French BaguettesFrom
Martha Stewart Living Magazine By Bread Alone12 - 15 hours before you want the bread:Starter5 1/4 ounces King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
Pinch of active dry yeast
5 1/2 ounces cool water ( 2/3 cup; 75 degrees to 78 degrees)
Mix flour, a pinch of yeast, and water to form a starter. Cover, and let rest at cool room temperature until bubbling.
Dough11 ounces King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour (2 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon)
1 3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
6 ounces cool water (3/4 cup;75 to 78 degrees)
1 3/4 teaspoons fine sea salt
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
Combine remaining flour, yeast, and water with starter, mixing until a slightly sticky dough forms. Be patient, don't add extra water.
Combine remaining flour, yeast, and water with starter, mixing until a slightly sticky dough forms.
Turn dough onto an unfloured surface.
Sprinkle with fine sea salt.
Gather dough, lifting it above the surface. Hold one end of dough and cast the other end in front of you, onto the surface. Pull the end in your hands toward you, stretching it gently. Then fold the dough on top of itself. Continue to knead until smooth, supple, and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Form into a ball.
Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover (with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray), and let rise at cool room temperature for
45 minutes.
Gently turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Do not punch dough. Fold the dough into thirds, as you would a business letter, then fold in half crosswise. Return to bowl, cover (with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray), and let rise at cool room temperature until it has almost doubled,
at least 75 minutes.
Divide dough into two portions. Let rest, covered (with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray), for 20 minutes.
Gently spread each portion of dough into a rectangle that's about 10 by 6 inches. Fold dough into thirds again, pressing the seams with your fingers.
Baguettes1. Working with 1 portion of dough at a time, keeping remaining dough covered, fold dough in half lengthwise to form a tight, narrow log. Gently press edges with lightly floured fingertips to seal.
2. Using your palms, roll the dough on a lightly floured work surface until it's about 16 inches long, rolling more firmly at the ends to create a tapered effect.
3. Place loaves, seam side down, on a generously floured linen towel or a parchment-lined baking sheet. Fold towel between the loaves to prevent sticking. Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap, and let rise at cool room temperature until loaves have almost doubled and a floured finger pressed into side leaves a slight indentation,
40 to 50 minutes.
4. Place a skillet on oven rack adjusted to lowest position and a baking stone on middle oven rack.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. If using a linen towel, gently turn baguettes onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Before baking, use a
razor blade to make 3 slashes on top of each baguette. Pour 1/2 cup hot water into skillet in oven. Slide bread and parchment onto baking stone.
5. Immediately reduce oven to
450 degrees. Bake until baguettes are deep golden brown, sound hollow when bottoms are thumped, and interiors register 205 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on wire racks.
Baguettes are best the day you make them, but they can be wrapped in parchment and then foil, and stored at room temperature overnight (or frozen for up to 1 month; thaw at room temperature before serving.)
Petit Pain (small rolls)
Separate dough into 3 parts.
1. Working with 1 portion of dough at a time, keeping remaining dough covered, fold dough in half lengthwise to form a tight, narrow log. Gently press edges with lightly floured fingertips to seal. Using a dough scraper or a knife, cut into 8 pieces.
2. Gather edges, and gently pull and tuck them underneath the dough to create a round shape, pinching to seal.
3. Place dough on the work surface. Cup one hand around dough, and rotate it in circles until a smooth, taut ball forms.
4. Place rolls on a generously floured linen towel or a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap, and let rise at cool room temperature until rolls have almost doubled and a floured finger pressed into side leaves a slight indentation, 30 to 40 minutes.
5. Place a skillet on oven rack adjusted to lowest position and a baking stone on middle oven rack.
Preheat oven to 500 degrees. If using a linen towel, gently transfer rolls to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Just before baking, use a lame or a razor blade to slash the surface of each roll, forming an X. Pour 1/2 cup hot water into skillet in oven. Slide rolls and parchment onto baking stone.
6. Immediately
reduce oven to 450 degrees. Bake until rolls are deep golden brown, sound hollow when bottoms are thumped, and interiors register 205 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool on racks.
Rolls are best the day you make them, but they can be wrapped in parchment and then foil, and stored at room temperature overnight (or frozen for up to 1 month; thaw at room temperature before serving).
