/1 cup flour and mix with a wooden spoon until a spoon paste forms. Cover the bowl and let ferment overnight at room temperature. This is the poolish (Rather than do this stage I used 250g of my white starter)
2. The next day, in a (smaller) mixing bowl, mix the 300g/2½ cups flour and the salt together and set aside. This is the dry mixture
3. In another (smaller) mixing bowl, weigh out the remaining 2g fresh yeast or equivalent. Add the 140g/140ml/½ cup plus 1tbs water and stir until the yeast has dissolved
4. Mix the yeast solution into the poolish, then add the dry mixture too and mix with your hands until it comes together
5. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes
6. After 10 minutes knead as instructed in photos I, J & K in the illustrated page below
7. Cover the bowl again and let stand for 10 minutes
8. Repeat steps 6 & 7 twice, then step 6 again
9. Cover the bowl again and let rise for 1 hour
10. Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour. Punch down the dough and transfer to the floured surface. Divide into 3 equal portions – weigh each piece and add or subtract dough until they all weight the same
11. Gently flatten each ball of dough into an oval. Pull both ends of the oval out, then fold them over into the middle. You will now have a roughly rectangular shape
12. Pull and fold the top of the rectangle one third of the way toward the middle, pressing into the dough. Swivel it 180° and repeat. Repeat until you have a neat, long loaf shape
13. Repeat with the remaining portions of dough. Cover the loaves (seam-side down) and let rest for 15 minutes
14. Turn one loaf over and flatten slightly . Fold the top right of the rectangle one third of the way toward the middle, pressing it into the dough. Repeat with the top left and repeat until rolled up
15. Roll the dough between your hands until you get a baguette about the length of your baking shape or the desired length. Repeat with the remaining dough
16. Dust the proofing linen/tea towel with flour and lay it on the baking sheet. Arrange the baguettes on the cloth, seam-side up, pulling a bit of excess cloth between each baguette to separate them
17. Cover with the cloth and let rise until double the size – about an hour
18. About 20 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 240°C/475°F/Gas 9. Place a roasting pan at the bottom of the oven to preheat. Fill a cup of water and set aside
19. When the dough has finished rising, turn the baguettes over with a peel, if using, onto a paper-lined baking sheet. Dust them with flour and slash along their lengths using a lamé or serrated knife
20. Put in the preheated oven and pour the reserved cupful of water onto the hot roasting pan
21. Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. To check if baked through, tip one upside down and tap the bottom – it should sound hollow. If ready, set the loaves on a wire rack to cool

Notes